José Antonio Reyes

José Antonio Reyes
Personal information
Full name José Antonio Reyes Calderón
Date of birth 1 September 1983 (1983-09-01) (age 28)
Place of birth Utrera, Spain
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Winger
Club information
Current club Atlético Madrid
Number 10
Youth career
1994–1999 Sevilla
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Sevilla B 32 (1)
2000–2004 Sevilla 86 (21)
2004–2007 Arsenal 69 (16)
2006–2007 Real Madrid (loan) 30 (6)
2007– Atlético Madrid 99 (8)
2008–2009 Benfica (loan) 26 (4)
National team
1999–2000 Spain U16 7 (5)
2001–2002 Spain U19 7 (3)
2002–2003 Spain U21 7 (3)
2003– Spain 21 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).

José Antonio Reyes Calderón (born 1 September 1983) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.

Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.

After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes returned to his country, going on to represent both main sides in Madrid, Real and Atlético, also having a short loan spell in Portugal.

Reyes gained 21 caps for Spain, and represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup.

Contents

Club career

Early career

Born in Utrera, south-east Seville, to Spanish Kale (Gitanos) parents,[1][2][3] Reyes joined the youth ranks of local Sevilla FC at the age of 10. His talent was identified, and he represented the club at all youth levels.

He finally signed a full contract in 1999, making his full squad debuts during 1999–2000 at just 16, in a game against Real Zaragoza, and was later called up to Spain's squad for the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. With the Andalusians now in Segunda División, he added another first-team club appearance.

After Sevilla promoted, Reyes established his reputation as a versatile offensive unit in the following years, his 22 goals in 86 matches over four seasons at Sevilla leading to other clubs taking notice, although the player's popularity with the club's fans made a move to a bigger Spanish club politically difficult for Sevilla's club president.

Arsenal

Despite Sevilla manager Joaquín Caparrós wishing to hang onto him, Reyes signed with English club Arsenal during the January transfer window of the 2003–04 season. The £10.5 million transfer fee was negotiated with top ups, depending on the success of Arsenal, which could have risen to £17 million.[4]

He made his debut on 1 February 2004 in a 2–1 win over Manchester City. Two days later, he scored an own goal against Middlesbrough in the Football League Cup. Later that month, Reyes netted twice against Chelsea to knock them out of the FA Cup; he also scored against the latter opponent in the season's UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, and his goals in the penultimate two games of the season helped keep Arsenal's unbeaten run in the Premier League going.

Hat-tricks in friendlies during the summer 2004 showed Reyes' improvement, and Reyes was a prominent influence on Arsenal's impressive start to the 2004–05 season, in which he managed to score in each of the first six games. However, he struggled during the middle of the season after Arsenal's defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford. His inconsistent performance brought little reward for much of the season, and yet towards the end of it he scored three valuable goals.

In early 2005, Reyes was reported to be homesick while at Arsenal, even though his parents, Mari and Francisco, as well as brother Jesús lived with him in England. During a prank call perpetrated by Cadena COPE Radio of Spain in February 2005, a prankster claiming to be Emilio Butragueño, at the time director of football of Real Madrid, speaking on behalf of the president of the club, reportedly called Reyes' agent and spoke to Reyes himself about a possible transfer deal. In the ensuing conversation, Reyes allegedly declared that life in London was far from what he had envisioned and he would welcome a move back to his native Spain. Reyes also supposedly said that he wanted out of the club as there were "bad people" at Arsenal.[5]

On 21 May 2005, Reyes became only the second player in history (after Kevin Moran) to be sent off in an FA Cup final, when he was dismissed for a second yellow card shortly before the end of extra time against Manchester United, though Arsenal still went on to win the game in a penalty shootout.

He temporarily ended speculation about a move away from Highbury in July 2005, when he signed a new six-year contract and declared that he was "looking forward to having many more successful years at the club." [6]

In Arsenal's 2005–06 Champions League run, Reyes featured heavily against, among others, Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal CF in the most impressive Champions League results for Arsenal to date. He came on as a substitute in the 17 May 2006 final against FC Barcelona, which Arsenal lost 2–1. However, in August 2006, he expressed a desire not to play in Arsenal's Champions League qualifying match against NK Dinamo Zagreb – to do so would render him 'cup-tied' and complicate a move to Real Madrid.[7] Club manager Arsène Wenger left him out of the team, thus fuelling speculation that a transfer was soon to be agreed.

