Raúl García (footballer, born 1986)

Raúl García Escudero (Spanish pronunciation: [raˈul ɣaɾˈθi.a eskuˈðeɾo];[lower-alpha 1] born 11 July 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao mainly as an attacking midfielder but also as a central midfielder, known for scoring from the bench and having good aerial ability.[1]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is García and the second or maternal family name is Escudero.

Raúl García
García playing with Atlético Madrid in 2013
Personal information
Full name Raúl García Escudero
Date of birth (1986-07-11) 11 July 1986
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 22
Youth career
Ardoi
Osasuna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2005 Osasuna B 28 (3)
2004–2007 Osasuna 68 (9)
2007–2015 Atlético Madrid 216 (27)
2011–2012 → Osasuna (loan) 33 (11)
2015– Athletic Bilbao 163 (47)
National team‡
2004–2005 Spain U19 7 (4)
2006–2009 Spain U21 20 (1)
2014– Spain 2 (0)
2004–2005 Navarre 2 (0)
2005 Basque Country 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 June 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2014

Formed at Osasuna, he spent most of his career at Atlético Madrid, scoring 45 goals in 326 games across all competitions in eight seasons and winning six major titles, including the 2014 national championship and the 2010 Europa League.

Club career

Osasuna

Born in Pamplona, García played for hometown's CA Osasuna during his first years as a professional. On 24 October 2004, he made his debut for the first team in a 0–3 away defeat against FC Barcelona, with his first chance being offered by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre.[2]

García scored five league goals (the first on 26 October 2005 in a 3–2 home win over Athletic Bilbao)[3] in his first full season as the Navarrese finished in fourth place in La Liga, starting in 28 of his 33 appearances at the age of just 19.

Atlético Madrid

In July 2007, after helping Osasuna to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, with one goal in 12 games, García signed a five-year contract with Atlético Madrid, reuniting with former boss Aguirre upon the €13 million deal.[4]

In January 2010, García lost his starting position to newly signed Tiago Mendes, who had arrived on loan from Juventus FC.[5] However, he started the UEFA Europa League final against Fulham, as the Portuguese was cup-tied, playing the full 90 minutes and extra time in the 2–1 win for the first honour of his career;[6] additionally, he appeared in the second half of the season's Copa del Rey decisive game against Sevilla FC, in a 0–2 loss.[7]

García (right) in action against Almería in September 2013

On 27 August 2010, García featured the entire match in the UEFA Super Cup against Inter Milan, giving away a penalty kick in the last minute for a foul on Goran Pandev; the shot was however saved by David de Gea, and the Colchoneros won it 2–0.[8] Again, he played in significantly less minutes than Tiago, but still managed to collect 29 league appearances as Atlético finally qualified to the Europa League, and netted his only goal of the season in a 1–2 home loss against eventual champions Barcelona, heading in from a corner kick.[9]

After renewing his contract with Atlético for a further three years, García was loaned to former club Osasuna for 2011–12,[10] where he began to appear more prominently as an attacking midfielder.[1] He scored a career-best eleven goals during the campaign, including twice against RCD Mallorca – both through headers from corners by Álvaro Cejudo (2–2) –[11] and one in a triumph over Barcelona (3–2),[12] finishing the campaign as team top scorer, with four more goals than Ibrahima Baldé.

On 9 April 2014, after playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 UEFA Champions League home win against Barcelona that qualified Atlético Madrid to the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years,[13] García became the club's most capped player in the competition with 22 appearances, surpassing Luis Aragonés.[14] On 19 August he scored a 88th-minute 1–1 equalizer against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu for the Supercopa de España, as his team went on to win the trophy 2–1 on aggregate and conquer it for the second time in their history.[15]

Athletic Bilbao

On 31 August 2015, after a transfer request, García signed a four-year contract with Athletic Bilbao which included a release clause of €40 million.[16] He scored in his first appearance, helping to a 3–1 home win over Getafe CF where he featured 79 minutes.[17]

García made his 100th appearance for the club in October 2017.[18] In late May 2018, after he had scored ten league goals in each of his first two seasons,[19][20] he and Athletic agreed on a contract extension running to June 2020.[21]

On 20 July 2019, the 33-year-old García agreed to a one-year extension at the San Mamés Stadium until June 2021, with no release clause.[22]

International career

From 2006 to 2009, García played with Spain under-21s, earning a total of 20 caps in the category and representing the nation at the 2009 UEFA European Championship, in a group stage exit. He also appeared for the under-19 team.

