Dani Benítez

Daniel "Dani" González Benítez (born 7 April 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder for UD Poblense.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Benítez.

Dani Benítez
Personal information
Full name Daniel González Benítez
Date of birth (1987-04-07) 7 April 1987
Place of birth Palma, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Poblense
Youth career
2001–2004 Mallorca
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Mallorca B
2007–2009 Mallorca 0 (0)
2007–2008 → Pontevedra (loan) 33 (1)
2008–2009 → Elche (loan) 29 (1)
2009–2014 Udinese 0 (0)
2009–2014 → Granada (loan) 122 (18)
2016 Alcorcón 0 (0)
2016–2017 Racing Ferrol 24 (6)
2017–2019 AEL Limassol 29 (2)
2019– Poblense 26 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 November 2020

Club career

Born in Palma, Majorca, Benítez began his career in the youth ranks of RCD Mallorca, but never appeared for the first team officially. He spent the 2007–08 season on loan to Pontevedra CF of Segunda División B, and the following campaign with Segunda División side Elche CF, also on loan, before being released by Mallorca.

In the summer of 2009, Benítez signed for Udinese Calcio in Italy; he and seven other players were immediately transferred to Granada CF as part of the clubs' partnership agreement. In his second season he scored a career-best ten goals in 36 games as the Andalusians achieved a second consecutive promotion, returning to La Liga after 35 years; his volatile character led to his receiving 13 yellow cards and two red.[1][2]

Benítez failed to find the net during 2011–12, starting in 26 of his 30 league appearances. On 5 May 2012, after the 1–2 home loss against Real Madrid, he threw a bottle at the referee, Carlos Clos Gómez, which hit him in the face, for which he received a three-month suspension.[3]

Upon his return to action, Benítez struggled heavily with injury problems.[4][5] On 27 March 2014, it was announced he had failed a doping test in a match against Real Betis held the previous month, in which he was sent off after just 15 minutes on the pitch,[6] cocaine being the illegal substance he had allegedly consumed.[7]

On 9 January 2016, after nearly 20 months without a club, Benítez joined AD Alcorcón of the second level.[8] He left on 28 June after making no official appearances,[9] moving to third-tier Racing de Ferrol on a one-year contract one month later.[10]

In July 2019, following a two-year spell in the Cypriot First Division with AEL Limassol,[11][12] the 32-year-old Benítez returned to both his country and his native region by agreeing to a deal at amateurs UD Poblense.[13]

References
  1. Le caen 3 partidos a Dani Benitez (Dani Benitez hit with 3-match suspension) Archived 20 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine; Granada CF, 5 January 2011 (in Spanish)
  2. Dani Benítez, corazón rebelde (Dani Benítez, rebel heart); Marca, 15 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  3. Real nick fiery clash; ESPN Soccernet, 5 May 2012
    El acta de Clos Gómez del Granada-Real Madrid (Clos Gómez's Granada-Real Madrid match report); Marca, 6 May 2012 (in Spanish)
    Sanción ejemplar a Benítez (Exemplary sanction on Benítez); Marca, 7 May 2012 (in Spanish)
    Tres meses de sanción para Dani Benítez (Three-month ban for Dani Benítez); Marca, 9 May 2012 (in Spanish)
  4. Dani Benítez, baja indefinida en el Granada (Dani Benítez, ruled out indefinitely in Granada); Mundo Deportivo, 6 February 2013 (in Spanish)
  5. Dani Benítez, el 'Ave Fénix' del Granada CF (Dani Benítez, Granada CF's 'Phoenix'); Vavel, 15 November 2013 (in Spanish)
  6. Piti wins it for Granada; ESPN FC, 16 February 2014
  7. Dani Benítez, del Granada, da positivo por cocaína (Granada's Dani Benítez, positive for cocaine); Diario AS, 27 March 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. Dani Benítez, nuevo futbolista de la A.D. Alcorcón (Dani Benítez, new footballer of A.D. Alcorcón); AD Alcorcón, 9 January 2016 (in Spanish)
  9. Dani Benítez no continuará en la disciplina de la A.D. Alcorcón (Dani Benítez will not part of A.D. Alcorcón organization anymore); AD Alcorcón, 28 June 2016 (in Spanish)
  10. OFICIAL: El Racing Ferrol apuesta por Dani Benítez (OFFICIAL: Racing Ferrol bet on Dani Benítez); Be Soccer, 6 August 2016 (in Spanish)
  11. Dani Benítez ficha por el AEL Limassol de la Liga de Chipre (Dani Benítez signs for AEL Limassol of the Cypriot League); Marca, 25 May 2017 (in Spanish)
  12. Dani Benítez encuentra el «respeto» en Chipre (Dani Benítez finds «respect» again in Cyprus); Ideal, 13 December 2017 (in Spanish)
  13. Dani Benítez vuelve a España de la mano del Poblense, un equipo de Tercera División (Dani Benítez returns to Spain courtesy of Poblense, a Tercera División team); Europa Press, 20 July 2019 (in Spanish)
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