Alberto Botía

Alberto Botía

Botía lining up for Spain U21 in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Alberto Tomás Botía Rabasco
Date of birth	27 January 1989
Place of birth	Alquerías, Spain
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current team	Olympiacos
Number	3
Youth career
1997–2000	Beniel
2000–2003	Murcia
2003–2006	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2006–2009	Barcelona B	59	(3)
2009–2010	Barcelona	1	(0)
2009–2010	→ Sporting Gijón (loan)	26	(0)
2010–2012	Sporting Gijón	62	(2)
2012–2014	Sevilla	18	(1)
2013–2014	→ Elche (loan)	33	(0)
2014–	Olympiacos	34	(5)
National team
2009	Spain U20	8	(1)
2009–2011	Spain U21	17	(0)
2012	Spain U23	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:20, 18 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

Alberto Tomás Botía Rabasco (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβerto βoˈti.a raˈβasko]; born 27 January 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Greek club Olympiacos F.C. as a central defender.

Club career

Barcelona

Botía was born in Alquerías, Region of Murcia. Aged just eight years old he began playing for CD Beniel, soon joining neighbours Real Murcia and remaining there for three years. In 2003 he moved to FC Barcelona, being inserted into its B-team after a further three seasons.^[1]

In late May 2009 Botía, alongside fellow youth graduate Marc Muniesa, was first called to the main squad, for a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United.^[2] He made his official debut on the 30th, coming on as a second-half substitute for Gerard Piqué in the side's final game of the campaign, a 1–1 away draw against Deportivo de La Coruña.^[3]

Sporting Gijón

On 14 July 2009 Botía was sent to fellow La Liga club Sporting de Gijón, on a season-long loan.^[4] An undisputed starter throughout his first year in the top-tier, he decided to extend his stay with the Asturians in a four-year deal, with Barcelona keeping a buy-back clause for the first three.^[5]

Sevilla

On 8 August 2012 Botía signed with Sevilla FC, for a fee believed to be in the region of €3 million. He was brought in with the help of the Doyen Group, an Anglo-Portuguese investment firm.^[6][7] He made his official debut for his new team 18 days later, playing the second half of a 1–1 away draw against Granada CF.^[8]

On 23 February 2013 Botía put the visitors ahead at former club Barcelona, but in an eventual 1–2 loss.^[9] For the 2013–14 campaign, after 25 official appearances for the Andalusia team, he was loaned to Elche CF^[10] alongside teammates Manu del Moral and Miroslav Stevanović.^[11]

Olympiacos

On 1 August 2014 Botía joined Greek club Olympiacos FC on a four-year contract, for €2 million.^[12][13] He contributed with 25 appearances all competitions comprised in his debut season, helping his team win the double.

Botía became an undisputed starter in 2015–16, under new manager Marco Silva. On 29 September, he played the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 win at Arsenal for the Champions League group stage^[14] and, on 25 October, scored both of his team's goals in a 2–1 away success over Atromitos FC, becoming the club's first defender to achieve this since Avraam Papadopoulos two years earlier.^[15]

International career

Juan Mata (left), Adrián López (centre) and Botía, playing for the Spanish U21s.

On 7 February 2007 Botía was summoned for the Spanish under-19 team, for the "XXXIII International Atlantic Cup". Almost exactly two years later he received his first under-21 callup, for a friendly with Norway.

On 25 August 2011, Botía was selected for the first time to the full side by manager Vicente del Bosque, for games against Chile and Liechtenstein.^[16]

Club statistics

As of 26 September 2015^[17][18]

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Barcelona B	2006–07	15	0	–		–		15	0
	2007–08	17	1	–		–		17	1
	2008–09	27	2	–		–		27	2
	Total	59	3	–		–		59	3
Barcelona	2008–09	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Total	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Sporting Gijón	2009–10	26	0	1	0	–		27	0
	2010–11	28	1	1	0	–		29	1
	2011–12	34	1	2	0	–		36	1
	Total	88	2	4	0	–		92	2
Sevilla	2012–13	18	1	7	1	–		25	2
	Total	18	1	7	1	–		25	2
Elche	2013–14	33	0	2	0	–		35	0
	Total	33	0	2	0	–		35	0
Olympiacos	2014–15	17	1	2	1	6	1	25	3
	2015–16	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1
	Total	19	2	2	1	6	1	27	4
Career totals		218	8	15	2	6	1	239	11

Honours

^[19]

Club

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2008–09
• Copa del Rey: 2008–09
• UEFA Champions League: 2008–09

Olympiacos

• Superleague Greece: 2014–15,^[20] 2015–16
• Greek Football Cup: 2014–15

Country

Spain U20

• Mediterranean Games: 2009^[21]

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011

References

1. "Botía, central de Alquerías de 18 años, nueva 'perla' de la cantera del Barça" [Botía, 18-year-old stopper from Alquerías, new 'gem' from Barça youth system] (in Spanish). La Verdad. 2 December 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
2. "Botía y Muniesa también viajan a la final de Roma" [Botía and Muniesa also travel to Rome final] (in Spanish). Sport. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
3. Deportivo La Coruña 1–1 Barcelona; ESPN Soccernet, 30 May 2009
4. Sporting Gijón take Barcelona youngster Botía on loan; Goal.com, 14 July 2009
5. "Botía transferred to Sporting". Barcelona's official website. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
6. "Sevilla snaps up Botía". Marca. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
7. "Sevilla complete signing of Alberto Botia". Inside Spanish Football. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
8. "El Sevilla saca petróleo de Los Cármenes" [Sevilla drills for oil at Los Cármenes] (in Spanish). Marca. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
9. "El gol de Botía no fue suficiente" [Botía goal was not enough] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
10. "Botía set to become third Elche loan signing from Sevilla". Inside Spanish Football. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
11. "Escribá recupera a Botía, Stevanovic, Del Moral y Herrera" [Escribá recovers Botía, Stevanovic, Del Moral and Herrera] (in Spanish). Marca. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
12. Έπιασε λιμάνι ο Μποτία [Botía arrives] (in Greek). Nova Sports. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
13. Ανακοινώθηκε ο Μποτία [Botía announced] (in Greek). Red Planet. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
14. "Olympiacos prove too much for Arsenal". UEFA.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
15. Ατρόμητος – Ολυμπιακός 1–2: Δεν σταματάει πουθενά [Atromitos – Olympiakos 1–2: The sky is the limit] (in Greek). Onsports. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
16. "Domínguez, Montoya y Botía, novedades de la lista de Del Bosque" [Domínguez, Montoya and Botía, news in Del Bosque's list] (in Spanish). Marca. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
17. "Botía". Soccerway.
18. Alberto Botía at ESPN FC
19. "Botía – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
20. "Olympiakos win Greek league for the fifth straight year". The Independent. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
21. ITA – ESP 1:2 (0:0); Pescara 2009, 4 July 2009

External links

• Alberto Botía profile at BDFutbol
• Alberto Botía – FIFA competition record