On 29 August 2014, aged 28, García was named by full side manager Vicente del Bosque in a 23-man squad for matches against France and Macedonia in September.[23] He made his debut on 4 September, starting and playing 58 minutes in a 0–1 friendly loss to the former.[24]

Career statistics

Club
As of 27 June 2020[25][26]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Osasuna B 2004–05 283—283
Osasuna 2004–05 2010—30
2005–06 3351020365
2006–07 33450141525
Atlético Madrid 2007–08 3535091494
2008–09 36320101484
2009–10 20090120410
2010–11 2915070411
2011–12 00002020
Osasuna (loan) 2011–12 331120—3511
Osasuna total 101209016112621
Atlético Madrid 2012–13 3058292479
2013–14 3410741245318
2014–15 315631024710
2015–16 10000010
Atlético Madrid total 21627429711032946
Athletic Bilbao 2015–16 30721934111
2016–17 361033714614
2017–18 3410211234814
2018–19 33910—349
2019–20 301170—3711
Athletic Bilbao total 1634715528720659
Career total 50897661411518689129

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Notes
  1. In isolation, García is pronounced [ɡaɾˈθi.a].

References
  1. "Raul Garcia – the silent assassin". Football España. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. Piñol, Àngels (25 October 2004). "El Barça no perdona a Osasuna" [Barça do not forgive Osasuna]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  3. "Osasuna 2–2 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 26 October 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  4. "Aguirre gets thumbs up from Atlético". UEFA. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  5. Casáñez, Juan (24 May 2010). "Raúl García quiere quedarse y la Juve cederá algo por Tiago" [Raúl García wants to stay and Juve will compromise somewhat for Tiago]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  6. McNulty, Phil (12 May 2010). "Atletico Madrid 2–1 Fulham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  7. Besa, Ramón (19 May 2010). "Ganó el serio, cayó el alegre" [Serious won, playful lost]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  8. "Rafa's reign off to slow start". ESPN Soccernet. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  9. "Messi injury mars win". ESPN Soccernet. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  10. "Raul García vuelve cedido a Osasuna" [Raul García returns to Osasuna on loan]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 16 August 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  11. "Garcia and Hemed to the fore". ESPN Soccernet. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  12. "Barca stunned by Osasuna". ESPN Soccernet. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  13. "Koke takes Atlético through at Barcelona's expense". UEFA. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  14. Aznar, Luis (10 April 2014). "Raúl García se hace un hueco en la historia del Atlético" [Raúl García carves niche in Atlético's history]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  15. "Atletico Madrid 1 Real Madrid 0; agg 2–1: Mario Mandzukic's goal wins the Spanish Super Cup". The Daily Telegraph. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  16. McVitie, Peter (31 August 2015). "Official: Raul Garcia joins Athletic Bilbao from Atletico Madrid". Goal. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  17. "Raúl García, debut y gol" [Raúl García, debut and goal]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  18. Basic, Robert (14 October 2017). "Las 100 batallas de Raúl García" [Raúl García's 100 battles]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  19. Madhavan, Varun (30 July 2017). "Ernesto Valverde's 2016/17 Athletic Bilbao: Tactical analysis". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  20. "Raúl García, operado de una arritmia" [Raúl García, surgery for arrhythmia]. Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). 8 May 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  21. "Contract extension for Raúl García". Athletic Bilbao. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  22. Herrán, Alfonso (20 July 2019). "Raúl García renueva un año, hasta 2021, sin cláusula" [Raúl García renews one year, until 2021, without clause]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  23. "These are the players called up for the matches against France and Macedonia". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  24. "France 1–0 Spain". BBC Sport. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  25. "Raúl García". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  26. Raúl García at ESPN FC
  27. "Atletico Madrid win La Liga". Sport 24. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  28. "Real Madrid – At. Madrid" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  29. "Barcelona 0–0 Atletico Madrid: Catalans win Spanish Super Cup". BBC Sport. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  30. "Falcao at double as Atlético march to title". UEFA. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  31. "Chelsea 1–4 Atletico Madrid". BBC Sport. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  32. "Madrid finally fulfil Décima dream". UEFA. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
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