Rafa Santacruz
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Carlos Santacruz Aragonés | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Córdoba, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Valladolid | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Valladolid B | ||
| 2004–2005 | Valencia B | 25 | (2) |
| 2005 | Valencia | 1 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Real Madrid C | 30 | (9) |
| 2006–2007 | Real Madrid B | 17 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Ceuta | 29 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Linares | 32 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | Conquense | 28 | (3) |
| 2010–2011 | Albacete | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | Hospitalet | 11 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Puertollano | 20 | (3) |
| 2012–2013 | Pozoblanco | 22 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | Lucena | 62 | (2) |
| 2015–2016 | Ciudad Lucena | 22 | (6) |
| 2016–2017 | Pozoblanco | 33 | (3) |
| 2017–2019 | Atlético Porcuna | 58 | (9) |
| 2019–2021 | Pozoblanco | 40 | (7) |
| 2021–2024 | Atlético Espeleño | 70 | (9) |
| International career | |||
| 1999 | Spain U16 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 May 2024 | |||
Rafael "Rafa" Carlos Santacruz Aragonés (born 27 January 1983) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central defender.
Club career
Santacruz was born in Córdoba, Andalusia. After starting out at Real Valladolid Promesas, he joined Valencia CF's reserves. On 10 April 2005, he made his only La Liga appearance with the latter's first team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 home draw against Málaga CF.[1]
Subsequently, Santacruz spent one season apiece with Real Madrid's C and B sides, suffering relegation from Segunda División with the latter in 2007. After that, he returned to Segunda División B and represented in quick succession AD Ceuta, CD Linares and UB Conquense.[2]
In the summer of 2010, the 27-year-old Santacruz went back to division two, signing for Albacete Balompié.[3] In the following transfer window, however, he left without one single official appearance and resumed his career in the third tier. He retired already in his 40s, having competed in the Tercera División[4] and the Andalusian regional leagues.[5][6]
References
- ↑ "Valencia 2–2 Málaga". ESPN Soccernet. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ Balderas, Miguel Ángel (26 November 2013). "La última plantilla que descendió con el Castilla. ¿Qué fue de ellos?" [The last squad to be relegated with Castilla. What happened to them?] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ↑ "El Albacete confirma los fichajes del delantero Asen y del defensa Santacruz" [Albacete confirm signings of forward Asen and defender Santacruz]. Marca (in Spanish). 14 July 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ↑ López, Julia (10 July 2016). "Rafa Santacruz volverá a vestir la elástica del Club Deportivo Pozoblanco" [Rafa Santacruz will don Club Deportivo Pozoblanco jersey again] (in Spanish). Hoy al Día. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ↑ Alonso, Paco (24 September 2018). "El Porcuna se aprovecha del Oriente, que no arranca" [Porcuna take advantage of Oriente, who do not get it started]. Ideal (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ↑ Ventura, Jesús (6 July 2023). "El Atlético Espeleño arranca en el mercado de Tercera RFEF" [Atlético Espeleño kickstart market of Tercera RFEF]. El Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2026.
External links
- Rafa Santacruz at BDFutbol
- Rafa Santacruz at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- Rafa Santacruz at Soccerway
- 1983 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Spanish sportsmen
- Spanish men's footballers
- Footballers from Córdoba, Spain
- Men's association football central defenders
- La Liga players
- Segunda División players
- Segunda División B players
- Tercera División players
- Tercera Federación players
- Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol players
- Real Valladolid Promesas players
- Valencia CF Mestalla footballers
- Valencia CF players
- Real Madrid C footballers
- Real Madrid Castilla footballers
- AD Ceuta footballers
- CD Linares players
- UB Conquense footballers
- Albacete Balompié players
- CE L'Hospitalet players
- CD Puertollano footballers
- CD Pozoblanco players
- Lucena CF players
- Spain men's youth international footballers