Óscar Serrano (footballer)

Óscar Serrano Rodríguez (born 30 September 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a left winger.

For other people named Óscar Serrano, see Óscar Serrano (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Serrano and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
Óscar Serrano
Serrano training with Racing Santander in 2009
Personal information
Full name Óscar Serrano Rodríguez
Date of birth (1981-09-30) 30 September 1981
Place of birth Blanes, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Blanes
1997–1999 Barcelona
1999–2000 Vilobí
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Vilobí 23 (8)
2001–2002 Guixols 33 (22)
2002–2004 Figueres 58 (5)
2004–2005 Espanyol 30 (2)
2005–2012 Racing Santander 177 (13)
2012–2013 Levante 6 (0)
2013–2014 Alavés 16 (1)
Total 343 (51)
International career
2004–2010 Catalonia 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent most of his professional career with Racing de Santander, appearing in 206 competitive matches over six and a half seasons and scoring 16 goals. In La Liga, he also played for Espanyol and Levante.

Club career

Born in Blanes, Province of Girona, Catalonia, Serrano was still playing amateur football already in his 20s but, in July 2004, he went straight out of Segunda División B club UE Figueres to La Liga with neighbouring RCD Espanyol, for only €180.000,[1] being an important attacking element in his only season (22 starts, 1.933 minutes of action) to help the latter to finish fifth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.[2]

Serrano signed with Racing de Santander for the 2005–06 campaign, appearing in 34 matches with three goals in his third year[3][4][5] as the Cantabrians achieved a first ever UEFA Cup qualification.[6] A skilled player with a volatile temperament, he was booked an average of ten times in his first four years, also being sent off in four games.[7][8][9][10]

Serrano played 33 matches in 2009–10, scoring three times as Racing again retained their league status. On 25 April 2010, during a home loss against Villarreal CF, he sustained a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury which would sideline him until December;[11] he celebrated his comeback by netting in a 1–0 away win over RCD Mallorca – in the 90th minute – having taken the pitch two minutes before,[12] but relapsed shortly after,[13] being limited to only four league appearances as his team again managed to stay afloat.[14][15]

Upon recovering full fitness, Serrano never managed to return to starting duties again.[16] On 24 January 2012, he terminated his contract with Racing and joined fellow top-tier side Levante UD,[17] being sent off in his first game, a 0–3 home defeat to Valencia CF in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey (7–1 on aggregate).[18]

In August 2013, following a successful trial,[19] Serrano agreed to a contract with Deportivo Alavés in the Segunda División.[20] He scored his only goal for the Basques on 14 December, closing the 2–1 home victory against CD Lugo.[21]

References
  1. "Me he comido mucha tierra" ("I've swallowed a lot of dirt"); El País, 16 October 2004 (in Spanish)
  2. El Espanyol se mantiene en los puestos europeos pese al empate (Espanyol remain in European places in spite of draw); El Periódico de Catalunya, 3 December 2007 (in Spanish)
  3. El Zaragoza también se estrella ante el Racing (Zaragoza also crush against Racing); Sport, 2 September 2007 (in Spanish)
  4. Serrano y Jorge López hunden al Getafe (Serrano and Jorge López sink Getafe); La Voz de Galicia, 28 October 2007 (in Spanish)
  5. Efervescente Racing (Effervescing Racing); El País, 31 March 2008 (in Spanish)
  6. El Racing se mete por primera vez en la UEFA al ganar a Osasuna (1–0) (Racing reach UEFA for the first time after beating Osasuna (1–0)); 20 minutos, 18 May 2008 (in Spanish)
  7. El Racing canta su particular alirón (Racing sing their own alirón); El Mundo, 7 May 2006 (in Spanish)
  8. El Racing remonta al Mallorca y se mete en la UEFA (Racing come from behind against Mallorca and reach UEFA positions); Diario AS, 9 December 2007 (in Spanish)
  9. El Getafe elimina al Racing en un partido muy polémico y repetirá final en la Copa (Getafe oust Racing in highly controversial match and will repeat Cup final); Las Provincias, 20 March 2008 (in Spanish)
  10. El Racing consigue la proeza tras jugar en inferioridad numérica una hora (0–2) (Racing pull stunt after playing one hour undermanned (0–2)); 20 minutos, 25 January 2009 (in Spanish)
  11. Serrano estará ocho meses de baja al romperse el ligamento cruzado (Serrano will be eight months out after tearing cruciate ligament); El Diario Montañés, 26 April 2010 (in Spanish)
  12. Mallorca 0–1 Racing Santander; ESPN Soccernet, 12 December 2010
  13. Óscar Serrano es operado de la rodilla izquierda (Óscar Serrano undergoes surgery to left knee); Marca, 18 January 2011 (in Spanish)
  14. Serrano, del Racing, dice adiós a la temporada (Serrano, from Racing, says goodbye to season); El Correo, 12 January 2011 (in Spanish)
  15. Héctor Cúper vuelve a España con el Racing de Santander (Héctor Cúper returns to Spain with Racing de Santander); Reuters, 29 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  16. Óscar Serrano, el penúltimo rescate (Óscar Serrano, penultimate rescue); Levante-EMV, 25 January 2012 (in Spanish)
  17. Serrano se marcha del Racing entre lágrimas y "dolido" (Serrano leaves Racing in tears and "hurt"); El Diario Montañés, 24 January 2012 (in Spanish)
  18. Para Piatti no fue un trámite (Not just another game for Piatti); Marca, 26 January 2012 (in Spanish)
  19. El extremo Óscar Serrano llega a prueba al Alavés (Winger Óscar Serrano on trial at Alavés); La Información, 15 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  20. "El Alavés me ha devuelto la ilusión", afirma Óscar Serrano ("Alavés have given me my hunger back", Óscar Serrano says); Mundo Deportivo, 2 August 2013 (in Spanish)
  21. Nueve jornadas después y con un gol al final vence el Alavés (Nine rounds later and with goal at the end Alavés finally win); Marca, 14 December 2013 (in Spanish)
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