Once again, smetimes a blog entry becomes less about the subject matter and how it came about.
This blog post was supposed to be titled D is for Deportivo Alavés. However, most people would only call it Alavés, and I felt like that was cheating.
By sheer coincidence, the first player I wrote about was David Aganzo.
Disaster averted?
David Aganzo was one of many players who directly confronted Martín Presa in 2011. He had not been paid for fourteen months, Rayo had just returned to La Liga, and he was being offered 70% less than promised.
He was blunt in his interviews, angry with his situation and left Vallekas, but his sporting achievements must not be overlooked. His physical problems and excessive temperament plagued him at Rayo but he still managed to score more goals per 90 minutes, and sometimes more goals overall, than any other player. In fact, out of 114 league games, he was eligible for just 64, with 50 games lost due to injuries and suspensions.
A Real Madrid graduate, David would spend five consecutive loan spells at Espanyol (2000), Extremadura (in the Segunda, 2001), Espanyol (2001-02), Real Valladolid (2002-03) and Levante (2003-04). It was at Real Valladolid, in La Liga, where he first showed his capabilities as a goalscorer, with nine goals in 30 games. Not to mention that he helped Segunda outfit Levante with nine goals, to help them to return to La Liga after a 40 year absence.
After being released by Real Madrid, David would join La Liga outfit Racing Santander where three seasons, including a loan spell in Isreal at Beitar Jerusalem in 2007, yielded few opportunities. However, dropping down a division helped him once again - signing for Alavés in 2007, he had a breakout season. He scored 11 goals in 37 league games, helping the side avoid relegation. However, financial problems meant he was released and signed for Rayo in 2008 at the age of 27.
He played 1908 minutes in his first season, rotating with Sergio Pachón and despite playing less minutes was top scorer with 12 goals in 30 games. However, disciplinary problems, which had led to 15 yellow cards and a red at his previous club, never went away - he picked up another 11 yellows and another red. Moreover, he would complete only eight of the 24 matches he started, with six further substitute appearances.
But it was his second season in which he really surprised - injuries meant he played just 19 games and completed just two of them, had nine substitutes appearances and still scored nine goals in 913 minutes of football. He still managed to pick up five yellow cards though.
In the final season, disciplinary problems and injuries took surface once again, and he scored seven goals in 23 games. He started 18 of them, and yet finished only two; he picked up seven yellows and a red; and 1472 minutes of football later he was gone from Rayo at 30 years old.
A failed stint at Hércules followed, and David was left without a club.
The Association of Spanish Footballers (Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles or AFE) created the team - Sesiones AFE - specifically to reintegrate professional footballers who, for various reasons, have been left without a professional team.
At the beginning of the 2012-13 season David Aganzo was left without a team and was training with the Sesiones AFE between August 31 to September 13. But he is one of the success stories of the Sesiones AFE - being immediately signed by Greek side Aris.
Others are not so lucky.
However, David was at the end of his career - two seasons in Greece at Aris and another season at Lugo failed to reap many goals, and he retired at 33.
He is now the technical secretary of the AFE.
This blog post was supposed to be titled D is for Deportivo Alavés. However, most people would only call it Alavés, and I felt like that was cheating.
By sheer coincidence, the first player I wrote about was David Aganzo.
Disaster averted?
David Aganzo was one of many players who directly confronted Martín Presa in 2011. He had not been paid for fourteen months, Rayo had just returned to La Liga, and he was being offered 70% less than promised.
He was blunt in his interviews, angry with his situation and left Vallekas, but his sporting achievements must not be overlooked. His physical problems and excessive temperament plagued him at Rayo but he still managed to score more goals per 90 minutes, and sometimes more goals overall, than any other player. In fact, out of 114 league games, he was eligible for just 64, with 50 games lost due to injuries and suspensions.
A Real Madrid graduate, David would spend five consecutive loan spells at Espanyol (2000), Extremadura (in the Segunda, 2001), Espanyol (2001-02), Real Valladolid (2002-03) and Levante (2003-04). It was at Real Valladolid, in La Liga, where he first showed his capabilities as a goalscorer, with nine goals in 30 games. Not to mention that he helped Segunda outfit Levante with nine goals, to help them to return to La Liga after a 40 year absence.
After being released by Real Madrid, David would join La Liga outfit Racing Santander where three seasons, including a loan spell in Isreal at Beitar Jerusalem in 2007, yielded few opportunities. However, dropping down a division helped him once again - signing for Alavés in 2007, he had a breakout season. He scored 11 goals in 37 league games, helping the side avoid relegation. However, financial problems meant he was released and signed for Rayo in 2008 at the age of 27.
He played 1908 minutes in his first season, rotating with Sergio Pachón and despite playing less minutes was top scorer with 12 goals in 30 games. However, disciplinary problems, which had led to 15 yellow cards and a red at his previous club, never went away - he picked up another 11 yellows and another red. Moreover, he would complete only eight of the 24 matches he started, with six further substitute appearances.
But it was his second season in which he really surprised - injuries meant he played just 19 games and completed just two of them, had nine substitutes appearances and still scored nine goals in 913 minutes of football. He still managed to pick up five yellow cards though.
 |
| David Aganzo, at Rayo during the 2009-10 season |
In the final season, disciplinary problems and injuries took surface once again, and he scored seven goals in 23 games. He started 18 of them, and yet finished only two; he picked up seven yellows and a red; and 1472 minutes of football later he was gone from Rayo at 30 years old.
A failed stint at Hércules followed, and David was left without a club.
The Association of Spanish Footballers (Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles or AFE) created the team - Sesiones AFE - specifically to reintegrate professional footballers who, for various reasons, have been left without a professional team.
At the beginning of the 2012-13 season David Aganzo was left without a team and was training with the Sesiones AFE between August 31 to September 13. But he is one of the success stories of the Sesiones AFE - being immediately signed by Greek side Aris.
Others are not so lucky.
 |
| David Aganzo, at Sesiones AFE |
However, David was at the end of his career - two seasons in Greece at Aris and another season at Lugo failed to reap many goals, and he retired at 33.
He is now the technical secretary of the AFE.
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