Ibán Cuadrado

Ibán Javier Cuadrado Alonso (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈβaŋ kwaˈðɾaðo];[lower-alpha 1] born 21 February 1979) is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played as a central defender.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Cuadrado and the second or maternal family name is Alonso.
Ibán Cuadrado
Personal information
Full name Ibán Javier Cuadrado Alonso
Date of birth (1979-02-21) 21 February 1979
Place of birth Salamanca, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1993–1997 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Barcelona C 31 (5)
1997–2001 Barcelona B 101 (9)
1998 Barcelona 0 (0)
2001–2008 Murcia 217 (4)
2008–2010 Málaga 19 (0)
2010 Rayo Vallecano 6 (0)
2010–2011 Ponferradina 31 (0)
2011–2012 Salamanca 31 (0)
2013–2014 Shanghai SIPG 57 (1)
2015–2016 Guizhou Zhicheng 52 (0)
Total 545 (19)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He amassed Segunda División totals of 248 games and five goals over the course of eight seasons, mainly in representation of Real Murcia. He also spent four years in La Liga, two apiece with that club and Málaga for a total of 62 matches.

Football career

A product of La Liga giants FC Barcelona, Cuadrado was born in Salamanca, Region of León, but would only play almost exclusively for the B-team, in both the second and third divisions. Courtesy of Louis van Gaal he appeared in one UEFA Champions League game with the main squad, featuring one minute in a 2–0 group stage away win against Brøndby IF on 9 December 1998.[1]

Released by the Catalans in 2001, Cuadrado joined Real Murcia in the second level, where he would be an indispensable element throughout seven seasons, helping to two promotions (although he only appeared in ten matches in the 2007–08 campaign, which ended in La Liga relegation).

Subsequently, Cuadrado joined Málaga CF, freshly promoted to the top flight, where he was used mostly as third or fourth-choice centre-back. On 14 January 2010, he moved to Rayo Vallecano, signing with the second tier side until the end of the season and the next.[2] He made his debut three days later, starting in a 4–4 home draw against Hércules CF and scoring an own goal.[3]

After one unsuccessful season with Rayo individually, 31-year-old Cuadrado switched to SD Ponferradina in the second division, reuniting with former Málaga teammates Javi López, Daniel Toribio and Miguel Ángel.[4] In summer 2011, following his team's relegation, he returned to his hometown and signed with UD Salamanca in division three.

At the age of 34, Cuadrado moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Chinese Super League's Shanghai SIPG FC.[5] In March 2015 he switched clubs but stayed in the nation, transferring to Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng F.C. from the League One.[6]

Notes
  1. In isolation, Ibán is pronounced [iˈβan].

References
  1. Un respiro muy oportuno (Timely breather); Mundo Deportivo, 10 December 1998 (in Spanish)
  2. Cuadrado, nuevo jugador del Rayo (Cuadrado, new Rayo player); Rayo Herald, 14 January 2010 (in Spanish)
  3. Empacho de goles y reparto de puntos en Vallecas (Goal indigestion and points shared at Vallecas); Marca, 17 January 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. 2 nuevas incorporaciones al equipo (2 new additions to the team); SD Ponferradina, 24 August 2010 (in Spanish)
  5. 上港队敲定首名外援 西中卫已以正式球员身份合练 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Shanghai EA, 30 January 2013 (in Chinese)
  6. 贵州智诚火速选定三外援人选 前上港队中卫加盟; Sohu, 5 March 2015 (in Chinese)
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