Javier Flaño

Javier 'Javi' Flaño Bezunartea (born 19 August 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right back.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Flaño and the second or maternal family name is Bezunartea.
Javi Flaño
Personal information
Full name Javier Flaño Bezunartea
Date of birth (1984-08-19) 19 August 1984
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Right back
Youth career
Osasuna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2005 Osasuna B 99 (0)
2005–2009 Osasuna 72 (1)
2009–2011 Numancia 75 (1)
2011–2013 Elche 41 (0)
2013–2014 Mirandés 29 (0)
2014–2018 Osasuna 84 (2)
2018–2019 Logroñés 20 (0)
National team
2003 Spain U20 2 (0)
2006 Spain U21 3 (0)
2005 Spain U23 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 May 2019

He represented Spain up to under-23 level, and spent most of his career with Osasuna.

Club career

A product of hometown CA Osasuna's youth system, Flaño was born in Pamplona, and he made his debut with the first team in a La Liga 2–1 home win against Villarreal CF on 28 August 2005,[1] going on to finish his first season with 31 games played. Aged only 17, he began playing regularly with the B-team in the third division.

The following campaign, Flaño remained an important fixture with the Navarrese, scoring his first goal on 10 December 2006 in a 3–0 home win over RCD Mallorca and adding another seven appearances in the club's semi-final run in the UEFA Cup (plus both legs in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round against Hamburger SV).

From 2007 onwards, twin brother Miguel became an undisputed starter while Javier only managed rare first-team appearances.[2][3] Released in June 2009, he joined CD Numancia on a free transfer for two years, as the Soria side had just been relegated from the top flight;[4] he appeared in 40 second level matches in his second season – 39 starts – in a final comfortable midtable position.[5]

On 22 July 2014, following one-year spells in the second tier with Elche CF and CD Mirandés, Flaño returned to his first club, where his brother was still playing.[6] On 7 June of the following year, in the last round of the campaign and with the team needing one point to avoid a second consecutive relegation, he scored a last-minute header for a 2–2 draw at CE Sabadell FC.[7]

In 2015–16, Flaño started in 37 of his 38 league appearances to help Osasuna return to the top division after a two-year absence. In the early stages of the following season, both siblings suffered a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament on their left knee, being sidelined for several months.[8]

Having played only ten games in his last two seasons combined, Flaño left for third-tier UD Logroñés in July 2018.[9]

Personal life

Flaño's twin brother, Miguel, was also a footballer and a defender. Both were groomed at Osasuna.[10]

Honours

Club

Elche

International

Spain U23

References
  1. "Romeo torpedea al 'Submarino'" [Romeo torpedoes the 'Submarine']. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 August 2005. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  2. "Javier Flaño: "Estoy muy agradecido a Osasuna"" [Javier Flaño: "I am most thankful to Osasuna"] (in Spanish). Navarra Sport. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  3. "¡Vaya par de gemelos!" [What a set of twins!]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  4. "El Numancia ficha a Javier Flaño y Alex" [Numancia sign Javier Flaño and Alex]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 July 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  5. "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia]. Desde Soria (in Spanish). 29 May 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. "Javier Flaño es el primer fichaje" [Javier Flaño is the first signing] (in Spanish). CA Osasuna. 22 July 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  7. "Un cabezazo de Javi Flaño en el último suspiro vale una salvación" [Javi Flaño header in the dying breath equals survival]. Marca (in Spanish). 7 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  8. "Miguel Flaño, baja toda la temporada" [Miguel Flaño, out for the entire season]. Marca (in Spanish). 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  9. "Javier Flaño ficha por el Logroñés" [Javier Flaño signs for Logroñés]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). 10 July 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  10. De Zúñiga, Uxue M. (25 August 2005). "Los Flaño, una defensa de gemelos para Osasuna" [The Flaños, twin defenders for Osasuna]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2015.
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