Cruchaga before a game with Osasuna |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | César Cruchaga Lasa | ||
| Date of birth | January 26, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Ezcároz, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Retired | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Osasuna | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1996 | Osasuna B | 95 | (4) |
| 1996–2009 | Osasuna | 343 | (15) |
| 1996–1997 | → Gavà (loan) | 35 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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César Cruchaga Lasa (born 26 January 1974 in Ezcároz - Ezkaroze, Navarre) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.
He played his entire professional career for Osasuna, appearing in nearly 450 official games for the club and reaching one Copa del Rey final with it.
A product of Navarrese outfit CA Osasuna's youth ranks, Cruchaga played one season on loan to lowly CF Gavà before making his first team debuts on 14 September 1997, in a second division 0–0 home draw against Albacete Balompié. He would total 249 games and nine goals in La Liga, where he first appeared in September 2000 against Celta de Vigo, in a 0–2 home loss (with 36 matches in his debut season).
Cruchaga was part of the team's run in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, in which they finally bowed out to eventual winners Sevilla FC in the semi-finals, participating in 12 matches, 11 complete. For the vast majority of his stay, he was the undisputed team captain.
In 2008–09, Cruchaga appeared in only 10 matches, and announced his retirement from football prior to the campaign's end, still being started in the 31 May 2009 decider against Real Madrid, where the 2–1 home success guaranteed top flight permanence for a further year.[1]