Alejandro Escalona Explained

Alejandro Escalona
Fullname:Alejandro Adrián Escalona Martínez
Height:1.82 m
Birth Date:1979 8, df=y
Birth Place:Santiago, Chile
Position:Wing–back
Youthyears1:1995–1996
Youthclubs1:Colo-Colo
Years1:1997–1999
Clubs1:Colo-Colo
Caps1:28
Goals1:0
Years2:2000
Clubs2:Torino
Caps2:3
Goals2:0
Years3:2000–2001
Clubs3:Benfica
Caps3:9
Goals3:0
Years4:2001–2002
Clubs4:River Plate
Caps4:1
Goals4:0
Years5:2003–2007
Clubs5:Everton
Caps5:40
Goals5:1
Years6:2005–2006
Clubs6:→ Grêmio (loan)
Caps6:5
Goals6:0
Years7:2007
Clubs7:→ Naútico (loan)
Caps7:0
Goals7:0
Years8:2009–2010
Clubs8:San Luis
Caps8:24
Goals8:0
Years9:2011
Clubs9:Everton
Caps9:10
Goals9:0
Years10:2011
Clubs10:San Luis
Caps10:15
Goals10:1
Years11:2012
Clubs11:Curicó Unido
Caps11:31
Goals11:1
Totalcaps:166
Totalgoals:3
Nationalyears1:1999
Nationalteam1:Chile U20
Nationalcaps1:9
Nationalgoals1:0

Alejandro Adrián Escalona Martínez, (born 14 August 1979) is a retired Chilean footballer who played as wing–back.

A youth international for Chile, Escalona played for Colo-Colo, Torino, Benfica, River Plate and Grêmio, but was mostly linked to Everton de Viña del Mar, representing them on three spells.

Career

Early life

Born in Santiago, Escalona joined Colo-Colo in 1995, where he finish his youth development. He made his professional debut in 1997, in a single appearance, winning his first honour, the 1997 Torneo Clausura. The following season, he played 16 matches with one goal, adding another league title. He started 1999 at Colo-Colo, but after a receiving praise in the 1999 South American U-20 Championship, he moved to Torino. In Italy, he was unable to replicate his performances, and played only three games and saw the team being relegated.[1]

Europe, Argentina and Brazil

In early July 2000, Escalona was set to join Napoli, but no agreement was reached with Torino.[2] On the 12th, Benfica successfully signed with Escalona, with Cristián Uribe playing an important role in convincing the 21 year-old.[3] He made his debut for Benfica in a friendly against Linfield on 3 August, during the Carlsberg Belfast Challenge.[4] After the match, in an interview for the Portuguese media, he downplayed the fact that he was unknown in Portugal, saying: "I will show on the field what I am worth".[5]

However, in a season that saw three managers pass through Benfica, Escalona could never gain his place, battling with the youngster Diogo Luís and the Paraguayan Rojas for the position and playing just nine league matches.[6] In January 2001, his agent, Pablo Tallarico was involved in a fake Italian passports scandal, that included Uribe and Pablo Contreras.[7] Initially, he denied knowledge of any wrongdoing,[8] [9] but in May, he had his passport seized by the Polícia Judiciária, and his contract with Benfica terminated.[10] [11]

On 30 July 2001, Escalona signed a one-year deal with River Plate,[12] but played just one league game under Manuel Pellegrini.[13] Released by River Plate, he returned to Chile in January 2003, joining Everton de Viña del Mar in the second tier.[14] [15] His good performances, which included a promotion to the top tier, helped secure a loan deal to Grêmio in March 2005.[16] He helped Grêmio win the 2005 Série B and earn promotion back to the Série A, despite being sent-off in the crucial match, dubbed the Batalha dos Aflitos.[17]

Late career

After his loan deal expired, Escalona joined Naútico in December 2006,[18] but failed to impress, and was released just four months later.[19] In July 2007, he re-signed with Everton for six months, playing 13 games in the 2007 season.[20] After not competing in 2008, he moved to San Luis Quillota in 2009, where he helped them win promotion from the second tier in the first year and played 24 matches in the 2010 Primera División campaign that ended with relegation.[21] In his last two seasons, he had a third spell at Everton, returned to San Luis Quillota and finished at Curicó Unido in 2012.[22]

