Raúl Sánchez (footballer, born 1976)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sánchez and the second or maternal family name is Soler.
Raúl Sánchez
Personal information
Full name Raúl Sánchez Soler
Date of birth (1976-12-01) 1 December 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Almería, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Oriente
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1997 San Isidro
1997–1999 Almería 67 (16)
1999–2000 Linense 27 (5)
2000–2002 Almería 74 (41)
2002–2005 Salamanca 75 (22)
2005–2006 Castellón 28 (10)
2006–2007 Tenerife 30 (7)
2007–2009 Alavés 27 (3)
2009–2010 Poli Ejido 29 (7)
Total 360 (111)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raúl Sánchez Soler (born 1 December 1976) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.

His career was closely associated with Almería, after scoring a career-best 25 goals in the 2001–02 campaign.[1]

Playing career

Sánchez was born in Almería, Andalusia. After graduating from local CD Oriente he joined CD San Isidro de Níjar, and appeared with the side in Tercera División. In the 1997 summer he moved to hometown's UD Almería, appearing regularly but suffering relegation from Segunda División B in the 1998–99 season.

In 1999 Sánchez moved to Real Balompédica Linense, also in the third level; a year later he moved back to Almería, scoring regularly and being promoted to Segunda División in 2002. In July 2002 he rejected a contract renewal and moved to UD Salamanca, also in the second level.

On 31 August 2002 Sánchez played his first match as a professional, starting in a 2–1 away success against his former club Almería,[2] scoring his first goal on 9 February of the following year, netting the first of a 2–1 home win against the same team.[3] He continued to appear in the second level in the following campaigns, representing CD Castellón, CD Tenerife and Deportivo Alavés.[4]

On 8 August 2009 Sánchez joined Polideportivo Ejido in the third level,[5] retiring at the end of the season, aged 33.

References

  1. ^ Leyendas rojiblancas: Raúl (Rojiblancos legends: Raúl); Vavel, 19 April 2013 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ El Salamanca gana en Almería (Salamanca wins in Almería); El Mundo Deportivo, 1 September 2002 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Raúl marca su primer gol como charro y se va al Caribe (Raúl scores his first goal as charro and goes to the Caribbean); El Mundo Deportivo, 10 February 2003 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ Raúl Sánchez, ex del Tenerife, nuevo delantero del Alavés (Raúl Sánchez, former Tenerife player, new forward of Alavés); El Día, 19 July 2007 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Raúl Sánchez será el nuevo delantero de la casa (Raúl Sánchez will be the home-grown forward); El Almería, 8 August 2009 (in Spanish)