Cristóbal Márquez

Cristóbal Márquez Crespo (born 21 April 1984), known simply as Cristóbal, is a Spanish footballer who plays for CF Fuenlabrada as a midfielder.

Cristóbal

Personal information
Full name	Cristóbal Márquez Crespo
Date of birth	21 April 1984
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Fuenlabrada
Number	8
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2005	Leganés B
2005–2008	Levante B	39	(6)
2006	→ Conquense (loan)	13	(0)
2006–2007	→ S.S. Reyes (loan)	30	(1)
2008–2010	Villarreal B	75	(13)
2010–2011	Villarreal	2	(0)
2011	→ Elche (loan)	12	(2)
2011–2013	Karpaty Lviv	7	(1)
2012	→ Elche (loan)	8	(2)
2013	Auckland City	3	(2)
2013–2015	Olympiacos Volou	15	(1)
2015	Mitra Kukar	1	(0)
2015–2016	Toledo	30	(5)
2016	Anorthosis	0	(0)
2016–	Fuenlabrada	150	(11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 November 2020

Club career

Early career / Villarreal B

Born in Madrid, Cristóbal was in the ranks of local CD Leganés before joining Levante UD in 2005, being assigned to their reserves in Segunda División B. He was also loaned to UB Conquense and UD San Sebastián de los Reyes in the same league.

After Levante B's relegation in 2008, Cristóbal joined Valencian Community neighbours Villarreal CF, also for their second team. He contributed eight goals in total in his first season as they won promotion to Segunda División, including one in the playoff semi-final win against Lorca Deportiva CF.[1][2]

Villarreal

Cristóbal made his first-team debut for the club on 26 August 2010, in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League play-offs away to Belarus' FC Dnepr Mogilev having already won 5–0 at home in the first game; he started and was sent off in the 67th minute of a 2–1 away win.[3] The following 15 January he made the first of two La Liga appearances, as an 86th-minute substitute for Borja Valero in a 4–2 home victory over CA Osasuna;[4] on 27 February he started at Racing de Santander as Juan Carlos Garrido rested his regulars due to an extended European run, and was taken off for Santi Cazorla just past the hour mark in a 2–2 draw.[5]

On 31 March 2011, Cristóbal was loaned to second-tier Elche CF for the rest of the campaign, after injuries to David Generelo and Miguel Linares.[6] He scored in consecutive away draws at RC Celta de Vigo and Granada CF in late May,[7][8] as his side ended up losing the playoff final to the latter on the away goals rule.

Abroad

Cristóbal moved abroad for the first time in July 2011, signing for an undisclosed fee to FC Karpaty Lviv in the Ukrainian Premier League, who also counted compatriot Borja Gómez Pérez in their ranks.[9] He made 12 total appearances during his tenur, and scored the equaliser in a 2–1 home loss to FC Metalist Kharkiv on 28 August; he returned on loan to Elche on 28 January 2012.[10]

In July 2013, Cristóbal sued Karpaty for unpaid wages, winning €600,000 and becoming a free agent. Fellow Spaniard Ramon Tribulietx, manager of Oceanian champions Auckland City FC, signed him to the New Zealanders with the lure of the club's participation at the year's FIFA Club World Cup.[11] He played three Championship matches, scoring twice in a 4–4 home draw against Hawke's Bay United FC on 22 December.[12]

After further stints at Olympiacos Volou 1937 F.C. (Greece) and PS Mitra Kukar (Indonesia), Cristóbal returned to Spain to play the 2015–16 season at third-tier CD Toledo.[13] After play-off elimination by Hércules CF, he transferred to Anorthosis Famagusta FC of the Cypriot First Division in June 2016.[14]

Fuenlabrada

Unused in his few weeks on the Eastern Mediterranean island, Cristóbal came back to the Spanish third division and his native Community of Madrid on 31 August 2016, with CF Fuenlabrada.[15] He played regularly in three consecutive play-off seasons, culminating in a championship win in 2019 and the team's first ever promotion to the second tier;[16] his 42 total games earned him a one-year contract extension with the option of a second, at the age of 35.[17]

