Diego Capel

Diego Capel

Capel warming-up for Sporting
Personal information
Full name	Diego Ángel Capel Trinidad
Date of birth	(1988-02-16) 16 February 1988
Place of birth	Albox, Spain
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Sporting CP
Number	11
Youth career
2000–2001	Barcelona
2001–2004	Sevilla
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2007	Sevilla B	84	(7)
2004–2011	Sevilla	126	(6)
2011–	Sporting CP	67	(10)
National team
2004	Spain U16	3	(0)
2004–2005	Spain U17	14	(2)
2006–2007	Spain U19	12	(0)
2007	Spain U20	6	(2)
2007–2011	Spain U21	25	(5)
2012	Spain U23	1	(0)
2008	Spain	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:57, 5 February 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Diego Ángel Capel Trinidad (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo kaˈpel]; born 16 February 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Portugal as a left winger.

He made his senior debut with Sevilla at only 17, going on to appear in 173 official games for the club over the course of seven La Liga seasons (12 goals). In 2011 he signed for Sporting in Portugal.

Capel gained 61 caps for Spain all youth categories comprised, representing the under-21s in two European Championships.

Club career

Sevilla

Groomed in Sevilla FC's youth system (after a brief spell at FC Barcelona), Capel was born in Albox, Almería, and he made his first professional appearance aged 16, playing three minutes in a 2–1 home win over Atlético Madrid on 24 October 2004. In the following seasons he would alternate between the A and B-teams, playing four further games in 2005–06 with the main squad; on 1 December 2005, at 17, he appeared 20 minutes in the Andalusians' 3–1 home win against Vitória de Guimarães, in an eventually victorious campaign in the UEFA Cup.

Capel became first-choice in the 2007–08 campaign due to the death of another left-footed winger, Antonio Puerta, in late August. He scored his first goal in La Liga against Barcelona on 9 February 2008, in a 1–1 home draw.^[1] The previous month, he had netted in a Copa del Rey tie, against the same opponent (also 1–1 and in Seville).^[2]

In June 2008, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a ₤12.5 million bid for Capel. He admitted he would consider leaving Sevilla to "grow as a footballer", if the clubs could agree on a signing fee,^[3] but nothing came of it. Also at the end of the league campaign, Barcelona-based daily Sport further speculated that Real Madrid were considering Capel as a potential replacement for the recently departed Robinho,^[4] but no move ever materialized.

In the 2009–10 season Capel lost his position to Argentine Diego Perotti, but still managed to feature in 29 matches (one goal in a 5–1 win at Racing de Santander) as Sevilla edged RCD Mallorca for the fourth position, with the subsequent Champions League qualification; additionally, on 19 May 2010, he opened the score at the Camp Nou, in a 2–0 win against Atlético in the domestic cup final.^[5]

Capel appeared again regularly for Sevilla in 2010–11, playing in 27 league games (17 starts, no goals) as the team finished in fifth position.

Sporting

On 18 July 2011, Capel's uncle Carioca acknowledged negotiations between Sevilla and Sporting Clube de Portugal for the transfer of the player for €6 million (plus 20% sell-on profit) and a five-year contract,^[6] although the fee agreed was eventually €3.5 million, with a €30 million release clause.^[7] He made his debut for his new club on the 30th, playing the second half of a 0–3 home loss against Valencia CF.

Capel scored his first goal for Sporting on 2 October 2011, in a 1–0 league away win against Vitória de Guimarães.^[8] On the 24th, for the same competition, he netted twice in a 6–1 home success over Gil Vicente FC, in what was the Lions' ninth straight official win.^[9]

On 19 April 2012 Capel scored his seventh official goal of the season, helping hosts Sporting come from behind to win it 2–1 against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals first leg.^[10]

International career

After having helped Spain win the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship,^[11] Capel played in the 2007 FIFA World Cup with the U-20 side, scoring in injury time in the first game against Uruguay, for the final 2–2.^[12] He helped the country progress to the quarterfinals where they were knocked out by the Czech Republic, and subsequently moved to the under-21s.^[13]

On 20 August 2008 Capel made his debut for the senior side, playing the second half of a friendly with Denmark and setting up two goals in the 3–0 away win.^[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 2 February 2014^[15][16][17]

Honours

Club

Sevilla

• UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2006; Runner-up 2007
• Copa del Rey: 2006–07, 2009–10
• Supercopa de España: 2007; Runner-up 2010

Sporting

• Taça de Portugal: Runner-up 2011–12

Country

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006

Individual

• Portuguese League Player of the Month: October 2011

References

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data
• Stats at ForaDeJogo
• Diego Capel at National-Football-Teams.com
• Diego Capel – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile