Alfonso Pérez

For the Colombian boxer, see Alfonso Pérez (boxer).
Alfonso
Personal information
Full nameAlfonso Pérez Muñoz
Date of birth26 September 1972
Place of birthGetafe, Spain
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
1985–1986Getafe
1986–1989Real Madrid
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1989–1992Real Madrid B3(1)
1991–1995Real Madrid88(13)
1995–2000Betis152(57)
2000–2002Barcelona21(2)
2002→ Marseille (loan)11(4)
2002–2005Betis45(10)
Total320(87)
National team
1988–1989Spain U1612(6)
1989–1990Spain U1812(5)
1991Spain U191(0)
1991–1993Spain U217(0)
1991–1992Spain U2311(6)
1992–2000Spain38(11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Spain
Men's Football
Gold 1992 Barcelona Team Competition
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Pérez and the second or maternal family name is Muñoz.

Alfonso Pérez Muñoz (born 26 September 1972), known as simply Alfonso, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.

Having represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his career, Alfonso possessed above-average heading ability despite not reaching 180 cms. He appeared in 307 La Liga games for three teams (also had two spells with Real Betis), scoring 84 goals.

The recipient of nearly 40 caps for Spain, Alfonso appeared for the nation in one World Cup and two European Championships.

Club career

Alfonso was born in Getafe, in the outskirts of Madrid. In 1990, aged just 18, he made his professional debuts with Real Madrid and, although he never carved a regular place in the starting XI (playing mostly as understudy to club great Emilio Butragueño and then Iván Zamorano), helped the capital side to the 1995 national championship.

In that summer, Alfonso signed with Real Betis: in his second season at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, he scored 25 La Liga goals which was the most goals ever scored by a player in a season in the club's history. Teaming up with Pier, the pair combined for 60 first division goals from 1995 to 1997, and helped the Andalusia club finish fourth in the latter.

FC Barcelona signed Alfonso for the 2000–01 campaign, and the player had a difficult time adjusting at Camp Nou, netting only twice in his first year and serving an unsuccessful loan spell at French League's Olympique de Marseille in January 2002 – alongside Real Madrid midfielder Alberto Rivera – where he once again failed to shine.

Barça then loaned Alfonso to former club Betis, which signed him permanently at the end of the season. After another two seasons where he struggled with injuries and loss of form (ten scoreless games in 2004–05), he retired from football when his contract expired in June 2005, having scored more than 100 official goals during his career; he subsequently returned to Real Madrid, joining its veterans' team.

International career

Alfonso appeared in 38 international games for Spain, making his debut in a friendly match against England on 9 September 1992, in Santander.

The most important of his 11 goals was scored against Yugoslavia in UEFA Euro 2000: Spain were losing 3–2 in injury time, needing a win to qualify from the group at Norway's expense. In the 90th minute the national team won a penalty, which was converted by Gaizka Mendieta. With seconds remaining, Alfonso volleyed a spectacular shot past Ivica Kralj for his second of the game and the win.[1]

Alfonso also appeared in all of the nation's matches at Euro 1996, including the match against Bulgaria which he netted the equalizer after just one minute on the pitch. Additionally, he played in two 1998 FIFA World Cup contests.

Alfonso was also a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 16 December 1992 Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Latvia 3–0 5–0 1994 World Cup qualification
2. 6 September 1995 Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain  Cyprus 2–0 6–0 Euro 1996 qualifying
3. 9 June 1996 Elland Road, Leeds, England  Bulgaria 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 1996
4. 4 September 1996 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–2 2–6 1998 World Cup qualification
5. 4 September 1996 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–4 2–6 1998 World Cup qualification
6. 4 September 1996 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–6 2–6 1998 World Cup qualification
7. 12 February 1997 Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain  Malta 2–0 4–0 1998 World Cup qualification
8. 12 February 1997 Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain  Malta 3–0 4–0 1998 World Cup qualification
9. 29 March 2000 Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain  Italy 1–0 2–0 Friendly
10. 21 June 2000 Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium  Yugoslavia 1–1 3–4 UEFA Euro 2000
11. 21 June 2000 Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium  Yugoslavia 3–4 3–4 UEFA Euro 2000

Honours

Club

Real Madrid
Betis

Country

Spain U23

Individual

Personal life

References

  1. ↑ Spain survive in seven-goal classic; BBC Sport, 21 June 2000
  2. ↑ El Madrid mantiene el liderato sufriendo (Madrid stays on top after suffering); Marca, 8 February 2008 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Getafe final honour delights Alfonso; UEFA.com, 6 May 2010

External links