Asier del Horno

Asier del Horno

Del Horno playing for Levante in 2011
Personal information
Full name Asier del Horno Cosgaya
Date of birth (1981-01-19) 19 January 1981
Place of birth Barakaldo, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Left back
Youth career
1992–1993 Gallarta
1993–1999 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Bilbao Athletic 26 (1)
2000–2005 Athletic Bilbao 108 (13)
2005–2006 Chelsea 25 (1)
2006–2011 Valencia 15 (0)
2007–2008 → Athletic Bilbao (loan) 16 (0)
2010 → Valladolid (loan) 13 (0)
2010–2011 → Levante (loan) 22 (2)
2011–2012 Levante 13 (0)
Total 238 (17)
National team
1999–2000 Spain U18 14 (2)
2000–2003 Spain U21 16 (1)
2004–2005 Spain 10 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Asier del Horno Cosgaya (born 19 January 1981) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left back.

After solid displays with Athletic Bilbao, for which he appeared in 126 official games in five years scoring 17 goals, he moved to Chelsea in England, where he won the Premier League in the 2005–06 season.[1]

Subsequently, del Horno – who missed the 2006 World Cup with Spain due to a last-minute injury – returned to his country with Valencia, who loaned him to several clubs for the duration of his contract. He dealt with several physical problems in the latter part of his career, amassing La Liga totals of 187 matches and 15 goals.[2]

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Barakaldo, Biscay, del Horno began his career at Athletic Bilbao in 1999, where his combative tackling and strength in the air saw him rise through the ranks as a left-footed central defender. However, his pace and ability to contribute to the attack led to his being switched to the flank by the time he had arrived in the seniors for both club and country.

Del Horno made his first-team debut in the 2000–01 opener at only 19,[3] and finished his first season at the San Mamés Stadium with 14 games to help the Basques finish in 12th position.

Chelsea

In June 2005, del Horno moved to Chelsea for a fee of £8 million.[4] He won the first and only league championship of his career with the Blues, as part of the squad that conquered the Premier League title.

During his spell at Stamford Bridge, del Horno played 34 overall matches and scored once, against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in a 2–0 victory on 27 August 2005.[5] The following 22 February, late into the first half of a UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash at home against FC Barcelona, he received a straight red card for a foul on Lionel Messi, as his team went on to lose the match 1–2 and the tie 2–3.[6][7]

Valencia

On 21 July 2006, del Horno returned to Spain to sign for Valencia CF on a six-year contract worth €8 million,[8] seen as a natural replacement for Amedeo Carboni who had retired at 41. Athletic Bilbao had expressed interest, but withdrew from further negotiations, forfeiting any further financial advantage; following surgery on his injured Achilles heel, which kept him off the pitches for most of the season, he made his debut for his new team on 3 March 2007 in a 1–0 home win over Celta de Vigo.[9]

Del Horno was placed on the transfer list by manager Quique Sánchez Flores, as the latter announced that the defender would not retain his position for 2007–08.[10][11] In the last day of the transfer window, he agreed to join his former club Athletic on a one-year loan deal,[12] returning to Valencia after an injury-filled campaign.[13] At the Che, his physical problems persisted[14] and, after an unassuming first half of 2009–10 – only played in the Copa del Rey and only when facing rivals of smaller entity – he was loaned to Real Valladolid until the end of the season, on 30 January;[15]an undisputed starter since his arrival, he could not however prevent the Castile and León side from returning to Segunda División, after a three-year stay in the top division.

For 2010–11, 29-year-old del Horno was loaned once again, joining freshly promoted side Levante UD.[16] He was used regularly in both defensive positions as the Valencians eventually retained their league status, but also missed the final stretch due to physical ailments which had been bothering him since early into the campaign.[17][18]

Later years

Upon returning to Valencia, del Horno's contract was immediately terminated. In early August 2011, he re-joined Levante on a permanent deal.[19]

After again dealing with injury throughout the season,[20] where he was not able to dislodge 35-year-old Juanfran from the left-back position, del Horno was released.