On 2 February 2020, in a 1–0 home loss to Girona FC, Cristóbal was sent off for a high challenge on Álex Granell; the challenge was downgraded to a yellow card after review by the video assistant referee, and he was called back from the changing room. Seconds later, before play reinitiated, he was dismissed again for a clash of heads with the same opponent.[18]

References

1. "2008/09: Villarreal B team promoted to the Second Division". Villarreal CF. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
2. Machín, Federico (6 June 2009). "El Alcoyano se queda en el camino y el Villarreal B pasa a la tercera fase" [Alcoyano left behind and Villarreal B advance to third round] (in Spanish). Nostre Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
3. "1–2. El Villarreal también gana en Bielorrusia y empieza a pensar en sorteo" [1–2. Villarreal also win in Belarus and start to think of the draw]. La Información (in Spanish). 26 August 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
4. "El Villarreal tira de pegada para seguir invicto en su campo" [Villarreal resort to pace to remain unbeaten on their own turf]. La Información (in Spanish). 15 January 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
5. "Nilmar, en el tiempo añadido, evita la victoria del Racing" [Nilmar, in added time, prevents victory from Racing]. El Correo (in Spanish). 27 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
6. "Cristobal, del Villarreal, llega cedido al Elche" [Cristóbal, from Villarreal, arrives on loan at Elche]. Marca (in Spanish). 31 March 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
7. "El Celta regala el empate al Elche y alarga su crisis en Balaídos" [Celta gift Elche a draw and increase their crisis at Balaídos]. El Imparcial (in Spanish). 21 May 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
8. "Fabián Orellana marcó en empate del Granada CF ante Elche" [Fabián Orellana scored in Granada CF's draw against Elche]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 29 May 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
9. "Mercado: El Villarreal traspasa a Cristóbal Márquez al Karpaty ucraniano" [Market: Villarreal transfer Cristóbal Márquez to Ukraine's Karpaty] (in Spanish). Goal. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
10. "Cristóbal Márquez, del Karpaty ucraniano, jugará cedido en el Elche" [Cristóbal Márquez, of Ukraine's Karpaty, will play on loan at Elche]. Marca (in Spanish). 28 January 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
11. Burgess, Michael (8 December 2013). "Soccer: Spaniard inspires Cup side". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
12. Humdell, Shane (23 December 2013). "Soccer: Captain Bill Robertson marched in goal-fest". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
13. "El Toledo presenta oficialmente a uno de sus últimos refuerzos, Cristóbal Márquez" [Toledo officially present one of their latest additions, Cristóbal Márquez] (in Spanish). En Castilla-La Mancha. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
14. "Cristóbal Márquez se marcha del Toledo al Anorthosis Famagusta, de la Primera División chipiotra [sic]" [Cristóbal Márquez leaves Toledo for Anorthosis Famagusta, of the Cypriot First Division] (in Spanish). En Castilla-La Mancha. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
15. "FUENLABRADA | Nuevo mediocentro para el Fuenla de Visnjic" [FUENLABRADA | New central midfielder for Visnjic's Fuenla] (in Spanish). Soy De. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
16. "Histórico ascenso del Fuenlabrada a Segunda división" [Historical Fuenlabrada promotion to the Second division]. ABC (in Spanish). 2 June 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
17. Martín, Javier (30 June 2019). "El Fuenla renueva a Cristóbal por un año con opción a otro" [Fuenla renew Cristóbal for a year with the option of another]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 February 2020.
18. Coleman, Joe (3 February 2020). "Fuenlabrada star Cristobal Marquez has red card rescinded after VAR review… then gets immediately sent off for clashing with rival player". Talksport. Retrieved 5 February 2020.

External links

• Cristóbal at BDFutbol
• Cristóbal at Futbolme (in Spanish)
• Cristóbal at Soccerway