Álvaro Benito Villar (born 10 December 1976) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left midfielder, and is the vocalist/guitarist of Rock band Pignoise.
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Álvaro Benito Villar | ||
Date of birth | (1976-12-10) 10 December 1976 (age 45) | ||
Place of birth | Salamanca, Spain | ||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Al-Wasl F.C. (assistant manager) | ||
Youth career | |||
Ávila | |||
1991–1994 | Real Madrid | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1994–1995 | Real Madrid C | 20 | (1) |
1995–1997 | Real Madrid B | 12 | (2) |
1995–2002 | Real Madrid | 21 | (2) |
1997–1998 | → Tenerife (loan) | 2 | (1) |
2001–2002 | Real Madrid B | 11 | (1) |
2002–2003 | Getafe | 6 | (0) |
Total | 72 | (7) | |
National team | |||
1992–1993 | Spain U16 | 13 | (0) |
1993–1995 | Spain U18 | 5 | (1) |
1996 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
Teams managed | |||
2015–2019 | Real Madrid (youth) | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Álvaro Benito | |
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Genres |
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Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Associated acts | Pignoise |
Born in Salamanca, Castile and León, Benito emerged through Real Madrid's youth ranks, making his senior debut not yet aged 18 with the C-team. He progressed to the reserves the following year.
In the 1995–96 season, Benito was relatively used by the main squad,[1] and contributed with seven matches the following campaign as they were crowned La Liga champions. In November 1996, he suffered a severe knee injury from which he would never fully recover, undergoing three operations in only four months in 1998 in Pittsburgh, United States; he was involved in a car accident afterwards, which further curtailed his recovering process.[2]
After one unassuming loan with CD Tenerife and another spell with Castilla, Benito was released by Real Madrid in summer 2002, joining city neighbours Getafe CF in Segunda División,[3] He appeared rarely for his new club, again due to injury.[4]
After retiring, Benito was in charge of several of Real's youth sides, starting with the Alevín B in 2015.[5][6][7] He was dismissed in late February 2019, following criticism of the first team after a 0–3 home defeat against FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on a radio show.[8]
Benito won his first – and only – cap for the Spain under-21 side on 12 November 1996, coming on as a late substitute for FC Barcelona's Roger García in a 1–1 home draw against Slovakia for the 1998 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, but being stretchered off shortly after with a serious injury that all but ended his career.[9][2]
During his rehabilitation period, Benito started playing guitar and writing songs, going on to put together a band, Pignoise. The group, which also featured another former footballer, Héctor Polo (Real Zaragoza, Rayo Vallecano), eventually used many of the songs he composed prior to its creation.[10]
Real Madrid
Spain U16