Javier Casquero

Javier Casquero

Personal information
Full name	Francisco Javier Casquero Paredes
Date of birth	(1976-03-11) 11 March 1976
Place of birth	Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Sporting Gijón
Number	7
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1999	Toledo	93	(7)
1997	→ Cultural Leonesa (loan)	17	(1)
1999–2000	Atlético Madrid B	38	(2)
2000–2005	Sevilla	144	(20)
2005–2006	Racing Santander	26	(5)
2006–2012	Getafe	190	(21)
2012–2013	Almería	14	(1)
2013–	Sporting Gijón	9	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 June 2013. † Appearances (Goals).

Francisco Javier Casquero Paredes (born 11 March 1976) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Sporting de Gijón. He usually operates as a central midfielder, and possesses a tremendously powerful shot.

Over the course of 11 seasons he amassed La Liga totals of 322 games and 42 goals, mainly with Getafe (six years) and Sevilla (four).

Football career

Early years

Born in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Casquero starting playing professionally with local CD Toledo in the second division, also being loaned for six months to lowly Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.

He then spent one season with Atlético Madrid B, where his consistent performances were not enough for the Colchoneros reserves' second level status preservation.

Sevilla / Santander

In the following season Casquero joined Sevilla FC in the same category and, with four goals in 38 games, helped the Andalusians achieve promotion after a one-year absence, making his La Liga debut on 26 August 2001 in a 1–2 home loss against FC Barcelona. He would score seven goals in his first top flight season.

Casquero went on to become one of Sevilla's most effective players, helping in the team's top level consolidation, with two sixth-places from 2003–05 (although he appeared scarcely in the second). After that he was deemed surplus to requirements and joined Racing de Santander, where he played one season and netted five top division goals.

Getafe

Already a veteran, Casquero moved, in 2006–07, to Madrid's Getafe CF, quickly becoming an undisputed starter and being instrumental in the side's quarterfinal run in the UEFA Cup, with the midfielder netting in that stage against FC Bayern Munich in a 3–3 home draw (4–4 aggregate loss);^[1] in the 2007–08 season he appeared in a total of 50 official matches, scoring seven times.

On 21 April 2009, in the last minute of a 2–3 loss at Real Madrid, Casquero was involved in an incident with central defender Pepe (with the score then at 2–2): he was fouled in the area by the Portuguese, and then kicked twice while still on the ground after the penalty kick was awarded. He shot it awkwardly, and Gonzalo Higuaín scored in the next play for the final defeat.^[2][3]

Challenged by new signing Daniel Parejo in the following two seasons, Casquero still appeared in 59 games combined, netting six goals as Getafe consecutively managed to retain its top flight status. Aged 36, he was released by the club in July 2012.^[4]

Late career

On 24 July 2012, Casquero signed a one-year contract with UD Almería.^[5] He was released on the very last day of the following year's January transfer window, signing the following month with another side in division two, Sporting de Gijón.^[6]

References

External links

• Getafe official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile