Dani Abalo Explained

Dani Abalo
Fullname:Daniel Abalo Paulos
Birth Date:29 September 1987
Birth Place:Vilagarcía de Arousa, Spain
Height:1.780NaN0
Position:Winger
Youthclubs1:Vilagarcía SD
Youthclubs2:Cambados
Youthyears3:2005
Youthclubs3:Celta
Years1:2005–2008
Caps1:84
Goals1:10
Years2:2006–2013
Caps2:104
Goals2:7
Years3:2012
Clubs3:Gimnàstic (loan)
Caps3:17
Goals3:0
Years4:2013
Clubs4:Beira-Mar (loan)
Caps4:8
Goals4:2
Years5:2013–2015
Caps5:54
Goals5:13
Years6:2015–2016
Caps6:11
Goals6:1
Years7:2016
Caps7:7
Goals7:0
Years8:2016–2017
Caps8:22
Goals8:1
Years9:2017–2019
Caps9:20
Goals9:0
Years10:2018–2019
Clubs10:Langreo (loan)
Caps10:31
Goals10:6
Years11:2019–2021
Caps11:27
Goals11:0
Totalcaps:385
Totalgoals:40
Club-Update:20:02, 25 September 2022 (UTC)

Daniel "Dani" Abalo Paulos (pronounced as /es/; born 29 September 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right winger.

He began his career at Celta, playing almost exclusively in the Segunda División, and won the Bulgarian league title twice with Ludogorets.

Club career

Celta

Born in Vilagarcía de Arousa, Province of Pontevedra, Abalo joined local RC Celta de Vigo for his last year as a junior, then proceeded to make his senior debuts with the B team in the Segunda División B. On 3 December 2006 he made his first competitive appearance with the main squad, coming in as a late substitute in a 2–2 La Liga away draw against RCD Mallorca;[1] in late July 2009 he extended his contract with the Galicians until 2013, with a buyout clause of 10 million.[2]

From 2008 to 2011, with Celta in the Segunda División, Abalo was an important first-team element. However, in the 2011–12 season, as the club returned to the top flight after an absence of five years, he contributed only four games and 67 minutes, being subsequently loaned in quick succession to Gimnàstic de Tarragona[3] and S.C. Beira-Mar (the latter in Portugal).[4]

Ludogorets

On 26 June 2013, Bulgarian champions PFC Ludogorets Razgrad announced they were set to sign Abalo after he became a free agent shortly after.[5] The transfer was completed the following day after he passed his medical, and the player agreed to a two-year contract,[6] being given the number 17 shirt.[7]

Abalo played his first game with his new team on 17 July 2013, featuring in a 2–1 away defeat against ŠK Slovan Bratislava in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. He made his league debut three days later in the 1–0 loss at FC Lyubimets 2007; in the second leg against Slovan on the 24th, he scored twice for a 3–0 win at Ludogorets Arena and the subsequent qualification.[8]

Abalo made his debut in the Champions League group phase on 16 September 2014, grabbing a 1–1 equaliser away against Liverpool in the 90th minute, but in an eventual 2–1 defeat.[9] He repeated the feat in the second match between the two sides, a 2–2 draw.[10]

Having won the league title in both of his seasons,[11] Abalo left Ludogorets in May 2015 with the intention of returning to Spain or moving to England.[12]

Later career

On 24 July 2015, Abalo signed a two-year contract at Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor.[13] He made his debut on 23 August, scoring from Cicinho's assist in a 4–2 loss at Eskişehirspor.[14]

Abalo returned to his country on 20 January 2016, joining Deportivo Alavés until the end of the second-tier campaign.[15] After gaining promotion with the Basques he travelled abroad again, to Poland's Korona Kielce on 3 September.[16] A week later he made his debut in Ekstraklasa, replacing compatriot Miguel Palanca for the final seven minutes of a 1–0 home win over Arka Gdynia;[17] his first goal came on 17 October, again off the bench to equalise in a 1–2 loss to Śląsk Wrocław at the Kielce City Stadium.[18]

On 31 August 2017, Abalo signed a three-year deal at FC Cartagena in Spain's division three.[19] His team won their group in his first season, but were eliminated from the playoffs by Extremadura UD, and in his second year he was loaned to UP Langreo of the same league;[20] his contract was rescinded on 3 July 2019.[21]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celta B2005–06Segunda División B15300
2006–0734300
2007–0835400
Total84100000008410
Celta2006–07La Liga100010
2007–08Segunda División201030
2008–0935230382
2009–1029280372
2010–113331120364
2011–12402060
2012–13La Liga001010
Total104716100201228
Gimnàstic (loan)2011–12Segunda División17000170
Beira-Mar (loan)2012–13Primeira Liga820082
Ludogorets2013–14Bulgarian First League26671934210
2014–152874183104111
Total5413112176108321
Sivasspor2015–16Süper Lig11110121
Alavés2015–16Segunda División700070
Korona Kielce2016–17Ekstraklasa21100211
2017–18100010
Total221000000221
Cartagena2017–18Segunda División B1903010230
2018–19100010
Total200300010240
Langreo (loan)2018–19Segunda División B31610326
Racing Ferrol2019–20Segunda División B15010160
2020–2112000120
Total270100000280
Career total385403331764043949