Real Madrid

Reyes was linked to Real Madrid along with Arsenal teammate Cesc Fàbregas in the summer of 2006, when the candidate Arturo Baldasano of the then on-going Real Madrid presidential campaign claimed he would sign them, if elected.[8] Reyes further hinted towards a transfer to Real. After making two official statements on Arsenal's website denying media reports of being unhappy, alleged quotes from Reyes in the Spanish press contradicted his denials. This tested the patience of Wenger, who reacted angrily to Real Madrid's attempts to unsettle his player, suggesting that it was not the first time Real Madrid had used the media and agents in Spain as a destabilising tactic. Shortly before the closure of the 2006 summer transfer window, Madrid and Arsenal agreed to exchange Reyes for Brazilian international Júlio Baptista, each on a season-long loan deal.[9]

Reyes scored his first goal for Real Madrid on 17 September 2006, with a free kick against Real Sociedad, in a 2–0 home win. On the final day of the season, the focus was on soon-to-be-departed David Beckham and Roberto Carlos, but Reyes, brought from the bench for injured Beckham, netted twice as Real came from behind to beat RCD Mallorca and claim yet another La Liga title.

Real Madrid appointed former Getafe CF coach Bernd Schuster on 8 July 2007, increasing the chances that Reyes would sign a permanent deal and stay in Spain.[10]

Atlético Madrid

However, reports surfacing on 29 July indicated that city-rivals Atlético Madrid were on the verge of landing the player. Later that day, Wenger confirmed that Reyes' departure was imminent, and that a more specific announcement would be made shortly.[11] On 30 July, Reyes passed his medical, penning a four-year deal, reportedly worth 12 million.[12] He made his club debut against S.S. Lazio, scoring and assist once in a 3–1 victory in the annual Amsterdam Tournament (while at Arsenal, he was named the tournament's MVP in its 2004 edition). Reyes' first campaign with the Colchoneros was disastrous, as he was often barred by Maxi Rodríguez and Simão Sabrosa, failing to score a single goal in 26 league appearances.

On 8 August 2008, S.L. Benfica announced the signing of Reyes on a one-year loan deal. The Portuguese also bought 25% of his playing rights for a fee of €2.65 million, and ensured a buying option of the remainder 75% for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut in a friendly match against Feyenoord. He replaced Jonathan Urretavizcaya in the 79th minute and, a minute afterwards, following a cross from Ariza Makukula, he made a volley which hit the post. His debut goal for Benfica was scored against city-rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal on 28 September 2008: after an understanding between Reyes and Pablo Aimar, and a pass from the same, he scored in fashion. Later in the same week, he would score again against S.S.C. Napoli, helping Benfica to a 2–0 home triumph in the season's UEFA Cup first round – the Reds eventually won 4–3 on aggregate.

Reyes' return to Atlético proved to be much more successful, as he re-united with Quique Flores, his manager at Benfica from the previous season. He scored his first official goal in Spain in more than two years on 9 January 2010, with a long-range effort at Real Valladolid, in a 4–0 triumph. By then, he had beaten the competition of Maxi and started in the wings alongside Simão. On 14 February 2010, Reyes put in a Man of the match performance in Atlético's 2–1 win against FC Barcelona,[13] setting up the opening goal for Diego Forlán in the eventual champions' only league defeat of the season. Four days later, in the Europa League 1–1 home draw against Galatasaray SK, he scored a stunning free kick from the right wing on the 22nd minute, after he was brought down just outside the box (3–2 aggregate win). On 28 March, he curled in a left-footed shot from the right wing just inside the box, opening the score in the Madrid derby against his former team, in an eventual 2–3 loss.

On 27 August 2010, Reyes opened the score in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup against F.C. Internazionale Milano (eventually 2–0 win), after a one-two combination with Argentine Sergio Agüero.[14] His first league goal of the season came in a 1–4 defeat at Hércules CF on 9 January 2011,[15] which inspired an impressive run of scoring form, with goals in successive home games in February/March, against Valencia CF,[16] former club Sevilla[17] and Villarreal CF.[18]

Reyes took up more responsibility for the 2011–12 campaign, and established himself as one of the team's most important players. On 28 July 2011, he scored twice for Atlético in a 2–1 Europa League win against Strømsgodset IF.[19] In the second leg, a week later, he was again on the scoresheet, also assisting a goal for Adrián López in a 2–0 away success.[20] However, he struggled to find the consistency he had under Flores and, after a fall out with new manager Gregorio Manzano after being subsitututed in a 0–3 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, his playing time became more and more limited.[21][22]

International career

Reyes earned his first full cap for Spain on 6 September 2003, replacing Raúl during a 3–0 friendly win in Portugal; he would be left out of Iñaki Sáez's UEFA Euro 2004 squad.

Two years later, he was picked for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but only appeared once in four matches – the 1–0 group stage win against Saudi Arabia, with Spain already qualified as first.

Reyes was again overlooked for the victorious Euro 2008 tournament, as manager Luis Aragonés preferred the likes of David Silva and Santi Cazorla on the wings.

International Goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 11 October 2003 Vazgen Sargsyan, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 0–3 0–4 Euro 2004 qualifying
2. 11 October 2003 Vazgen Sargsyan, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 0–4 0–4 Euro 2004 qualifying
3. 1 March 2006 José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain  Côte d'Ivoire 2–2 3–2 Friendly
4. 3 June 2006 Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain  Egypt 2–0 2–0 Friendly

Statistics

Club

(correct as of 28 August 2011)
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1999–00 Sevilla La Liga 1 0 0 0 1 0
2000–01 Segunda División 1 0 1 0 2 0
2001–02 La Liga 29 8 1 0 30 8
2002–03 34 8 3 2 37 11
2003–04 21 5 4 1 25 6
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2003–04 Arsenal Premier League 13 2 4 2 4 1 21 5
2004–05 30 9 7 2 8 1 45 12
2005–06 26 5 6 1 12 0 44 6
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
2006–07 Real Madrid La Liga 30 6 2 0 4 1 36 7
2007–08 Atlético Madrid La Liga 26 0 5 0 6 0 37 0
Portugal League Taça de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe Total
2008–09 Benfica Primeira Liga 24 4 1 0 5 1 30 5
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
2009–10 Atlético Madrid La Liga 30 2 7 1 10 1 47 4
2010–11 33 6 5 0 5 1 43 7
2011–12 1 0 0 0 4 3 5 3
Country Spain 206 35 27 4 29 6 252 44
England 69 16 17 5 24 2 110 23
Portugal 27 4 3 0 5 1 29 5
Total 302 55 47 9 58 8 401 73

International

Spain national team
Year Apps Goals
2003 4 2
2004 6 0
2005 5 0
2006 6 2
Total 21 4

Honours

Sevilla
Arsenal
Real Madrid
Benfica
Atlético Madrid
Spain U-19

References

  1. ^ Guillem Balague (1 February 2004). "Reyes is gunning for glory". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2004/feb/01/sport.comment5. Retrieved 2 June 2009. 
  2. ^ Martyn Ziegler (1 January 2005). "Aragones calls Reyes 'a gypsy'". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/aragones-calls-reyes-a-gay-boy-486742.html. Retrieved 2 June 2009. 
  3. ^ Jose Maria Rondon (29 January 2002). "Reyes, la pieza más codiciada de Nervión" (in Spanish). El Mundo. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2002/01/29/futbol/1012294783.html. Retrieved 2 June 2009. 
  4. ^ "Reyes passes Arsenal medical". BBC Sport. 28 January 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/3434355.stm. Retrieved 2 January 2010. 
  5. ^ Reyes tricked into Real admission; BBC Sport, 11 February 2005
  6. ^ Reyes and Clichy sign new deals; BBC Sport, 15 July 2005
  7. ^ Reyes pleads not to play; Sky Sports, 4 August 2006
  8. ^ United deny Ronaldo exit; Guardian Unlimited, June 27, 2006
  9. ^ Arsenal swap Reyes for Baptista; BBC Sport, 31 August 2006
  10. ^ Real to appoint Schuster; Reyes could stay; Yahoo! Sport, 5 July 2007
  11. ^ Arsenal cool Roeder talk; Sky Sports
  12. ^ Atlético continue spree with Reyes; UEFA.com, 31 July 2007
  13. ^ "Atletico Madrid 2-1 Barcelona". Goal.com. 14 February 2010. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/88/spain/2010/02/14/1790948/atletico-madrid-2-1-barcelona-los-colcheneros-steal-the. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
  14. ^ "Reyes realises goal dream". UEFA.com. 27 August 2010. http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/newsid=1520426.html#reyes+realises+goal+dream. Retrieved 28 August 2010. 
  15. ^ "Hercules 4-1 Atletico Madrid". Goal.com. 9 January 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/match/47987/hercules-vs-atletico-madrid/report. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
  16. ^ "Joaquin shines to pile misery on Atletico". ESPN Soccernet. 12 February 2011. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/302072?cc=5739. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
  17. ^ "Reyes to the rescue for Atletico". ESPN Soccernet. 26 February 2011. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/302092?cc=5739. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
  18. ^ "Villarreal top-three hopes checked". ESPN Soccernet. 5 March 2011. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/302071?cc=5739. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
  19. ^ El Atlético tendrá que sufrir en Noruega (Atlético bound to suffer in Norway); UEFA.com, 28 July 2011 (Spanish)
  20. ^ El Atlético evita la sorpresa (Atlético avoids surprise); UEFA.com, 4 August 2011 (Spanish)
  21. ^ "Atletico Madrid's Gregorio Manzano: There is no conflict with Jose Antonio Reyes". Goal.com. 2 November 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2011/11/02/2740186/atletico-madrids-gregorio-manzano-there-is-no-conflict-with-jose-. Retrieved 27 December 2011. 
  22. ^ "Atletico Madrid's Gregorio Manzano retains confidence in Jose Antonio Reyes". Goal.com. 16 December 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2011/12/16/2804690/atletico-madrids-gregorio-manzano-retains-confidence-in-jose. Retrieved 27 December 2011. 

External links