David Belenguer

David Belenguer Reverte (born 17 December 1972) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central defender.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Belenguer and the second or maternal family name is Reverte.
David Belenguer
Belenguer training with Betis in 2010
Personal information
Full name David Belenguer Reverte
Date of birth (1972-12-17) 17 December 1972
Place of birth Vilassar de Mar, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1993 Real Madrid C 38 (0)
1993–1995 Palamós 32 (0)
1995–1996 Leganés 28 (4)
1996–1997 Celta 0 (0)
1996–1997 → Lleida (loan) 22 (4)
1997–1998 Albacete 38 (1)
1998–2000 Extremadura 76 (0)
2000–2003 Betis 65 (1)
2004–2010 Getafe 158 (2)
2010–2011 Betis 20 (0)
Total 477 (12)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

During his extensive professional career, he was mainly associated with Getafe – where he arrived already in his 30s – helping the club consolidate in La Liga. Both major levels of Spanish football combined, he appeared in 441 matches over 18 seasons.

Club career

Born in Vilassar de Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia, Belenguer grew in the ranks of Real Madrid and played in a host of second division clubs before finally settling at Real Betis in 2000–01, achieving La Liga promotion that season. He previously made his debut in the competition on 30 August 1998 with CF Extremadura, in a 0–0 home draw against Real Valladolid[1]– the former would be relegated, with the player appearing in 36 games.

In January 2004, Belenguer joined Madrid's Getafe CF, also promoting from the second level at the end of the campaign. He went on to become an essential member of a side that consolidated their top-flight status (he scored his first league goal on 18 September 2005 in a 4–3 away victory over Deportivo Alavés),[2] while also contributing with ten appearances and one goal[3] as the team reached the last-eight in the 2007–08 edition of the UEFA Cup.[4]

Belenguer was sparingly used in his final two years, and left the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez at the end of 2009–10 after seeing out his contract. In his final season he played 13 matches, the last of which was a solid defensive performance at Atlético Madrid on 15 May 2010, as Getafe won 3–0 and clinched the sixth position at the expense of Villarreal CF, thus qualifying for the second time in the club's history for European competition.[5]

In mid-July 2010, when retirement seemed like the most likely option, Belenguer returned to former side Betis after signing a one-year deal, five months short of his 38th birthday.[6] Due to the many injuries that affected the back sector, he was able to appear in 20 league games as they returned to the top division after a two-year absence, as champions.[7]

Honours

Betis

References
  1. García Chamizo, Pedro (31 August 1998). "Se olvidan del gol" [They forget about goal]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  2. "El Getafe de Schuster derrota al Alavés y es el nuevo líder" [Schuster's Getafe defeat Alavés and are the new leaders]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 September 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  3. "Belenguer y Abbondanzieri salvan al Getafe en un choque de infarto" [Belenguer and Abbondanzieri save Getafe in cardiac clash]. El País (in Spanish). 4 October 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  4. Redondo, Christian (7 May 2019). "Semejanzas y diferencias del Getafe de Bordalás y el 'Eurogeta'" [Similarities and differences between Bordalás' Getafe and 'Eurogeta']. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  5. "Getafe secure Europa League spot". ESPN Soccernet. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  6. "Acuerdo con el central David Belenguer" [Agreement with centre-back David Belenguer] (in Spanish). Real Betis. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  7. "David Belenguer: "Es el momento adecuado de irme"" [David Belenguer: "This is the right time for me to leave"]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 June 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
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