Raúl Gaitán

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gaitán and the second or maternal family name is Ballesteros.
Raúl Gaitán
Personal information
Full name Raúl Gaitán Ballesteros
Date of birth (1979-09-10) 10 September 1979 (age 45)[1]
Place of birth Málaga, Spain
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1995–1997 Málaga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Málaga B
1998–1999 Valladolid B
1999 Los Barrios
1999–2000 Juventud Torremolinos
2000–2001 Lucena
2001–2002 Andalucía
2002–2003 Toledo 22 (1)
2003–2004 Fuengirola 29 (13)
2004–2005 Alhaurino 32 (0)
2005–2007 Marbella 70 (3)
2007–2008 Málaga 2 (0)
2008–2010 Poli Ejido 59 (4)
2010–2011 Estepona 32 (1)
2011–2015 Jaén 106 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raúl Gaitán Ballesteros (born 10 September 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right back.

Football career

Born in Málaga, Andalusia, Gaitán finished his youth career with local Málaga CF, but played lower league and amateur football until the age of nearly 23, successively representing Atlético Malagueño, Real Valladolid B, UD Los Barrios, Juventud de Torremolinos CF, Lucena CF and Andalucía CF. In the 2002–03 season he first arrived in Segunda División B, signing for CD Toledo.

In summer 2007, after four years with three clubs which included UD Marbella, Gaitán returned to Málaga, with the first team competing in Segunda División. He made his professional debut on 5 September, scoring in a 2–1 home win against Celta de Vigo for the campaign's Copa del Rey;[2] on 17 November he first appeared in the league, netting in his own goal in a 4–2 triumph over Racing de Ferrol also at La Rosaleda Stadium.[3]

Gaitán played in the third level in the following years, with Polideportivo Ejido,[4] Unión Estepona CF[5] and Real Jaén.[6] The 33-year-old helped the latter side achieve promotion at the end of 2012–13, scoring twice in 35 games.

References

  1. ^ "Raúl Gaitán". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL Medien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. ^ Raúl Gaitán y Apoño eliminan al Celta y dejan herido a Stoichkov (Raúl Gaitán and Apoño oust Celta and leave Stoichkov wounded); Diario AS, 6 September 2007 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Parecido al 4–2 con el Ferrol (Looked like 4–2 against Ferrol); Diario Sur, 9 February 2009 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ Raúl Gaitán, procedente del Málaga CF, nuevo jugador del Polideportivo Ejido (Raúl Gaitán, from Málaga CF, new player of Polideportivo Ejido); Teleprensa, 20 August 2008 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Unión Estepona: llega Raúl Gaitán. (Unión Estepona: Raúl Gaitán arrives); esFutbol, 10 August 2010 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ El Real Jaén ficha al defensa Raúl Gaitán, que fue jugador del Málaga (Real Jaén sign defender Raúl Gaitán, who was a Málaga player); Ideal, 13 July 2011 (in Spanish)