Last update 28 August, 2013 por Alberto Llopis
Do you know the oldest players in the League?. The Spanish tournament, still it has players who nearly two decades ago debuted, players who were born in the already distant decade of the 70. An endangered species, that in some cases they take up to twenty years from some of the players who have broken into Spanish football today. The Isco, Neymar, Bale and even Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they were kids when our protagonists were already on the grass giving everything they had. We introduce you, to the oldest players in the Spanish League.
Patxi Punal, José Manuel Pinto and Esteban Suárez: the generation of 1975
El año 1975 in Spain it was a very busy year in Spain and it was also the year in which those who are the oldest players in the Spanish League today were born. The three curiously debuted in the elite in the same season, to from 1997/98.
Esteban Suárez was born on 27 de junio de 1975 and he's the oldest player in the league. The current goalkeeper of Almería took the alternative in the elite at Real Oviedo. Patxi Punal, big claw player, came into the world on 6 September 1975 and debuted in the ranks of Osasuna. Jose Manuel Pinto, the man with the eternal braid and second goalkeeper for Barcelona, was born on 8 de noviembre de 1975 and debuted with Real Betis.
Juanfran Garcia: 1976
The Levante captain is a classic of the First Division. He debuted in the Second Division B with Levante in 1995 and he signed a spectacular season in 1996/97 with granotas in Segunda. This earned him to leave Valencia, the eternal rival of the levantinistas.
Then he started a long career that led him to Celta de Vigo, Zaragoza, Ajax, Beshiktas, AEK of Athens and his return to Levante, where he has been for five seasons since he returned. He is the captain after the departure of another illustrious veteran such as Sergio Ballesteros. When Juanfran debuted with Levante, Isco for example, he was barely a year old.
Carlos Puyol, Mario Bermejo, John Capdevila, Francisco Javier Farinós and Alberto Rivera: were born in 1978
Carles Puyol needs no introduction. The Barcelona captain has won everything but despite being one of the oldest in the League and looking like he has been playing his whole life, no fue hasta 1999 when he debuted in Primera.
Mario Bermejo debuted in 1996 being a teenager. Leo Messi was barely 9 years when the brave striker debuted with Racing Santander in the elite.
Joan Capdevila cannot complain about the trajectory of his career. European and World Champion with Spain, hurries his last seasons at Espanyol, team he has returned to and debuted with in 1998.
Francisco Javier Farinós highlighted in Valencia what earned him his pass to Inter Milan. He has also played for Mallorca, Hercules, Levante and Villarreal in two stages, where he returned last season and still remains. He has practically played in all the elite clubs in the Valencian Community except Elche.
Alberto Rivera was a child prodigy and the first of his list to debut in First. If we talked about the most veteran for the year in which they debuted, sin duda, Rivera would be the first. Con 17 years, el 10 de junio de 1995, debuted in the First Division with a goal against Celta in Balaídos. Then his career was extinguished until Levante rewarded him for the elite.. He has also played in the: Olympique de Marseille, Betis, Sporting de Gijón and Elche, where he still exhibits his game. Cristiano Ronaldo had 10 years when Rivera scored his first goal in Primera.
In 1979 were born:
Rubén Suárez and Soriano from Almería, Málaga's Wellington, Simao del Espanyol and Roberto del Granada.