Álvaro_Benito
Álvaro Benito
Spanish footballer and musician
Álvaro Benito Villar (born 10 December 1976) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left midfielder, currently vocalist/guitarist of Rock band Pignoise.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Álvaro Benito Villar | ||
| Date of birth | (1976-12-10) 10 December 1976 (age 47) | ||
| Place of birth | Salamanca, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ávila | |||
| 1991–1994 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Real Madrid C | 20 | (1) |
| 1995–1997 | Real Madrid B | 12 | (2) |
| 1995–2002 | Real Madrid | 21 | (2) |
| 1997–1998 | → Tenerife (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 2001–2002 | Real Madrid B | 11 | (1) |
| 2002–2003 | Getafe | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 72 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| 1992–1993 | Spain U16 | 13 | (0) |
| 1993–1995 | Spain U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 1996 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2019 | Real Madrid (youth) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Born in Salamanca, Castile and León, Benito emerged through Real Madrid's youth ranks, making his senior debut not yet aged 18 with the C team. He progressed to the reserves the following year.
Benito was relatively used by the main squad in the 1995–96 season,[1] and contributed seven matches the following campaign as they were crowned La Liga champions.[2] In November 1996, he suffered a severe knee injury from which he would never fully recover, undergoing three operations in only four months in 1998 in Pittsburgh, United States; he was involved in a car accident afterwards, which further curtailed his recovering process.[3]
After one unassuming loan with CD Tenerife and another spell with Castilla, Benito was released by Real Madrid in summer 2002, joining city neighbours Getafe CF of Segunda División.[4] He appeared rarely for his new club, again due to injury.[5]
After retiring, Benito was in charge of several of Real's youth sides, starting with the Alevín B in 2015.[6][7][8] He was dismissed in late February 2019, following criticism of the first team after a 0–3 home defeat against FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on a radio show.[9]
Benito won his only cap for the Spain under-21 side on 12 November 1996, coming on as a late substitute for FC Barcelona's Roger García in a 1–1 home draw against Slovakia for the 1998 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, but being stretchered off shortly after with a serious injury that all but ended his career.[10][3]
During his rehabilitation period, Benito started playing guitar and writing songs, going on to put together a band, Pignoise. The group, which also featured another former footballer, Héctor Polo (Real Zaragoza, Rayo Vallecano), eventually used many of the songs he composed prior to its creation.[11]
Real Madrid
Spain U16
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship runner-up: 1992
- Carbajosa, Carlos E. (3 December 1995). "Los niños ponen patas arriba el Bernabéu" [Kids turn the Bernabéu upside down]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- "Fabio Capello lideró el primer proyecto de Lorenzo Sanz" [Fabio Capello was in charge of Lorenzo Sanz's first project]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 24 March 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- "Alvaro empieza a ver la luz al final del túnel" [Alvaro starts to see light at the end of the tunnel]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 27 June 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- "Álvaro Benito ficha por el Getafe" [Álvaro Benito signs for Getafe]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 8 July 2002. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- De la Rosa, José Antonio (31 December 2002). "Álvaro Benito volvió a lesionarse de menisco" [Álvaro Benito injured meniscus again]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- "El salmantino Álvaro Benito entrenará al Alevín B del Real Madrid" [Salamanca-born Álvaro Benito will coach Real Madrid's Alevín B]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Spanish). 14 August 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- "El cadete A del Real Madrid, con la selección española de fútbol para ciegos" [Real Madrid's cadete A, with the Spanish national team of blind football]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 April 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- Díaz, José Félix; Polo, Pablo (6 June 2017). "Una nueva oportunidad para Solari" [A new chance for Solari]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- "Real Madrid sack youth coach Alvaro Benito over radio criticism of first team". ESPN. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- García, Pedro (13 November 1996). "España Sub-21 no arranca "Las Palmas"" [Spain Under-21 do not get "The Claps" ("Las Palmas" in English, pun on city where match was held) started]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- "Álvaro Benito marca un gol en la música" [Álvaro Benito scores goal in music]. ABC (in Spanish). 13 January 2003. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Álvaro Benito at BDFutbol
- Official Pignoise website (in Spanish)