Iván Alonso

Iván Alonso
Alonso in 2016
Personal information
Full name Iván Daniel Alonso Vallejo
Date of birth (1979-04-10) 10 April 1979
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker
Youth career
1993 Defensor
1994–1997 River Plate (UY)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 River Plate (UY) 41 (9)
2000–2004 Alavés 116 (20)
2004–2009 Murcia 158 (47)
2009–2011 Espanyol 70 (12)
2011–2012 Toluca 34 (25)
2013–2015 Nacional 71 (51)
2016–2017 River Plate 26 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 July 2017

Iván Daniel Alonso Vallejo (born 10 April 1979) is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker.

Gifted with an excellent aerial ability he is most noted for his Alavés stint, and spent the bulk of his professional career in Spain, playing for three teams and appearing in seven La Liga seasons, three each with Alavés and Espanyol.[1]

Club career

Early years / Alavés

Born in Montevideo, Alonso started his professional career with local Club Atlético River Plate. After two seasons he moved to Spain's Deportivo Alavés, scoring eight league goals – often as a substitute – during his first season while also being an important offensive element in the Basque side's UEFA Cup exploits, as he netted in the final against Liverpool, lost 4–5 in extra time;[2] during that season, he made a formidable partnership with Javi Moreno (later of A.C. Milan).

After playing 2003–04 in the second level, Alonso stayed in the category, moving to Real Murcia and scoring 11 goals in his debut campaign. An undisputed starter from his arrival onwards, he added 14 in 40 matches in 2006–07 as the club returned to La Liga after a three-year absence.

Alonso in action for Espanyol

Espanyol

In the 2007–08 season, Alonso was again the team's top scorer at 10, but they would be nonetheless immediately relegated back. In January 2009, however, he returned to the top flight, joining RCD Espanyol for €2.4 millions on a deal running until the end of the season and two more.[3] Benefitting from injuries and loss of form to legendary Raúl Tamudo he netted some important goals for the Catalans, including two at UD Almería on 23 May 2009, which guaranteed the club's permanence in the top division a further year.[4]

On 23 September 2009, Alonso scored in the club's first win of the 2009–10 campaign, the first ever at new Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, against Málaga CF (2–1), and dedicated it to Daniel Jarque, deceased in the team's preseason in Italy.[5] He would lose his starting job following the arrival, in January 2010, of Dani Osvaldo, on loan; however, on 11 April, one day after his 31st birthday, he managed to add his name to the scoresheet in Espanyol's 3–0 home win against Atlético Madrid, having played only one minute after having replaced precisely the Argentine.[6]

Late career

In June 2011, after 11 years in Spain (amassing league totals of 344 games and 79 goals, both major levels combined), 32-year-old Alonso moved countries and signed with Deportivo Toluca F.C. in Mexico,[7] being the Liga MX's top scorer in his first and only season even though the team could only rank in 12th position overall.[8]

In early July 2012, Alonso left the Red Devils because of a heart condition, subsequently retiring from football – his doctor advised him not to play with Toluca as the high altitude of the city might worsen his condition.[9] In early 2013, however, he returned to active, joining hometown's Club Nacional de Football.

Personal life

Alonso's younger brother, Matías, was also a footballer and a forward. He too began his career at River Plate.[10]

His cousin, Diego Alonso, also played several years in Spain.[11]

Honours

Club

Alavés
Nacional
River Plate

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Iván Alonso, un jugador de mucha altura (Iván Alonso, a player of stature); La Ciudad Deportiva, 5 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  2. 1 2 "Liverpool win nine-goal epic with golden goal". UEFA. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  3. ↑ El Murcia traspasa a Iván Alonso (Murcia sell Iván Alonso); La Verdad, 30 January 2009 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Almeria 0–3 Espanyol; ESPN Soccernet, 23 May 2009
  5. ↑ La hija de Dani Jarque nació durante el partido del Espanyol (Dani Jarque's daughter was born during Espanyol's match); Diario AS, 23 September 2009 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ Espanyol boost survival hopes; ESPN Soccernet, 11 April 2010
  7. ↑ Toluca presenta al uruguayo Iván Alonso como refuerzo (Toluca announce Uruguayan Iván Alonso); Terra, 21 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  8. 1 2 Ana Laura García (28 June 2017). "¿Qué fue de Iván Alonso, el goleador de Toluca que sufría problemas cardíacos?" [What happened to Iván Alonso, the Toluca scorer who had heart problems?] (in Spanish). Publimetro. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  9. ↑ Iván Alonso se retira del fútbol activo (Iván Alonso retires from active football); Marca, 8 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ El Real Murcia B tendrá a Matías Alonso, hermano de Iván Alonso (Real Murcia B will have Matías Alonso, Iván Alonso's brother) Archived 12 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine.; Join Futbol, 8 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  11. ↑ "Primos hermanos bajo distinta bandera" [First cousins under a different flag] (in Spanish). El País. 8 February 2001. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
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