José Salomón Rondón

For the baseball player, see José Rondón (baseball).
Salomón Rondón

Rondón with Zenit in 2014
Personal information
Full name José Salomón Rondón Giménez
Date of birth (1989-09-16) 16 September 1989[1]
Place of birth Caracas, Venezuela
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 West Bromwich Albion
Number 33
Youth career
1996–2004 San José de Calasanz
2004–2005 Deportivo Gulima
2005–2006 Aragua
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2006–2008 Aragua 49 (15)
2008–2010 Las Palmas 46 (10)
2010–2012 Málaga 67 (25)
2012–2014 Rubin Kazan 36 (13)
2014–2015 Zenit Saint Petersburg 37 (20)
2015– West Bromwich Albion 30 (7)
National team‡
2009 Venezuela U20 11 (7)
2008– Venezuela 47 (14)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 April 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 04:20, 25 March 2016 (UTC)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rondón and the second or maternal family name is Giménez.

José Salomón Rondón Giménez (born 16 September 1989) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays for English club West Bromwich Albion as a striker.

After starting out at Aragua, he went on to spend most of his career in Spain, appearing in La Liga with Málaga, and Russia, winning the 2015 national championship with Zenit.

A Venezuelan international since 2008, Rondón represented his country in two Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Early years

Born in Caracas, Rondón made his debut in the Venezuelan Primera División at the age of 17, appearing for Aragua FC against Carabobo FC on 8 October 2006. On 8 April of the following year he scored his first goal(s) for the club, in a 2–2 draw against Caracas FC.

Las Palmas

In the summer of 2008 Rondón was signed by UD Las Palmas in Spain, and made his official debut on 5 October in a 1–2 away loss against Deportivo Alavés for the Segunda División championship.[2] Almost one year after his arrival, on 2 September 2009, he netted his first goal, in a Copa del Rey match against Cádiz CF – becoming the youngest foreign player to ever score for the club, at the age of 19 years, 11 months and 17 days –[3] and finished the 2009–10 season with ten goals in 36 games, as the Canary Islands side barely avoided relegation.

Málaga

On 19 July 2010, Málaga CF signed Rondón for a record transfer fee of €3.5 million.[4] He scored his first goal for the Andalusians exactly two months later, in a 1–2 home defeat against Sevilla FC in La Liga.[5] Four days later, he opened the score in a 2–0 win at Getafe CF,[6] adding a third the following week in a 2–3 home loss to Villarreal CF.[7]

On 1 May 2011, Rondón contributed with one goal as Málaga came from behind at home to defeat Hércules CF 3–1.[8] That was his 13th goal of the campaign, with which he surpassed the record of goals from a Venezuelan footballer in the Spanish top flight previously held by Juan Arango;[9] the team finally escaped relegation, with the player finishing as its top scorer.

Rondón started 2011–12 on the substitutes bench. He eventually beat competition from ageing Ruud van Nistelrooy,[10] again finishing as Málaga's best scorer – this included goals in narrow home wins against RCD Espanyol (2–1)[11] and Levante UD (1–0),[12] and a brace against Rayo Vallecano (4–2 success, also at La Rosaleda Stadium).[13]

Rubin Kazan

Rondón before a Europa League match against Chelsea

In August 2012 Rondón signed for Russian Premier League team FC Rubin Kazan, for a reported fee of €10 million[14] which made him the most expensive Venezuelan player in history.[15] He made his league debut on the 12th in a 2–0 home win over FC Dynamo Moscow, and he scored his first goal against FC Terek Grozny on 1 September, albeit in a 1–2 home defeat.[16]

Rondón made his first appearance in the UEFA Europa League against Inter Milan, and he scored once in a 2–2 group stage away draw, also playing the entire match.[17] In the second game between the two sides he netted a brace in the final three minutes, helping his team to a 3–0 win.[18]

On 10 March 2013, following the winter break in the Russian Premier League, Rondón scored the only goal of the game as Rubin claimed a home victory over reigning champions FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.[19] In continental competition, he opened up the scoring in the 100th minute of the round-of-16 clash against Levante UD, latching on to a cross from Bibras Natkho as the hosts won it 2–0 in that game and on aggregate.[20]

On 19 April Rondón opened the scoring for Rubin, who could only manage a 1–1 draw at relegation-threatened FC Amkar Perm.[21] In the club's next league match, against PFC CSKA Moscow, he netted the first goal in a 2–0 victory over the league leaders and eventual champions.[22]

On 1 September 2013, Rondón scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win against recently promoted FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast.[23]

Zenit

Rondón holding the 2015 Russian Super Cup

On 31 January 2014, Rondón underwent a medical and joined fellow league club Zenit, signing a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £15.8 million.[24] He played his first game for his new team on 25 February, scoring in an eventual 2–1 away win against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League's round-of-16 second-leg (4–5 aggregate defeat).[25]

On 6 April 2014, again as a second-half substitute, Rondón scored a rare second-half hat-trick in a 6–2 home routing of former team Rubin.[26] On 20 September he added another three, in a 5–0 win at FC Rostov.[27]

On 26 February 2015, Rondón scored a brace at home against PSV Eindhoven, being essential in a 3–0 home victory for the Europa League round-of-32 and a 4–0 aggregate triumph.[28]

West Bromwich Albion

Rondón playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2016

On 10 August 2015, Rondón joined English club West Bromwich Albion on a four-year-deal for a club-record fee of £12 million.[29] He made his debut in the Premier League five days later, replacing Craig Gardner in the 62nd minute of an eventual 0–0 away draw against Watford.[30] On the 23rd he made his first start, at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur-linked Saido Berahino, in a 2–3 home defeat to Chelsea, assisting James Morrison in his first goal and later being brought down by John Terry who received a straight red card.[31]

