Sergio Sánchez (footballer, born 1986)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sánchez and the second or maternal family name is Ortega.

Sergio Sánchez

Sánchez playing with Rubin in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Sergio Sánchez Ortega
Date of birth	(1986-04-03) 3 April 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Mataró, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1998–2004	Espanyol
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2006	Espanyol B	19	(1)
2005–2009	Espanyol	48	(3)
2007	→ Real Madrid B (loan)	20	(0)
2007–2008	→ Racing Santander (loan)	19	(0)
2009–2011	Sevilla	14	(0)
2011–2015	Málaga	85	(0)
2015–2016	Panathinaikos	11	(0)
2016–2018	Rubin Kazan	22	(0)
2017–2018	→ Espanyol (loan)	2	(0)
2018	Espanyol	0	(0)
2018–2020	Cádiz	23	(1)
2020	→ Albacete (loan)	1	(0)
Total		264	(5)
International career
2001–2002	Spain U16	5	(0)
2002–2003	Spain U17	16	(1)
2005	Spain U19	6	(0)
2007–2009	Spain U21	4	(0)
Medal record Representing  Spain Men's football FIFA U-17 World Cup Runner-up 2003 Finland UEFA European Under-17 Championship Runner-up 2003 Portugal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sergio Sánchez Ortega (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo ˈsantʃeθ]; born 3 April 1986) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as either a right-back or a central defender.

He amassed La Liga totals of 168 games and three goals over the course of 12 seasons, representing Espanyol, Racing de Santander, Sevilla and Málaga in the competition. He won one Copa del Rey with the third club.

Club career

Sánchez playing with Espanyol in 2009

Espanyol

Born in Mataró, Barcelona, Catalonia, Sánchez was a product of RCD Espanyol's youth system. He made his debut for the first team on 24 April 2005, playing 85 minutes from the bench in a 3–1 home win against Real Zaragoza^[1] in what was his sole appearance of the season.

Sánchez was loaned to Segunda División's Real Madrid Castilla in January 2007 and, at the end of the campaign, which ended in relegation,^[2] was loaned again, to Racing de Santander in La Liga, appearing significantly as the Cantabrian side achieved a first-ever qualification for the UEFA Cup.

In July 2008, Sánchez returned to Espanyol, scoring his first official goal for the club in a 1–1 home draw with Getafe CF on 20 September.^[3] He spent the entire season on the right flank, as the Pericos eventually avoided relegation.

Sevilla

Sánchez agreed to join Sevilla FC in July 2009 in a four-year deal worth €4 million, with an additional one million being added if the Andalusians attained certain goals.^[4] On 1 January 2010, it was announced that he would be unable to play football again until 'rigorous tests' were carried out on his heart, after he complained of pains.^[5][6] His season outputs consisted of seven league games – helping Sevilla to the fourth place – and two in the Copa del Rey which the club won, both legs of the clash against CF Atlético Ciudad (9–3 on aggregate).^[7][8]

On 18 January 2011, after more than one year out of football, Sánchez returned to active – he had already been an unused substitute the previous week against former side Espanyol – starting in a Spanish Cup match against Villarreal CF, and helping the title holders to reach the semi-finals after a 3–0 home win (6–3 on aggregate).^[9]

Málaga

On 23 June 2011, Sánchez left Sevilla and joined neighbours Málaga CF for €2.8 million, signing a four-year contract.^[10] He made his debut for his new club on 25 September, appearing as a right-back in the 0–0 draw at Zaragoza.^[11]

Sánchez opened the scoring in a Spanish Cup tie against Real Madrid on 3 January 2012, through a header in an eventual 3–2 away loss (4–2 aggregate).^[12]

Panathinaikos

On 28 June 2015, after being linked to former club Espanyol and Beşiktaş JK,^[13] the 29-year-old Sánchez moved abroad for the first time in his career and signed with Panathinaikos FC, earning a reported annual salary of €800,000 including objectives.^[14][15] In his debut, at home against Club Brugge KV in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, he was sent off late into the first half, but the hosts eventually came from behind with one player less to win 2–1.^[16]

Sánchez suffered an arm injury during an away game against PAS Giannina F.C. on 7 January 2016 after colliding with teammate Stefanos Kotsolis, going on to be sidelined for approximately three months.^[17]

