Richi (footballer)

Ricardo Pérez de Zabalza Goytre (born 14 April 1977), commonly known as Richi, is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pérez de Zabalza and the second or maternal family name is Goytre.
Richi
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Pérez de Zabalza Goytre
Date of birth (1977-04-14) 14 April 1977
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Rayo Majadahonda 20 (16)
2001–2002 Atlético Madrid B 49 (17)
2002–2008 Murcia 215 (27)
2008–2010 Tenerife 58 (7)
2010–2012 Murcia 62 (3)
Total 404 (70)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A late bloomer, he only began playing football well into his 20s, making his La Liga debut at 26. He spent most of his ten-year professional career with Real Murcia (two spells), playing 250 league matches and scoring 29 goals both major levels of Spanish football combined.

Club career

After beginning his career at already 23 with amateurs CF Rayo Majadahonda in his hometown of Madrid, Richi spent two further seasons with Atlético Madrid's reserves, having begun his career as a striker. In the 2002–03 campaign he joined Real Murcia, achieving promotion and making his La Liga debut in his second year, his first appearance in the competition being in a 1–1 away draw against RC Celta de Vigo on 31 August 2003;[1] an instrumental attacking element from the beginning, he scored twice in 35 games as the club returned to the top flight again in 2007.

Richi signed with second division's CD Tenerife in August 2008.[2] He netted six goals in 36 matches, as the Canary Islands side returned to the top level after seven years.[3]

Richi was not as important in the following season, playing nearly 1,600 less minutes and only scoring once, when he opened a 4–1 home win over RCD Espanyol on 14 March 2010.[4] In the summer, with Tenerife ultimately relegated, the 33-year-old returned to Murcia, also relegated but in division two.

References
  1. El Murcia sale indemne de Balaídos (Murcia leave Balaídos unscathed); El Mundo, 31 August 2003 (in Spanish)
  2. El Tenerife confirma el fichaje de Richi (Tenerife confirm Richi's signing); Canarias al Día, August 2008 (in Spanish)
  3. Ewerthon (Zaragoza) alcanza a Nino (Tenerife) y ´hat trick´ de Ulloa (Ewerthon (Zaragoza) equals Nino (Tenerife) and Ulloa hat trick); El Confidencial, 14 June 2009 (in Spanish)
  4. Tenerife claim crucial three points; ESPN Soccernet, 14 March 2010
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