Alberto Vitoria

Alberto Vitoria
Personal information
Full name Alberto Vitoria Soria
Date of birth 11 January 1956(1956-01-11)
Place of birth Ágreda, Spain
Date of death 26 April 2010(2010-04-26) (aged 54)
Place of death Zaragoza, Spain
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
1970–1972 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1972–1974 Castilla
1974–1979 Real Madrid 57 (1)
1979–1981 Burgos 55 (7)
1981–1984 Granada 30 (5)
1984–1985 Rayo Vallecano
National team
1972–1974 Spain U18 8 (1)
1977 Spain U21 2 (0)
1976 Spain amateur 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Vitoria and the second or maternal family name is Soria.

Alberto Vitoria Soria (11 January 1956 – 26 April 2010) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Contents

Club career

Vitoria was born in Ágreda, Province of Soria, Castile and León, being the sixth of seven children.[1] All categories comprised, he spent nine years with Real Madrid, playing five seasons with the club's first team; he made his La Liga debut on 7 September 1974 at the age of only 18, playing 52 minutes in a 2–1 away win against Valencia CF.

Vitoria received little playing time, however, during his senior spell with the Merengues, his best output being 20 games and one goal in the 1976–77 season, precisely the campaign in which the club did not win any major trophies. On 27 February 1977, he became the first player from his native region to score in the top division, in a 4–2 home success over Real Zaragoza.[1]

Leaving Real Madrid in the 1979 summer after appearing in 88 official games, Vitoria signed for Burgos CF, being relegated from the top flight in his first year. He then spent three seasons with Granada CF (two in Segunda División B, one in Segunda División), retiring in June 1985 at the age of 29 with Rayo Vallecano, which he helped promote to the second level.

International career

Vitoria represented Spain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, appearing in two group stage losses (the only games the national team played in the tournament after Nigeria withdrew).

Honours

Real Madrid

Death

Vitoria died on 26 April 2010 in Zaragoza, Aragon, due to heart failure. He was 54 years old.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b El primer gol soriano en Primera División (First goal from Soria in Primera División); Heraldo de Soria (Spanish)
  2. ^ Alberto Vitoria dies; Real Madrid's official website, 26 April 2010
  3. ^ Fallece Alberto Vitoria, jugador del Real Madrid en los años setenta (Alberto Vitoria, Real Madrid footballer in the 70s, dies); Europa Press, 26 April 2010 (Spanish)

External links

Spain squad – 1976 Summer Olympics