Alberto Botía

Alberto Botía
Botía with Spain U21 in 2011
Personal information
Full name Alberto Tomás Botía Rabasco
Date of birth (1989-01-27) 27 January 1989
Place of birth Alquerías, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Al-Hilal
Number 4
Youth career
1997–2000 Beniel
2000–2003 Murcia
2003–2006 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2009 Barcelona B 59 (3)
2009–2010 Barcelona 1 (0)
2009–2010 → Sporting Gijón (loan) 26 (0)
2010–2012 Sporting Gijón 62 (2)
2012–2014 Sevilla 18 (1)
2013–2014 → Elche (loan) 33 (0)
2014–2018 Olympiacos 67 (8)
2018– Al-Hilal 2 (0)
National team
2009 Spain U20 8 (1)
2009–2011 Spain U21 17 (0)
2012 Spain U23 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 August 2018

Alberto Tomás Botía Rabasco (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto βoˈti.a raˈβasko]; born 27 January 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal FC.

Club career

Barcelona

Botía was born in Alquerías, Region of Murcia. Aged just eight years old he began playing for CD Beniel, soon joining neighbours Real Murcia and remaining there for three years. In 2003 he moved to FC Barcelona, being inserted into its B-team after a further three seasons.[1]

In late May 2009 Botía, alongside fellow youth graduate Marc Muniesa, was first called to the main squad for a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United.[2] He made his official debut on the 30th, coming on as a second-half substitute for Gerard Piqué in the final game of the campaign, a 1–1 away draw against Deportivo de La Coruña.[3]

Sporting Gijón

On 14 July 2009, Botía was sent to fellow La Liga club Sporting de Gijón on a season-long loan.[4] An undisputed starter throughout his first year in the top tier, he decided to extend his stay with the Asturians in a four-year deal, with Barcelona keeping a buy-back clause for the first three.[5]

Sevilla

On 8 August 2012, Botía signed with Sevilla FC for a fee believed to be in the region of €3 million. He was brought in with the help of the Doyen Group, an Anglo-Portuguese investment firm.[6][7] He made his official debut for his new team 18 days later, playing the second half of a 1–1 away draw against Granada CF.[8]

On 23 February 2013, Botía put the visitors ahead at former side Barcelona, but in an eventual 1–2 loss.[9] For the 2013–14 campaign, after 25 official appearances for the Andalusia team, he was loaned to Elche CF[10] alongside teammates Manu del Moral and Miroslav Stevanović.[11]

Olympiacos

On 1 August 2014, Botía joined Greek club Olympiacos FC on a four-year contract, for €2 million.[12][13] He contributed with 25 appearances all competitions comprised in his debut season, helping his team win the double.[14]

Botía became an undisputed starter in 2015–16, under new manager Marco Silva. On 29 September, he played the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 win at Arsenal for the Champions League group stage[15] and, on 25 October, scored both of his team's goals in a 2–1 away success over Atromitos FC, becoming the club's first defender to achieve this since Avraam Papadopoulos two years earlier.[16]

Botía's contract was terminated by mutual consent on 4 May 2018.[17]

Al-Hilal

Botía became new manager Jorge Jesus' first signing for Al-Hilal FC on 26 June 2018, when the 29-year-old agreed to a two-year deal with the option for a further season.[18]

International career

Juan Mata (left), Adrián López (centre) and Botía, lining up for the Spanish under-21s.

