Álvaro Benito

Álvaro Benito
Personal information
Full name Álvaro Benito Villar
Date of birth 10 December 1976 (1976-12-10) (age 35)
Place of birth Salamanca, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1994–1995 Real Madrid C 20 (1)
1995–1997 Real Madrid B 13 (1)
1995–2002 Real Madrid 21 (2)
1997–1998 → Tenerife (loan) 2 (1)
2001–2002 Real Madrid B 11 (1)
2002–2003 Getafe 6 (0)
National team
1992–1993 Spain U16 13 (0)
1993–1995 Spain U18 5 (1)
1996 Spain U21 1 (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 Benito and the second or maternal family name is Villar.

Álvaro Benito Villar (born 10 December 1976 in Salamanca, Castile and León) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left midfielder, and the vocalist/guitarist of Rock band Pignoise.

Contents

Football career

Benito emerged through Real Madrid's youth ranks, making his senior debuts not yet aged 18, with the C team. He progressed to the reserves the following year.

In 1995–96, Benito was relatively used by be first team, and contributed with seven games the following season, as the Merengues were crowned La Liga champions. In November 1996, in his first - and only - appearance with the Spanish under-21 team, he suffered a severe knee injury from which he would never fully recover, undergoing three operations in only four months in 1998, in Pittsburgh, United States; afterwards, he was involved in a car accident, which further curtailed his recovering process.[1]

After one unassuming loan with CD Tenerife, and another spell with Castilla, Benito was released by Real Madrid in the 2002 summer, joining city neighbours Getafe CF in Segunda División,[2] where he appeared rarely, again due to injury.[3] He retired from football at the end of the season, aged only 26.

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

Country

Spain U16

Musical career

During his rehabilitation period, Benito started playing guitar and writing songs, going on to put together a band, Pignoise. The group, which also featured another former footballer, Héctor Polo (Real Zaragoza, Rayo Vallecano), eventually used many of the songs he composed prior to its creation.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Alvaro empieza a ver la luz al final del túnel [Alvaro starts to see light at the end of the tunnel]" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 27 June 2001. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2001/06/27/alvaro/. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  2. ^ "Álvaro Benito ficha por el Getafe [Álvaro Benito signs for Getafe]" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 8 July 2002. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2002/07/08/liga/1026148327.html. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  3. ^ "Álvaro Benito volvió a lesionarse de menisco [Álvaro Benito injured meniscus again]" (in Spanish). Diario AS. 31 December 2002. http://www.as.com/actualidad/articulo/alvaro-benito-volvio-lesionarse-menisco/20021231dasdai_18/Tes. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  4. ^ "Álvaro Benito marca un gol en la música [Álvaro Benito scores goal in music]" (in Spanish). ABC. 13 January 2003. http://www.abc.es/hemeroteca/historico-13-01-2003/abc/Gente/alvaro-benito-marca-un-gol-en-la-musica_155291.html. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 

External links