Honors

Club

Colo-Colo
River Plate
Everton
Gremio
San Luis

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ¡Tú puedes Nico Castillo! Diez figuras de los Sub 20 que no rindieron en Europa. You can do it Nico Castillo! Ten players of the U20 that failed in Europe. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331034439/http://pelotudos.cl/tu-puedes-nico-castillo-diez-figuras-de-los-sub-20-que-no-rindieron-en-europa/. 2014-03-31. Pelotudos. 22 October 2015. Spanish.
  2. News: Inzaghi Milan, c'è un'ipotesi. Inzaghi could join Milan. 9 July 2000. 7 October 2010. La Gazzetta dello Sport. Italian.
  3. News: Alejandro Escalona ingressa no Benfica. Alejandro Escalona joins Benfica. 22 October 2015. Record. 12 July 2000. Portuguese.
  4. News: Linfield-Benfica em directo . Linfield-Benfica Live. 21 June 2018 . Record . 2 August 2000 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141011004841/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/Benfica/interior.aspx?content_id=42099 . 11 October 2014 . Portuguese.
  5. News: Escalona: "Mostrarei no campo quem sou". Escalona: "I will show on the field what I am worth". 22 October 2015. Record. 4 August 2001. Portuguese.
  6. Book: Tovar, Rui Miguel . Almanaque do Benfica. Lua de Papel . Portugal. 2012. 978-989-23-2087-8 . 587.
  7. News: Passaportes de Escalona e Uribe podem estar a ser investigados. Escalona and Uribe's passports might be under investigation. 22 October 2015. Record. 16 January 2001. Portuguese.
  8. News: Escalona tem de explicar origem de passaporte italiano. Escalona has to explain origin of Italian passport. 22 October 2015. Record. 22 March 2001. Portuguese.
  9. News: Escalona garante que "caso" do passaporte está resolvido. Escalona assures that "passport scandal" is over. 22 October 2015. Record. 22 April 2001. Portuguese.
  10. News: Passaporte de Escalona apreendido pela Polícia Judiciária. Escalona's passport seized by the Policia Judiciaria. 22 October 2015. Record. 18 May 2001. Portuguese.
  11. News: Escalona já rescindiu e Carlos Bossio está em risco. Escalona rescinded and Bossio is at risk. Record. 29 May 2001. Portuguese.
  12. News: Escalona prestes a assinar pelo River Plate. Escalona close to sign with River Plate. 22 October 2015. Record. 30 July 2001. Portuguese.
  13. Web site: Alejandro Escalona. Futbol XXI. 22 October 2015. Spanish. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190206/http://www.futbolxxi.com/Futbolista.aspx?ID=12573&SEOFutbolista=Escalona+Alejandro+Adrian. 3 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  14. News: Un jugador de peso. An 'important' player. 22 October 2015. Mercurio Valpo. 29 January 2003. Spanish.
  15. Web site: Otro logro para Alejandro Escalona. Another achievement for Alejandro Escalona. Laromperion.cl. 22 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20111224035717/http://www.larompieron.cl/2009/12/otro-logro-para-alejandro-escalona/. 24 December 2011. Spanish. 8 December 2009.
  16. News: Alejandro Escalona se apresenta no Olímpico. Alejandro Escalona presented at Olimpico. 22 October 2015. ZH Desportes. 22 March 2005. Portuguese.
  17. News: Grêmio volta à elite após jogo tumultuado. Grêmio returns after tumultuous game. 22 October 2015. Terra. 26 November 2005. Portuguese.
  18. News: Náutico acerta com chileno Escalona. Náutico signs with Chilean Escalona. 22 October 2015. O Globo. 17 December 2006. Portuguese.
  19. News: Escalona é dispensado. Escalona is released. 22 October 2015. Globoesporte. 17 April 2007. Portuguese.
  20. News: Comienza a desesperarse. Starting to lose patience. 22 October 2015. Mercurio Valpo. 11 July 2007. Spanish.
  21. News: Alejandro Escalona encendió el ventilador en su regreso a San Luis. Alejandro Escalona agrees to return to San Luis. 22 October 2015. El Observador. 20 July 2011. Spanish. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070125/http://www.observador.cl/151-Alejandro_Escalona_encendio_el_ventilador_en_su_regreso_a_San_Luis. 4 March 2016. dead.
  22. News: Sem clube, Alejandro Escalona treina em Santiago. Without team, Alejandro Escalona practises in Santiago. 22 October 2015. Planeta Bola. 12 August 2013. Portuguese.

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