Álex Grimaldo

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Grimaldo and the second or maternal family name is García.
Álex Grimaldo

Grimaldo with Spain U19 in 2012
Personal information
Full name Alejandro Grimaldo García
Date of birth (1995-09-20) 20 September 1995
Place of birth Valencia, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Left back
Club information
Current team
 Benfica
Number 3
Youth career
2006–2008 Valencia
2008–2012 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2011–2015 Barcelona B 92 (6)
2016– Benfica 1 (0)
National team‡
2011 Spain U16 2 (0)
2011–2012 Spain U17 8 (1)
2012–2014 Spain U19 9 (0)
2013– Spain U21 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 February 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 February 2013

Alejandro "Álex" Grimaldo García (born 20 September 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Benfica as a left back.

Club career

Barcelona

Grimaldo with Barcelona B in 2012

Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Grimaldo joined Barcelona's youth system in 2008, aged 13. He made his official debut for the B-team on 4 September 2011, starting in a 4–0 away win against Cartagena at the age of 15 years and 349 days and becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a Segunda División game.[1][2]

On 23 February 2013, Grimaldo suffered a serious knee injury, being ruled out for the remainder of the season.[3] He returned to action in January of the following year,[4] appearing in 14 matches to help his team finish in third position.

On 13 September 2014, Grimaldo scored his first professional goal, netting his side's last in a 3–2 success at Alavés.[5] In a campaign which saw the team relegated, he netted four times in 36 matches; he and Sergi Palencia were sent off on 25 April 2015, in a 2–1 win over Ponferradina at the Mini Estadi.[6]

Benfica

On 29 December 2015, as his contract was about to expire,[7] Grimaldo signed with Portuguese champions Benfica until 2021, for €1.5 million. Barcelona has the right to a percentage of a future sale.[8]

Grimaldo played his first game with his new team on 26 January 2016, coming in as a 62nd-minute substitute for Sílvio in a 6–1 away routing of Moreirense for the Taça da Liga.[9] On 29 February, he debuted in the Primeira Liga, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win against União da Madeira.[10]

International career

Grimaldo gained his first cap for the Spanish under-21 team on 5 February 2013 – before he had turned 18 – playing the second half of a 1–1 friendly draw in Belgium.[11]

Club statistics

As of 19 December 2015[12]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B
2011–12 10—10
2012–13 240—240
2013–14 140—140
2014–15 364—364
2015–16 172—172
Total 926—926
Career totals 926—926

Honours

Spain U19

References

  1. ↑ Vuelve el mejor Barça B con un festival goleador en Cartagonova (The best Barça B returns with a scoring festival in Cartagonova); Marca, 4 September 2011 (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Alejandro Grimaldo, la seducción de un lateral de 15 años (Alejandro Grimaldo, the allure of a 15-year-old fullback); FC Barcelona, 5 September 2011 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ Alejandro Grimaldo sufre una rotura del ligamento cruzado anterior y del ligamento lateral externo de la rodilla (Alejandro Grimaldo suffers an anterior cruciate ligament and a lateral collateral injury); FC Barcelona, 24 February 2013 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Grimaldo vuelve ante el Mirandés... y Masip se queda fuera (Grimaldo returns against Mirandés... and Masip stays out); Sport, 18 January 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ El Barça B se lleva los tres puntos con susto final (Barça B takes the three points with a final scare); Marca, 13 September 2014 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ "Una genialidad de Munir da aire a un filial que acabó con nueve" [Genius from Munir gives air to a reserve team which finished with nine] (in Spanish). Marca. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Grimaldo ruma à Luz por um milhão de euros" [Grimaldo heads to Luz for one million euros] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  8. ↑ ""Tenho muita ambição em crescer neste clube"" ["I have a lot of ambition of growing in this club"] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Classe e magia no check-in para as “meias”" [Class and magic in "semis" check-in] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Quem tem um Jonas, tem tudo" [He who has a Jonas, has everything] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "España invierte en su futuro" [España invests in its future] (in Spanish). Marca. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Álex Grimaldo profile at Soccerway
  13. ↑ "La sub´19, campeona de Europa" [The U19, European champions] (in Spanish). La Nueva España. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links

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