Casto (footballer)

Casto Espinosa Barriga (born 18 June 1982), known simply as Casto, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Espinosa and the second or maternal family name is Barriga.
Casto
Casto as a Betis player in 2011
Personal information
Full name Casto Espinosa Barriga[1]
Date of birth (1982-06-18) 18 June 1982[1]
Place of birth Pueblonuevo, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Pueblo Nuevo
1999–2001 Mérida
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Mérida 6 (0)
2003–2004 Logroñés 0 (0)
2004–2006 Albacete B
2006 Albacete 1 (0)
2006–2007 Betis B 13 (0)
2007–2013 Betis 71 (0)
2013–2014 Murcia 41 (0)
2014–2015 Las Palmas 30 (0)
2015–2017 Almería 77 (0)
2017–2018 Alcorcón 39 (0)
2018–2022 Extremadura 91 (0)
Total 369 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Pueblonuevo del Guadiana, Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Casto spent four years at local Mérida UD (formative spell included), making seven league appearances for the seniors in the Segunda División B. In 2003, he moved to CD Logroñés where he played one season before joining Albacete Balompié of Segunda División, featuring in one match for the first team in 2005–06.[2][3]

Casto signed with Real Betis in the summer of 2006, where he initially began as third-choice behind Pedro Contreras and Toni Doblas. With the arrival of Portuguese international Ricardo in the following campaign, it seemed as though he would be provided with little opportunity to shine, even with Contreras' departure. However, after a serious injury to Doblas, he was called up from the reserves; after Ricardo also went down with a minor ailment, he made his debut in La Liga on 16 December 2007, against UD Almería in a 3–1 home win.[4]

In March/April 2008 Casto, who eventually overtook Ricardo as starter after the latter's recovery, featured in Betis' first three back-to-back victories in over two years, with wins over CA Osasuna, FC Barcelona and Real Zaragoza. In his first five games they won four, with the player keeping clean sheets in three.[5][6][7]

As coach Paco Chaparro stayed on the bench for 2008–09, Casto won the battle for first-choice over Ricardo, being the side's undisputed starter during the early stages, a situation which would revert midway through the season.[8] He started often after Ricardo's departure to Leicester City, only being overtaken by Adrián in 2012–13.[9]

Casto left the Verdiblancos after his contract expired, and resumed his career in the second tier, representing Real Murcia,[10] UD Las Palmas,[11] UD Almería,[12] AD Alcorcón[13] and Extremadura UD.[14] With the latter side, he spent the first half of the 2018–19 campaign unregistered as it had surpassed the agreed salary cap.[15]

With Extremadura back in division three, Casto was released in January 2022 due to the club's severe financial problems.[16][17] The following month, the 39-year-old announced his retirement.[3]

Career statistics
As of match played 4 April 2021[18][19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Mérida 2001–02 Segunda División B 30001[lower-alpha 1]040
2002–03 3010—40
Total 60101080
Logroñés 2003–04 Segunda División B 0000—00
Albacete 2004–05 La Liga 0000—00
2005–06 Segunda División 1000—10
Total 10000010
Betis 2006–07 La Liga 0000—00
2007–08 9040—130
2008–09 18000—180
2009–10 Segunda División 0010—10
2010–11 17060—230
2011–12 La Liga 22000—220
2012–13 5060—110
Total 71017000880
Murcia 2013–14 Segunda División 410002[lower-alpha 1]0430
Las Palmas 2014–15 Segunda División 300101[lower-alpha 1]0320
Almería 2015–16 Segunda División 36000—360
2016–17 41000—410
Total 7700000770
Alcorcón 2017–18 Segunda División 39000—390
Extremadura 2018–19 Segunda División 17000—170
2019–20 38000—380
2020–21 Segunda División B 19010—200
Total 7401000750
Career total 3520200403760
  1. Appearance(s) in Promotion Playoffs

Honours

Betis

References
  1. "Casto". Diario AS. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  2. Castañeda, Álvaro (18 June 2006). "Insípido reparto de puntos en Tenerife" [They share the points in Tenerife yawning]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. Peña, Raúl (17 February 2022). "«He conseguido muchísimo más de lo que pensaba que podía lograr»" ["I've achieved so much more than what I thought I could"]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. "Real Betis 3–1 Almeria". ESPN Soccernet. 16 December 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. "Valladolid 0–0 Real Betis". ESPN Soccernet. 23 December 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. "Osasuna 0–1 Real Betis". ESPN Soccernet. 23 March 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  7. "Real Zaragoza 0–3 Real Betis". ESPN Soccernet. 6 April 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  8. González, Tito (9 January 2009). "Ricardo vuelve a ser el portero titular del Betis" [Ricardo is Betis' starting goalkeeper again]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  9. Ramírez, Álvaro (30 May 2013). "Casto se despide del Betis bajo los palos" [Casto bids Betis farewell behind the sticks] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  10. "El Murcia ficha a Casto e Iván Moreno y renueva a Dos Santos" [Murcia sign Casto and Iván Moreno and renew Dos Santos]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  11. "Casto, nuevo portero de la UD Las Palmas" [Casto, new goalkeeper of UD Las Palmas] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  12. "Casto, un portero con experiencia, se convierte en el cuarto fichaje del Almería" [Casto, an experienced goalkeeper, becomes the fourth signing of Almería] (in Spanish). UD Almería. 2 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  13. "Casto, nueva incorporación de la A.D. Alcorcón para la temporada 2017–2018" [Casto, new A.D. Alcorcón addition for the 2017–2018 season] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  14. Galeano, Paco (13 August 2018). "Oficial: Casto Espinosa regresa a su tierra" [Official: Casto Espinosa returns to his land]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  15. Beltrán, Miguel (26 December 2018). "Casto, el que más ganas tiene de que se abra el mercado invernal" [Casto, the one most eager to see winter market open]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  16. "Casto: "Hemos intentado no dar pena, pero cada día es un calvario"" [Casto: "We have tried not to be pitiful, but every day is a living hell"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 13 November 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  17. "El Extremadura se queda con un solo jugador tras salida de Casto Espinosa" [Extremadura down to one player following departure of Casto Espinosa]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 January 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  18. Casto at BDFutbol
  19. Casto at Soccerway
  20. "El Betis cierra la temporada como campeón de Segunda" [Betis close season as Segunda champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 4 June 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
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