International career

Del Horno made his Spain debut on 3 September 2004, against Scotland.[21] He scored the winner in a 1–0 friendly with England played in Madrid, two months later.[22]

An ankle injury forced del Horno to withdraw from the 23-man squad named by Luis Aragonés for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.[23] Medical staff in the Royal Spanish Football Federation alleged that Chelsea had prior knowledge of the former's injury, but allowed him to continue playing; subsequently, his vacant position was controversially filled in by naturalised Argentinian Mariano Pernía, of Getafe CF.[24]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 17 November 2004 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain  England 1–0 1–0 Friendly[22]
2. 9 February 2005 Mediterráneo, Almería, Spain  San Marino 5–0 5–0 2006 World Cup qualification[25]

Club statistics

[26]

Season Club League Apps Goals Cup Apps Goals Supercup Apps Goals Continental Apps Goals International Apps Goals
2000–01Spain Athletic Bilbao 140 10 00 00 00
2001–02Spain Athletic Bilbao 101 20 00 00 00
2002–03Spain Athletic Bilbao 244 10 00 00 00
2003–04Spain Athletic Bilbao 315 00 00 00 00
2004–05Spain Athletic Bilbao 293 61 00 83 72
2005–06England Chelsea 251 40 10 40 30
2006–07Spain Valencia 60 00 00 20 00
2007–08Spain Athletic Bilbao 160 51 00 00 00
2008–09Spain Valencia 90 40 00 82 00
2009–10Spain Valencia 00 00 00 00 00
2009–10Spain Valladolid 130 00 00 00 00
Total 177 14 Total 23 2 Total 1 0 Total 22 5 Total 10 2

Honours

Chelsea

References

  1. ↑ "Un agujero negro en el lateral izquierdo" [A black hole in the left flank] (in Spanish). El Correo. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "El increíble caso de Asier del Horno" [The incredible case of Asier del Horno] (in Spanish). Marca. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "El Deportivo empieza a lo campeón y ya es líder" [Deportivo start like a champion and is already first] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 10 September 2000. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Del Horno cooking at Chelsea; UEFA.com, 24 June 2005
  5. ↑ "Tottenham 0–2 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Eto'o winner gives Barça the edge". UEFA.com. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Messi hits back at Mourinho jibe". BBC Sport. 23 February 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  8. ↑ Valencia sign Chelsea's Del Horno; BBC Sport, 22 July 2006
  9. ↑ "Cañizares y Morientes salvan al Valencia" [Cañizares and Morientes save Valencia] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 4 March 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Del Horno, fuera de los planes de Quique Flores (Del Horno, out of Quique Flores' plans); 20 Minutos, 4 July 2007 (in Spanish)
  11. ↑ Soccer shorts: Barcelona striker Eto'o out two months; Toronto Star, 30 August 2007
  12. ↑ "Asier del Horno regresa al Athletic" [Asier del Horno returns to Athletic] (in Spanish). Merca Fútbol. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  13. ↑ "Del Horno estará entre 3 y 4 semanas de baja por una lesión muscular" [Del Horno will be 3 to 4 weeks out due to muscle injury] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Del Horno fue operado hoy del tendón de Aquiles derecho" [Del Horno underwent right Achilles tendon surgery today] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  15. ↑ "Del Horno se marcha cedido al Valladolid" [Del Horno goes to Valladolid on loan] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  16. ↑ Official: Levante sign Valencia duo Asier Del Horno & Nacho Gonzalez; Goal.com, 21 August 2010
  17. ↑ Levante wait on Del Horno; Sky Sports, 9 November 2010
  18. ↑ Del Horno será operado este martes del tendón de Aquiles (Del Horno to undergo Achilles tendon surgery this Tuesday); Diario AS, 6 May 2011 (in Spanish)
  19. ↑ Del Horno jugará en el Levante la próxima campaña (Del Horno will play in Levante next season); Diario AS, 2 August 2011 (in Spanish)
  20. ↑ "Del Horno, baja entre 6 y 8 semanas por lesión de sóleo" [Del Horno, 6 to 8 weeks out due to soleus injury] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Apagón y caos en el España-Escocia" [Blackout and chaos in Spain-Scotland] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 4 September 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  22. 1 2 Spain 1–0 England; BBC Sport, 17 November 2004
  23. ↑ Del Horno set to miss World Cup; BBC Sport, 30 May 2006
  24. ↑ "La RFEF solicita a FIFA la sustitución de Del Horno por Pernía" [RSFF ask FIFA to replace Del Horno with Pernía] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  25. ↑ "España le enseña la manita a San Marino" [Spain shows open hand to San Marino] (in Spanish). El País. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  26. ↑ "Del Horno". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
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