On 7 February 2007, Botía was summoned for the Spanish under-19 team, being an unused squad member at the "XXXIII International Atlantic Cup".[19] Almost exactly two years later he received his first under-21 callup, for a friendly with Norway.[20][21]

On 25 August 2011, Botía was selected for the first time to the full side by manager Vicente del Bosque, for games against Chile and Liechtenstein.[22] He was included in Luis Milla's squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics,[23] playing the last two matches against Honduras and Morocco as the team were eliminated without scoring a goal.[24]

Club statistics

As of 1 April 2018[25][26]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2006–07 150––150
2007–08 171––171
2008–09 272––272
Total 593––593
Barcelona 2008–09 10000010
Total 10000010
Sporting Gijón 2009–10 26010–270
2010–11 28110–291
2011–12 34120–361
Total 88240–922
Sevilla 2012–13 18171–252
Total 18171–252
Elche 2013–14 33020–350
Total 33020–350
Olympiacos 2014–15 1713061262
2015–16 1745050274
2016–17 20240120362
2017–18 1212130172
Total 66814126110610
Career totals 2631427226131817

Honours

Club

Barcelona[27]

Olympiacos

Country

Spain U20

Spain U21

References

  1. ↑ "Botía, central de Alquerías de 18 años, nueva 'perla' de la cantera del Barça" [Botía, 18-year-old stopper from Alquerías, new 'gem' from Barça's youth system]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 2 December 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Botía y Muniesa también viajan a la final de Roma" [Botía and Muniesa also travel to Rome final]. Sport (in Spanish). 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Deportivo La Coruña 1–1 Barcelona". ESPN Soccernet. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Sporting Gijón take Barcelona youngster Botía on loan". Goal. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Botía transferred to Sporting". FC Barcelona. 18 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  6. ↑ "Sevilla snaps up Botía". Marca. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Sevilla complete signing of Alberto Botia". Inside Spanish Football. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "El Sevilla saca petróleo de Los Cármenes" [Sevilla drill for oil at Los Cármenes]. Marca (in Spanish). 26 August 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "El gol de Botía no fue suficiente" [Botía goal was not enough] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Botía set to become third Elche loan signing from Sevilla". Inside Spanish Football. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Escribá recupera a Botía, Stevanovic, Del Moral y Herrera" [Escribá recovers Botía, Stevanovic, Del Moral and Herrera]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Έπιασε λιμάνι ο Μποτία [Botía arrives] (in Greek). Nova Sports. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Ανακοινώθηκε ο Μποτία [Botía announced] (in Greek). Red Planet. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Olympiacos logra el doblete" [Olympiacos get double]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "Olympiacos prove too much for Arsenal". UEFA. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. ↑ Ατρόμητος – Ολυμπιακός 1–2: Δεν σταματάει πουθενά [Atromitos – Olympiakos 1–2: The sky is the limit] (in Greek). Onsports. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Ολυμπιακός: Έλυσε το συμβόλαιό του και ο Μποτία" [Olympiacos: Contract termination for Botía] (in Greek). Protothema. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  18. ↑ "Al-Hilal board signs the Spanish defender Alberto Botia". Al-Hilal FC. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  19. ↑ Manuel Rosety (21 August 2009). "Un refuerzo de futuro" [Addition for the future]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  20. ↑ "Bojan, Capel y Mata vuelven a la sub'21" [Bojan, Capel and Mata return to the under'21s]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 6 February 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  21. ↑ "La Sub-21 no pasa del empate con Noruega" [The Under-21s can only draw with Norway]. Marca (in Spanish). 10 February 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  22. ↑ "Domínguez, Montoya y Botía, novedades de la lista de Del Bosque" [Domínguez, Montoya and Botía, news in Del Bosque's list]. Marca (in Spanish). 25 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  23. ↑ "Euro 2012 trio Mata, Alba & Martinez in Spain Olympic squad". BBC Sport. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  24. ↑ "Spain 0–0 Morocco: La Roja fail to fire again to finish bottom of Olympics Group D". Goal. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "Botía". Soccerway.
  26. ↑ Alberto Botía at ESPN FC
  27. ↑ "Botía – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  28. ↑ "Olympiakos win Greek league for the fifth straight year". The Independent. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "ITA – ESP 1:2 (0:0)" (PDF). Pescara 2009. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  30. ↑ "España sub-21, campeona de Europa: El ciclo continúa" [Spain under-21, European champions: The cycle continues] (in Spanish). Diarios de Fútbol. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
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