David Català

David Català

Català as a Celta player in 2009
Personal information
Full name	David Català Jiménez
Date of birth	3 May 1980
Place of birth	Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current team	AEK Larnaca
Number	6
Youth career
	Espanyol
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1999–2003	Espanyol B	102	(3)
2000–2003	Espanyol	7	(0)
2003–2004	Xerez	36	(3)
2004–2005	Lleida	37	(3)
2005–2006	Albacete	16	(0)
2006–2007	Lorca Deportiva	26	(1)
2007–2009	Salamanca	82	(3)
2009–2012	Celta	77	(5)
2012–	AEK Larnaca	116	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 18 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

David Català Jiménez (born 3 May 1980) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Cypriot club AEK Larnaca F.C. as a central defender.

After beginning his career at Espanyol, he spent most of it in Segunda División, representing six teams over nine seasons in the division, mostly Salamanca and Celta. He totalled 274 games and 15 goals in the category.

Football career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Català began his career at hometown club RCD Espanyol. He made his senior debut on 16 May 1999, playing the entirety of the reserves' 3–0 home win over Palamós CF for the Segunda División B championship; he first appeared in La Liga with the first team the following 6 May, as a 43rd-minute substitute for Cristóbal in a 0–2 away loss against CD Numancia.^[1]

After leaving for Xerez CD of Segunda División in 2003, Català spent each of the next four seasons at a different team in that level, culminating in Lorca Deportiva CF's relegation in 2007. He remained for two years in the same league with UD Salamanca, before joining fellow league side Celta de Vigo on a three year-deal on 23 June 2009; he was recommended by Miguel Torrecilla, the sporting director who made the same move earlier in the summer, and was the second player to be acquired that window after Cristian Bustos.^[2]

On 15 April 2012, Català scored in the Galician derby seven minutes after entering in place of Hugo Mallo, albeit in a 2–3 loss to Deportivo de La Coruña at Balaídos.^[3] The campaign nonetheless ended in promotion, with him contributing with 18 games and two goals to the feat.

On 28 July 2012, after recently signing a new contract, Català rescinded it and moved abroad for the first time, signing a three-year deal at AEK Larnaca F.C. of the Cypriot First Division.^[4]

Club statistics

As of 30 March 2015^[5][6]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Espanyol	1999–2000	La Liga	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2001–02	La Liga	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	Total		7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Xerez	2003–04	Segunda División	36	3	2	0	—		38	3
Lleida	2004–05	Segunda División	37	3	2	0	—		39	3
Albacete	2005–06	Segunda División	16	0	2	0	—		18	0
Lorca Deportiva	2006–07	Segunda División	26	1	1	0	—		27	1
Salamanca	2007–08	Segunda División	42	3	1	0	—		43	3
	2008–09	Segunda División	40	0	2	0	—		42	0
	Salamanca Total		82	3	3	0	—		85	3
Celta	2009–10	Segunda División	22	1	0	0	—		22	1
	2010–11	Segunda División	37	2	1	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	39	2
	2011–12	Segunda División	18	2	4	0	—		22	2
	Total		77	5	5	0	1	0	63	5
AEK Larnaca	2012–13	Cypriot First Division	28	1	5	0	—		33	1
	2013–14	Cypriot First Division	31	2	3	0	—		33	2
	2014–15	Cypriot First Division	30	4	6	1	—		36	5
	2015–16	Cypriot First Division	6	0	0	0	2[lower-alpha 2]	0	8	0
	Total		95	7	14	1	2	0	111	8
Career total			370	21	27	1	3	0	400	22

1. Appearances in Promotion Playoffs
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

1. "El Numancia acaricia la salvación tras ganar al Espanyol" [Numancia caresses survival after defeating Espanyol] (in Spanish). El País. 7 May 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
2. "Catalá: "Creo en este nuevo proyecto"" [Català: "I believe in this new project"] (in Spanish). Marca. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
3. "El Deportivo vence al Celta en un derbi gallego para el recuerdo" [Deportivo defeat Celta in a Galician derby to remember] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
4. "Catalá se va sorprendido y decepcionado" [Català leaves surprised and deceived] (in Spanish). Faro de Vigo. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
5. "Català". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
6. "David Catalá". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 18 December 2014.

External links

• David Català profile at BDFutbol
• Celta de Vigo biography (Spanish)