Rondón scored his first goal for the Baggies on 29 August 2015, netting the game's only in stoppage time of the first half of the away fixture against nine-man Stoke City.[32] On 19 December, he was sent off at the end of a 1–2 home loss to Bournemouth for thrusting his head at Dan Gosling, with teammate James McClean also dismissed in the first half.[33]

International career

Rondón appeared for the Venezuelan under-20s in the 2009 FIFA World Cup in Egypt. He scored four times during the competition – as teammate Yonathan del Valle, with both netting hat-tricks in the 8–0 group stage routing of Tahiti – as the South Americans managed to qualify to the round-of-16.[34]

Previously, on 3 February 2008, 18-year-old Rondón made his debut for the senior team in a friendly with Haiti, scoring his first international goal on 23 March against El Salvador (another exhibition match, another 1–0 win). Selected by manager Noel Sanvicente to the 2015 Copa América, he scored in La Vinotinto's first game of the tournament to help defeat Colombia 1–0.[35] Later that year, he was among 15 national players who threatened to quit the team after the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation accused them of conspiring to get the manager sacked.[36]

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 April 2016[37]
Club Season League Cups Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aragua 2006–07 21700––217
2007–08 28893––3711
Total 491593––5818
Las Palmas 2008–09 10000—100
2009–10 361012—3712
Total 461012—4712
Málaga 2010–11 301422—3216
2011–12 371130—4011
Total 672552—7227
Rubin Kazan 2012–13 257001263713
2013–14 11600861912
Total 36130020125625
Zenit 2013–14 1070021128
2014–15 2613211664420
2015–16 10100020
Total 3720311875828
West Bromwich Albion 2015–16 30761—368
Career total 264892493819327118

International

As of 25 March 2016
Venezuela
YearAppsGoals
200831
200931
201030
2011113
201285
201362
201420
2015102
201610
Total4714

International goals

Scores and results lists Venezuela's goal tally first.[38]

Honours

Club

Aragua
Zenit

References

  1. 1 2 "Jose Salomon Rondon". West Bromwich Albion F.C. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "El Alavés remontó con toda justicia en Mendizorroza" [Alavés came back from behind in Mendizorroza justly] (in Spanish). Marca. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. ↑ El gol extranjero más joven (Youngest foreign goal); La Provincia, 4 September 2009 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Transfer record for Malaga Football Club; List Andalucia, 20 July 2010
  5. ↑ Report: Malaga vs Sevilla; Goal.com, 20 September 2010
  6. ↑ Primera Liga round-up: Sevilla held at home, Malaga stun Getafe, Villarreal edge past Deportivo La Coruna; Goal.com, 23 September 2010
  7. ↑ First-half thriller; ESPN Soccernet, 27 September 2010
  8. ↑ The Beast boosts Malaga hopes; ESPN Soccernet, 1 May 2011
  9. ↑ Salomón Rondón anotó e hizo historia (Salomón Rondón scored and made history); El Tiempo, 2 May 2011 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ "Rondón, "orgulloso y encantado" de haber aprendido de Van Nistelrooy" [Rondón, "proud and delighted" for having learned from Van Nistelrooy] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  11. ↑ Malaga end losing run; ESPN Soccernet, 30 October 2011
  12. ↑ Rondon boosts Boquerones; ESPN Soccernet, 10 March 2012
  13. ↑ Rondon doubles up in Malaga win; ESPN Soccernet, 22 March 2012
  14. ↑ Rubin lure Rondón from Málaga; UEFA.com, 5 August 2012
  15. ↑ Salomón Rondón es el futbolista venezolano más caro de la historia (Salomón Rondón is Venezuela's most expensive footballer in history); La Nación, 6 August 2012 (Spanish)
  16. ↑ FK Rubin Kazan 1–2 Terek Grozny; ESPN Soccernet, 1 September 2012
  17. ↑ Nagatomo salvages Inter draw against Rubin; UEFA.com, 20 September 2012
  18. ↑ "FK Rubin Kazan 3–0 Internazionale". ESPN FC. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  19. ↑ "FK Rubin Kazan 1–0 Zenit St. Petersburg". ESPN FC. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  20. ↑ "Rubin edge out Levante in extra time". UEFA.com. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "Amkar Perm 1–1 Rubin Kazan". Soccerway. 19 April 2013.
  22. ↑ "Rubin Kazan 2–0 CSKA Moskva". Soccerway. 28 April 2013.
  23. ↑ "Ural 0–3 FK Rubin Kazan". ESPN FC. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  24. ↑ "Zenit signs Salomón Rondón". FC Zenit. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Borussia Dortmund 1–2 Zenit St Petersburg". BBC Sport. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  26. ↑ "Rondon hat-trick rocks Rubin". FC Zenit. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "Rostov 0–5 Zenit St Petersburg". ESPN FC. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  28. ↑ "Zenit St Petersburg 3–0 PSV Eindhoven". ESPN FC. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  29. ↑ "Salomon Rondon: West Brom sign striker for club record £12m". BBC Sport. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  30. ↑ "Watford frustrated as West Bromwich Albion share spoils at Vicarage Road". ESPN FC. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  31. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (23 August 2015). "West Brom 2–3 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  32. ↑ "Stoke 0–1 West Brom". BBC Sport. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  33. ↑ Chowdhury, Saj (19 December 2015). "West Brom 1–2 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  34. ↑ Salomón Rondón – FIFA competition record
  35. ↑ "Venezuela beat Colombia to cause major Copa América shock". The Guardian. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "Venezuela: Salomon Rondon and squad in quit threat to board". BBC Sport. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  37. ↑ "S. Rondón". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  38. ↑ "S. Rondón – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 August 2015.

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