Honours

Ludogorets

2013–14, 2014–15

2013–14

2014

Alavés

2015–16

Notes and References

  1. http://archivo.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/cronica/es/desarrollo/715693.html El empate no hace justicia ni a Mallorca ni a Celta (Draw does no justice to both Mallorca and Celta)
  2. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2009/07/23/mas_futbol/1248300045_850215.html El Celta amplía el contrato de Dani Abalo hasta 2013 (Celta extend Dani Abalo's contract until 2013)
  3. http://www.marca.com/2011/12/30/futbol/equipos/gimnastic/1325243681.html Dani Abalo se va cedido al Nàstic hasta final de curso (Dani Abalo goes on loan to Nàstic until end of the season)
  4. http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/beira_mar//interior.aspx?content_id=801972 Poder de fogo cresce com Abalo e Marreco (Firepower grows with Abalo and Marreco)
  5. Web site: Абало разтрогна, свободен е да подпише с Лудогорец. Abalo cuts ties, free to sign with Ludogorets. Gong.bg. bg. 26 June 2013. 28 June 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140101050415/http://gong.bg/view_article.php?article_id=355597. 1 January 2014.
  6. Web site: Dani Abalo agrees Bulgaria switch. Sportsmole. Robert. Summerscales. 27 June 2013. 24 July 2013.
  7. Web site: Ludogorets presented Michel Platini and Dani Abalo. PFC Ludogorets. 30 June 2013. 24 July 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214194433/http://www.ludogorets.com/news_en.html?news_group=3&full_news=715. 14 December 2013.
  8. Web site: Ludogorets break new ground with Slovan success. UEFA. Stoyan. Georgiev. 24 July 2013. 25 July 2013.
  9. Web site: Liverpool 2–1 Ludogorets Razgrad. BBC Sport. Sam. Sheringham. 16 September 2014. 16 September 2014.
  10. Web site: Liverpool hit by late Ludogorets leveller. UEFA. Matthias. Rötters. 26 November 2014. 26 November 2014.
  11. News: Dani Abalo gana la Liga de Bulgaria. Dani Abalo wins the Bulgarian League. La Voz de Galicia. es. 17 May 2015. 12 June 2015.
  12. News: El extremo arousano se desvincula del campeón búlgaro. Winger from Arousa cuts ties with the Bulgarian champions. La Voz de Galicia. es. 26 May 2015. 12 June 2015.
  13. Web site: El canterano Dani Abalo ficha por el Sivasspor de la Superliga Turca. Youth product Dani Abalo signs for Sivasspor of the Turkish Super League. Canteira Celeste. es. 27 July 2015. 31 July 2015.
  14. Web site: Gekas, Sivasspor'u yaktı!. Gekas burned Sivasspor!. Goal. tr. 23 August 2015. 5 January 2016.
  15. Web site: El Deportivo Alavés ficha a Dani Abalo. Deportivo Alavés sign Dani Abalo. Deportivo Alavés. es. 20 January 2016. 20 January 2016.
  16. News: Dani Abalo probará suerte en la liga polaca. Dani Abalo will try his luck in the Polish league. La Voz de Galicia. es. 3 September 2016. 21 September 2016.
  17. News: Ekstraklasa: Korona Kielce – Arka Gdynia 1:0. Rzeczpospolita. pl. 10 September 2016. 21 September 2016.
  18. Web site: Śląsk przerwał fatalną passę. Kolejna porażka Korony. Śląsk break with bad streak. Another Korona failure. Polsat Sport. pl. 17 October 2016. 3 December 2016.
  19. Web site: Ha jugado en Portugal, Bulgaria, Turquía y Polonia desde que salió del Celta de Vigo. He has played in Portugal, Bulgaria, Turkey and Poland since he left Celta de Vigo. Sport Cartagena. es. 31 August 2017. 30 July 2019.
  20. News: Abalo, fichaje Champions para el Langreo. Abalo, Champions League signing for Langreo. La Nueva España. P.. Pérez. es. 1 September 2018. 30 July 2019.
  21. Web site: Dani Abalo, otro que se desvincula del Cartagena. Dani Abalo, another who leaves Cartagena. Sport Cartagena. es. 3 July 2019. 30 July 2019.