Toni Madrigal Explained

Toni Madrigal
Full Name:Antonio Jesús Madrigal Vílchez
Birth Date:19 December 1976
Birth Place:Alicante, Spain
Height:1.77 m
Position:Forward
Youthclubs1:Valencia
Clubs1:Gimnástico
Years2:1999–1000
Clubs2:Alzira
Caps2:30
Goals2:7
Years3:2000–2001
Clubs3:Terrassa
Caps3:18
Goals3:5
Years4:2001–2004
Clubs4:Novelda
Caps4:93
Goals4:31
Years5:2004–2005
Clubs5:Levante B
Caps5:36
Goals5:9
Years6:2005
Clubs6:Sabadell
Caps6:12
Goals6:0
Years7:2006
Clubs7:Baza
Caps7:18
Goals7:3
Years8:2006–2008
Clubs8:Villajoyosa
Caps8:54
Goals8:11
Years9:2008–2009
Clubs9:Alzira
Caps9:16
Goals9:1
Clubs10:Catarroja
Totalcaps:277+
Totalgoals:68+

Antonio Jesús Madrigal Vílchez (born 19 December 1976) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a forward.

He played no higher than the Segunda División B, where he totalled 277 games and 68 goals for seven clubs. In the 2002–03 season, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 Copa del Rey win for Novelda over Barcelona.

Playing career

Madrigal was born in Alicante,[1] and raised in Alfafar near Valencia while his father worked at Ford Valencia Body and Assembly in Almussafes. His father put him on the factory's football team, and the boy signed for Valencia CF's academy when he was 11.[2]

Aged 16 and seeing no progress at Valencia, Madrigal left for Gimnástico before beginning his senior career with Alzira in the Segunda División B in 1999–2000. The following year, he played for Terrassa, before managing to release himself of his contract and move to Novelda in 2001. His performances in his first season at the club earned him a two-year contract extension, albeit with no bonuses for goals.[2]

On 11 September 2002, Barcelona travelled to Novelda in the last 64 of the Copa del Rey; manager Louis van Gaal's side included the likes of Xavi, Juan Román Riquelme and Frank de Boer, with Javier Saviola and Gaizka Mendieta coming on as substitutes. Madrigal scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win, becoming the first person to net three times against Barcelona in any competition in the 21st century.[3] The players had made deals at half time to swap shirts with their opponents, with Madrigal having Riquelme's, but Barcelona refused to do so at the end of the game and Madrigal went into their changing room to request a shirt, having Mendieta's randomly thrown at him by Gerard López. Madrigal said that he received media attention from as far as Argentina for his feat, but the limited reach of the internet and his lack of an agent meant that he was not transferred to a bigger team; the official physical photographs of the game were obtained by fans before they could be given to the players.[1]

Madrigal went on to play for Levante B, Sabadell, Baza, Villajoyosa and Alzira again. His best season was for Novelda in 2002–03, with 12 goals in the league and 5 in the cup.[4] In 2011, while playing for Catarroja in the Tercera División, he was chosen for the Valencian Community side in the UEFA Regions' Cup.[5]

Coaching career

After retiring in 2012, Madrigal became a fitness coach and assistant manager under former Catarroja manager Rubén Albés.[1] Their clubs included Real Valladolid B,[6] Celta Vigo B, UCAM Murcia,[7] Hermannstadt in Romania,[8] Lugo,[9] Albacete[10] and Sporting Gijón.[11]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pérez . Ramón . 15 años del milagro de Madrigal . 6 October 2024 . La Información . 26 December 2017 . Spanish.
  2. News: Agulló . Andrés . Madrigal se crió en la Ford y Paterna. Madrigal was formed at the Ford factory and Paterna. 6 October 2024 . . 12 September 2002 . Spanish.
  3. News: Escudero . José Luis . La historia de Toni Madrigal, el primer futbolista que marcó un 'hat-trick' al Barça en el siglo XXI. The story of Toni Madrigal, the first footballer to score a 'hat-trick' against Barça in the 21st century . 6 October 2024 . . 15 August 2015 . Spanish.
  4. News: Barreira . Borja . La gran noche de Toni Madrigal . Toni Madrigal's big night. 6 October 2024 . . 31 December 2017 . Spanish.
  5. News: La Vila, capital del fútbol aficionado. La Vila, capital of amateur football . 6 October 2024 . . 10 December 2011 . Spanish.
  6. News: Domínguez . Jesús . Rubén Albés y su 'padreada' con otros exblanquivioletas. Rubén Albés and his 'fatherhood' with other ex-White and Purples . 6 October 2024 . Diario AS . 1 April 2022 . Spanish.
  7. News: Gil Ballesta . Antonio . Otón . José . El UCAM destituye a Rubén Albés tras sumar solo una victoria en siete jornadas. UCAM dismiss Rubén Albés after only one win in seven games . 6 October 2024 . . 7 October 2019 . Spanish.
  8. News: Manchón . Martín . Rubén Albés: "Estoy seguro de que vamos a salvar al Hermannstadt". Rubén Albés: "We are sure that we will save Hermannstadt". 6 October 2024 . Diario AS . 2 July 2020 . Spanish.
  9. News: Pena . Héctor . Rubén Albés, a asaltar a fortaleza de Ponferrada. Rubén Albés, to assault Ponferrada's fortress. 6 October 2024 . Nós . 23 April 2021 . Galician.
  10. News: Los hombres de Albés: Charlamos con Toni Madrigal e Iván Cabezudo. Albés's men: We chat with Toni Madrigal and Iván Cabezudo. 6 October 2024 . Radio Marca. 27 January 2023 . Spanish.
  11. News: Cabranes . Ángel . Así será el cuerpo técnico de Albés en el Sporting: tres hombres de confianza y algo por definir. This will be Albés's coaching staff at Sporting: three trusted men and something to define. 6 October 2024 . . 22 June 2024 . Spanish.