Óscar Álvarez (footballer, born 1977)

Óscar Álvarez Sanjuán (born 9 June 1977) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender, currently assistant manager of UE Costa Brava.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Álvarez and the second or maternal family name is Sanjuán.
Óscar Álvarez
Personal information
Full name Óscar Álvarez Sanjuán
Date of birth (1977-06-09) 9 June 1977
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Costa Brava (assistant)
Youth career
Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Barcelona C 32 (2)
1995–1999 Barcelona B 74 (2)
1999–2002 Oviedo 35 (1)
2000–2001 → Lleida (loan) 24 (2)
2002–2005 Tenerife 31 (1)
2005–2007 Gimnàstic 4 (0)
2007–2008 Orihuela 53 (1)
2008–2010 Girona 9 (1)
2010–2011 Hospitalet 8 (0)
2011–2014 Llagostera 75 (2)
Total 345 (12)
Managerial career
2015–2017 Llagostera (assistant)
2017–2018 Llagostera
2018–2019 Llagostera (assistant)
2019–2020 Valencia (assistant)
2020– Llagostera (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Álvarez finished his youth career with local FC Barcelona, going on to feature for its C and B teams until the age of 22. He later signed with Real Oviedo, making his La Liga debut on 16 October 1999 by coming in as a late substitute in a 2–2 away draw against Real Madrid.[1]

After playing for UE Lleida and CD Tenerife in the Segunda División, Álvarez joined Gimnàstic de Tarragona of the same league in July 2005.[2] In his first and only season he contributed only 524 minutes in all competitions, but achieved promotion in the league.

Deemed surplus to requirements by Nàstic in the summer of 2006,[3] and subsequently being left out of the first-team squad, Álvarez signed with Orihuela CF from Segunda División B in mid-January 2007.[4] He returned to the second level nearly two years later with Girona FC[5] but, after two seasons marked by injury,[6] he moved back to division three with CE L'Hospitalet.[7]

Álvarez signed for UE Llagostera also in his native region midway through the 2010–11 season,[8] winning promotion from the Tercera División and going on to play several years with the club in the third tier.[9]

Coaching career

Álvarez began working as a manager with his last team, as assistant to Oriol Alsina.[10] He was promoted to head coach for the 2017–18 campaign, which ended in relegation from division three.[11]

In September 2019, Álvarez accepted an offer from former Barcelona teammate Albert Celades to be part of his staff.[12] Eleven months later, he returned to Llagostera still under Alsina.[10]

Personal life

Álvarez's older brother, Quique, was also a footballer and a stopper, who represented mainly Villarreal CF. Their father Quique Costas occupied the same position, and played professionally for RC Celta de Vigo, Barcelona and the Spanish national team.[13]

References
  1. El Oviedo aplaca la euforia blanca (Oviedo halt white euphoria); El Mundo, 16 October 1999 (in Spanish)
  2. Óscar Álvarez, presentado ayer por el Nástic (Óscar Álvarez, presented yesterday by Nàstic); El Día, 13 July 2005 (in Spanish)
  3. El Nàstic declara transferibles Nano, Diego Reyes, Óscar Álvarez, Morales i Jaio (Nàstic transferlist Nano, Diego Reyes, Óscar Álvarez, Morales and Jaio); Televisió de Catalunya, 11 July 2006 (in Catalan)
  4. El Orihuela ficha al central del Nàstic Óscar Álvarez (Orihuela sign Nàstic stopper Óscar Álvarez); Diario Información, 17 January 2007 (in Spanish)
  5. Óscar Álvarez firma por una campaña (Óscar Álvarez signs for one campaign); La Voz Digital, 5 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  6. Óscar Álvarez estará seis meses de baja (Óscar Álvarez to miss six months); Marca, 3 February 2009 (in Spanish)
  7. Hospitalet: llega Óscar Álvarez. (Hospitalet: Óscar Álvarez arrives); esFutbol, 17 July 2010 (in Spanish)
  8. El central Òscar Álvarez, al Llagostera (Stopper Òscar Álvarez, to Llagostera); L'Esportiu, 12 January 2011 (in Catalan)
  9. UE Llagostera, seis ascensos en nueve años (UE Llagostera, six promotions in nine years); La Vanguardia, 22 June 2014 (in Spanish)
  10. Òscar Álvarez torna a ser el segon d'Oriol Alsina a la banqueta del Llagostera (Òscar Álvarez is again assistant of Oriol Alsina on Llagostera's bench); Diari de Girona, 17 August 2020 (in Catalan)
  11. El Llagostera baja a Tercera División (Llagostera relegated to Tercera División); El Periódico de Catalunya, 27 May 2018 (in Spanish)
  12. La historia de Óscar Álvarez, de Llagostera a Stamford Bridge en una semana (The story of Óscar Álvarez, from Llagostera to Stamford Bridge in one week); El Desmarque, 16 September 2019 (in Spanish)
  13. ""Quique" Álvarez Sanjuán" (in Spanish). Mitos Futbolísticos. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
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