Iván Zarandona

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zarandona and the second or maternal family name is Esono.
Iván Zarandona
Personal information
Full nameIván Zarandona Esono
Date of birth30 August 1980
Place of birthValladolid, Spain
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionDefensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Hong Kong Rangers
Number24
Youth career
1997–1998Valladolid
1998–1999Extremadura
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999–2000Mallorca B2(0)
2000–2001Ferriolense
2001–2002Mallorca B27(1)
2002–2003Betis B24(1)
2003–2004Caravaca
2004–2005Valladolid15(0)
2005Rayo Vallecano9(2)
2006Zamora2(0)
2006Murcia B
2006Los Palacios
2007–2008Pájara Playas52(3)
2008–2010Leganés60(4)
2010–2011Jaén32(4)
2011–2012Lugo18(0)
2012–2013Noja43(2)
2014–Hong Kong Rangers10(0)
National team‡
1998Spain U181(1)
2003–Equatorial Guinea20(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:51, 17 April 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 February 2015

Iván Zarandona Esono (born 30 August 1980) is an Equatoguinean footballer who plays for Hong Kong Rangers FC. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also operate as a central defender.

Club career

Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain, Zarandona played the vast majority of his career in the lower leagues of that country, having a second division stint with Real Valladolid in the 2004–05 season where he played in less than half of the games.

Rarely settling with a club he also represented CF Extremadura, CD Ferriolense, RCD Mallorca B, Real Betis B, Caravaca CF, Rayo Vallecano, Zamora CF, Real Murcia Imperial, UD Los Palacios, UD Pájara Playas de Jandía, CD Leganés, Real Jaén,[1] CD Lugo and SD Noja. In the third level, he appeared in nearly 300 official matches for several teams.[2]

International career

Zarandona played for the Spanish under-18 team[3] but, in June 2003, FIFA allowed the player to change his nationality. This rule originally applied only for under-21 players not yet capped for the senior sides, but FIFA also allowed overage ones to apply, until December 2004.

Zarandona started representing his "new nation", Equatorial Guinea, in October 2003, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification first round tie loss against Togo.[4]

Personal life

Zarandona's father is Basque, and his mother was from Equatorial Guinea. His older brother, Benjamín, successfully represented Valladolid, Real Betis and the Spanish under-21s, before switching too to Equatorial Guinea at senior level.

Club statistics

As of 17 April 2015
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Mallorca 2001–02[5] La Liga 0010—10
Betis B 2002–03[5] Segunda División B 241——241
Valladolid 2004–05[5] Segunda División 15060—210
Rayo Vallecano 2005–06[5] Segunda División B 9220—112
Zamora 2005–06[5] Segunda División B 2000—20
Pájara Playas 2006–07[5] Segunda División B 191001[lower-alpha 1]0201
2007–08[5] Segunda División B 33200—332
Total 5220010533
Leganés 2008–09[5] Segunda División B 283002[lower-alpha 2]0303
2009–10[5] Segunda División B 32110—331
Total 6041020634
Jaén 2010–11[5] Segunda División B 32410—334
Lugo 2011–12[5] Segunda División B 180105[lower-alpha 2]0240
Noja 2012–13[5] Segunda División B 29120—311
2013–14[5] Segunda División B 14100—141
Total 43220—452
Hong Kong Rangers 2013–14[6] Hong Kong First Division League 4020—60
2014–15[6] Hong Kong Premier League 6040—100
Total 10060—160
Career total 265162008029316
  1. ↑ Appearance in Relegation play-offs
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Appearance in Promotion play-offs

References

  1. ↑ El vallisoletano Iván Zarandona ficha por el Jaén (Valladolid's Iván Zarandona signs for Jaén); ABC, 15 August 2010 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Canarias forma grupo (Canarias forms group); El Día, 23 August 2007 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Maldini, tenemos a Zarandona (Maldini, we have Zarandona); Gol en Butarque, 3 March 2009 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Footballers step-out of 'Eel's' shadow; BBC Sport, 8 May 2007
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 "Zarandona: Iván Zarandona Esono". BDFutbol. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Iván Zarandona". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 March 2015.

External links