Álex Grimaldo

Alejandro "Álex" Grimaldo García (born 20 September 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Benfica as a left back.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Grimaldo and the second or maternal family name is García.
Álex Grimaldo
Grimaldo with Benfica in 2019
Personal information
Full name Alejandro Grimaldo García
Date of birth (1995-09-20) 20 September 1995
Place of birth Valencia, Spain
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Playing position(s) Left back
Club information
Current team
 Benfica
Number 3
Youth career
2006–2008 Valencia
2008–2012 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Barcelona B 92 (6)
2016– Benfica 104 (7)
National team
2011 Spain U16 2 (0)
2011–2012 Spain U17 8 (1)
2012–2014 Spain U19 9 (0)
2013–2016 Spain U21 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 June 2020

Club career

Barcelona
Grimaldo with Barcelona B in 2012

Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Grimaldo joined Barcelona's youth system in 2008. He made his official debut for the B-team on 4 September 2011, starting in a 4–0 away win against Cartagena at the age of 15 years and 349 days and becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a Segunda División game.[1][2]

On 23 February 2013, Grimaldo suffered a serious knee injury, being ruled out for the remainder of the season.[3] He returned to action in January of the following year,[4] appearing in 14 matches to help his team finish in third position.

On 13 September 2014, Grimaldo scored his first professional goal, netting his side's last in a 3–2 success at Alavés.[5] In a campaign which saw the team relegated, he netted four times in 36 matches; he and Sergi Palencia were sent off on 25 April 2015, in a 2–1 win over Ponferradina at the Mini Estadi.[6]

Benfica

On 29 December 2015, as his contract was about to expire,[7] Grimaldo signed with Portuguese champions Benfica until 2021, for €1.5 million. Barcelona has the right to a percentage of a future sale.[8]

Grimaldo played his first game with his new team on 26 January 2016, coming in as a 62nd-minute substitute for Sílvio in a 6–1 away routing of Moreirense for the Taça da Liga.[9] He debuted in the Primeira Liga on 29 February, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win against União da Madeira;[10] he only appeared once more in the latter competition until the end of the season, filling in for suspended Eliseu[11] in a 4–1 success over Nacional also at the Estádio da Luz that sealed the club's third consecutive national championship.[12] He remained in the team for the league cup final on 20 May, the 6–2 defeat of Marítimo at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra.[13]

Grimaldo's first full season began on 7 August 2016, as he started in a 3–0 win against Braga for the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in Aveiro, assisting Franco Cervi for the opening goal.[14] On 2 October he scored his first goal for the club, a free kick to conclude a 4–0 home triumph over Feirense;[15] on 28 May 2017, he played the full 90 minutes in the final of the Taça de Portugal, won after defeating Vitória de Guimarães 2–1.[16]

Grimaldo's maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League took place on 13 September 2016, when he played the entire 1–1 group stage home draw to Beşiktaş.[17] His first goal in the competition came during the same stage but on 2 October 2018, in a 3–2 away win over AEK Athens;[18] he repeated the feat against the latter opponent on 12 December in the return fixture, his 30-meter free kick in the 88th minute helping to a 1–0 victory.[19]

International career

Grimaldo won his first cap for the Spain under-21 team on 5 February 2013 – before he had turned 18 – playing the second half of a 1–1 friendly draw in Belgium.[20]

Club statistics
As of match played 10 June 2020[21][22]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Barcelona B 2011–12 Segunda División 10————10
2012–13 240————240
2013–14 140————140
2014–15 364————364
2015–16 Segunda División B 172————172
Total 926————926
Benfica 2015–16 Primeira Liga 200030000050
2016–17 14220004010212
2017–18 28130104010371
2018–19 344401015300547
2019–20 26060008011411
Total 1047150503133115811
Career totals 19613150503114125117

Honours

Club

Benfica

International

Spain

Individual

References
  1. García, Gregorio (4 September 2011). "Vuelve el mejor Barça B con un festival goleador en Cartagonova" [The best Barça B return with a scoring festival in Cartagonova]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  2. Gascón, Javier (5 September 2011). "Alejandro Grimaldo, la seducción de un lateral de 15 años" [Alejandro Grimaldo, the allure of a 15-year-old fullback]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  3. "Alejandro Grimaldo sufre una rotura del ligamento cruzado anterior y del ligamento lateral externo de la rodilla" [Alejandro Grimaldo suffers an anterior cruciate ligament and a lateral collateral injury] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  4. "Grimaldo vuelve ante el Mirandés... y Masip se queda fuera" [Grimaldo returns against Mirandés... and Masip stays out]. Sport (in Spanish). 18 January 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  5. "El Barça B se lleva los tres puntos con susto final" [Barça B take the three points with a final scare]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  6. "Una genialidad de Munir da aire a un filial que acabó con nueve" [Genius from Munir gives air to a reserve team which finished with nine]. Marca (in Spanish). 25 April 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  7. Nogueira, Carlos (18 December 2015). "Grimaldo ruma à Luz por um milhão de euros" [Grimaldo heads to Luz for one million euros]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  8. ""Tenho muita ambição em crescer neste clube"" ["I have a lot of ambition of growing in this club"] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  9. "Classe e magia no check-in para as "meias"" [Class and magic in "semis" check-in] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  10. "Quem tem um Jonas, tem tudo" [He who has a Jonas, has everything] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  11. "Gaitán volta com Talisca e Grimaldo no onze" [Gaitán returns with Talisca and Grimaldo in XI]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 14 May 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  12. "Génio de Gaitán dá o 'tri' ao Benfica" [Gaitán genius gives ‘tri’ to Benfica] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  13. "Benfica continua a ser o rei da Taça da Liga" [Benfica are still League Cup kings] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  14. "El Benfica campeón de la Supercopa gracias a Cervi y Pizzi" [Benfica are Supercup champions thanks to Cervi and Pizzi]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 8 August 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  15. "Benfica goleia o Feirense" [Benfica thrash Feirense]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 2 October 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  16. "Oito minutos à Benfica garantiram a 11.ª dobradinha" [Eight Benfica-like minutes confirmed 11th double]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 28 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  17. "Talisca, o dispensado, roubou uma vitória que parecia certa" [Talisca, the surplus, robbed almost certain win]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 13 September 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  18. Béu, Mariana (2 October 2018). "Benfica com triunfo sofrido sobre o AEK (3–2). Seferovic e Grimaldo marcaram, gregos empataram e Alfa Semedo resolveu – como aconteceu" [Benfica with hard-fought win over AEK (3–2). Seferovic and Grimaldo scored, Greek drew and Alfa Semedo decided it – how it happened]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  19. Celso, Marcos (12 December 2018). "Benfica vence AEK de Atenas com grande golo de Grimaldo" [Benfica beat AEK Athens with great Grimaldo goal] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  20. Villalobos, Fran (5 February 2013). "España invierte en su futuro" [Spain invest in their future]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  21. Álex Grimaldo at Soccerway
  22. Álex Grimaldo at ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  23. "Depois do "tri", o "hepta". Benfica goleia e vence Taça da Liga" [After "tri", "hepta". Benfica rout and win League Cup] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  24. "Benfica vence V. Guimarães (3–1) e faz a festa em Aveiro" [Benfica defeat V. Guimarães (3–1) and get the party started in Aveiro]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 5 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  25. Benfica 5–0 Sporting CP Soccerway
  26. "La sub´19, campeona de Europa" [The under-19s, European champions]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). 15 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  27. "Technical report" (PDF). UEFA. p. 13. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  28. "UEFA Europa League Squad of the 2018/19 Season". UEFA.com. 30 May 2019.
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