Javier Casas (footballer, born 1982) explained

Javier Casas
Fullname:Javier Casas Cuevas
Birth Date:9 May 1982
Birth Place:Bilbao, Spain
Height:1.810NaN0
Position:Left-back
Youthyears1:1997–1998
Youthyears2:1998–2000
Youthclubs2:Athletic Bilbao
Years1:2000–2001
Years2:2001–2004
Years3:2004–2009
Years4:2009
Years5:2009–2010
Years6:2010
Years7:2010–2011
Clubs4:Córdoba (loan)
Clubs7:Alavés
Caps1:11
Caps2:73
Caps3:64
Caps4:3
Caps5:0
Caps6:11
Caps7:15
Totalcaps:177
Goals1:2
Goals2:3
Goals3:2
Goals4:0
Goals5:0
Goals6:0
Goals7:1
Totalgoals:8

Javier Casas Cuevas (born 9 May 1982) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left-back.

His seven-year professional career was closely associated with Athletic Bilbao, with which he appeared in five La Liga seasons for a total of 79 competitive games.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Casas came through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao and made his professional debut during 2004–05. He became first-choice the following season after the departure of Asier del Horno to Chelsea,[1] managing 24 league appearances and scoring twice during the campaign, at Getafe CF (1–1 draw)[2] and Deportivo de La Coruña (2–1 win).[3]

Ironically, Casas was left out of the first-team squad at the start of 2007–08 after Athletic re-signed del Horno on loan from Valencia CF. Unable to find a new club in the January 2008 transfer window, and still without a squad number,[4] he was not eligible to play competitively during the entire season, but was reinstated for the following campaign,[5] appearing in the 1–3 home loss against UD Almería on 31 August 2008.[6]

However, due to the permanence of veteran Koikili and the emergence of Real Sociedad youth graduate Mikel Balenziaga, Casas' opportunities were few and so, on 13 January 2009, he was loaned to Córdoba CF, which were then struggling in the Segunda División, until the end of the season, where he appeared very rarely.[5]

Later years

Casas was released by Athletic in June 2009, joining FC Cartagenarecently promoted to the second tier – on a free transfer.[7] Second-choice to Rafael Clavero and third after the signing in January 2010 of French Franck Signorino from Getafe, he was released, moving to lowly CD Guijuelo.[8]

In the summer of 2010, Casas signed a one-year contract with fellow Segunda División B team Deportivo Alavés in his native region, hoping to "feel a footballer again".[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: Un agujero negro en el lateral izquierdo. A black hole in the left flank. El Correo. Spanish. 22 November 2013. 26 June 2017.
  2. http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/188470/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5739 Getafe 1–1 Athletic Bilbao
  3. http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/188473/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5739 Deportivo La Coruña 1–2 Athletic Bilbao
  4. News: Caparrós: "El balance de la temporada es muy positivo y satisfactorio". Caparrós: "The season was very positive and satisfying overall". Diario AS. Spanish. 22 May 2008. 26 June 2017.
  5. Web site: Javi Casas, un veterano de solo 29 años. Javi Casas, a veteran aged just 29. El Desmarque. Spanish. 20 November 2011. 26 June 2017.
  6. http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/252755/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5739 Athletic Bilbao 1–3 Almeria
  7. http://www.marca.com/2009/06/27/futbol/mas_futbol/1246105533.html El Cartagena ficha a Javi Casas (Cartagena sign Javi Casas)
  8. http://www.elathleticclub.com/2012/06/30/casas-se-despacha-a-gusto-contra-caparros/ Casas se despacha a gusto contra Caparrós (Casas fires at will against Caparrós)
  9. News: El reencuentro de Javi Casas con el fútbol. Javi Casas rediscovers football. Mundo Deportivo. Spanish. 17 August 2010. 26 June 2017.