Rubin and Espanyol

On 27 June 2016, Sánchez moved to Russia after signing with FC Rubin Kazan.^[18] On 1 September 2017, he returned to Espanyol after agreeing to a one-year loan.^[19]

Sánchez subsequently joined the latter on a permanent deal,^[20] leaving the RCDE Stadium in August 2018.^[21]

Cádiz

On 21 September 2018, Sánchez signed a two-year contract with Cádiz CF.^[22] On 31 January 2020, after falling down the pecking order,^[23] he was loaned to fellow second division side Albacete Balompié for six months.^[24]

On 8 August 2020, despite his contract was automatically extended for a further year after Cádiz achieved promotion, Sánchez was released.^[25]

Honours

Sevilla

• Copa del Rey: 2009–10^[7][8]

References

1. "El Espanyol se crece ante el Zaragoza" [Espanyol get in Zaragoza's face]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 24 April 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
2. Balderas, Miguel Ángel (26 November 2013). "La última plantilla que descendió con el Castilla. ¿Qué fue de ellos?" [The last squad to be relegated with Castilla. What happened to them?] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
3. "El Espanyol reacciona y mantiene el liderato" [Espanyol react and are still first]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
4. Bailey, Richard (23 July 2009). "Sevilla sign Sánchez". Sky Sports. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
5. "El Sevilla detecta una patología cardiaca a Sergio Sánchez" [Sevilla detect cardiac pathology to Sergio Sánchez]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 1 January 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
6. "Sergio Sánchez se someterá a una compleja operación de corazón para intentar volver a jugar" [Sergio Sánchez will undergo complex heart surgery to try and play again]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 March 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
7. Moya, Francisco J. (28 October 2009). "El Sevilla sufre para tumbar a un buen Ciudad (2–4)" [Sevilla suffer to down a good Ciudad (2–4)]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2016.
8. "El Sevilla vuelve a golear y pasa a octavos tras un partido de trámite" [Sevilla rout again and reach last 16 after formality of a match]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 10 November 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
9. "Tevez blasts City into fourth round of FA Cup". ESPN. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
10. Ballesteros, J.; Quintero, F. (23 June 2011). "El Málaga ficha a Sergio Sánchez por 2,8 millones" [Málaga sign Sergio Sánchez for 2,8 million]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2011.
11. "Malaga denied at the last". ESPN Soccernet. 25 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
12. Campos, Tomás (3 January 2012). "El Madrid se aferra a la Copa" [Madrid cling on to Cup]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 February 2012.
13. "Sanchez on the verge of sealing Panathinaikos move". SDNA. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
14. "Sergio Sánchez ficha por el Panathinaikos" [Sergio Sánchez signs for Panathinaikos]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 26 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
15. "Sanchez arrives by Tuesday". SDNA. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
16. "Panathinaikos-Club Brugge 2–1". Panathinaikos FC. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
17. "Sanchez suffers serious injury during Greek Cup clash". SDNA. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
18. «Рубин» подписал контракт с Серхио Санчесом [Rubin signed a contract with Sergio Sánchez] (in Russian). FC Rubin Kazan. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
19. "Sergio Sánchez, últim fitxage" [Sergio Sánchez, last signing] (in Catalan). RCD Espanyol. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
20. Navarro, Cristina (23 May 2018). "Sergio Sánchez firmó... ¡hasta 2019!" [Sergio Sánchez signed... until 2019!]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2018.
21. Roche, Albert (31 August 2018). "Sergio Sánchez abandona el Espanyol" [Sergio Sánchez leaves Espanyol]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2018.
22. "Sergio Sánchez refuerza la zaga cadista" [Sergio Sánchez bolsters Cádiz's defense] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
23. Jiménez, Francisco José (19 November 2019). "El gran dilema de Sergio Sánchez" [The great dilemma of Sergio Sánchez] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
24. "Cesión de Sergio Sánchez al Albacete" [Loan of Sergio Sánchez to Albacete] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
25. "Sergio Sánchez deja de pertenecer al club" [Sergio Sánchez is no longer part of the club] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.

External links

• Sergio Sánchez at BDFutbol
• Sergio Sánchez – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Sergio Sánchez at Soccerway