Albert Luque
Encyclopedia
Albert Luque Martos is a Spanish
footballer who plays as either a left winger or striker.
His 14-year professional career was mainly associated with Mallorca
and Deportivo
, and he amassed La Liga
totals of 245 games and 61 goals over the course of nine seasons. He also had unassuming spells in England
and the Netherlands
.
A Spanish international
in the first half of the 2000s, Luque represented the nation in one World Cup
and one European Championship
.
, Barcelona, Catalonia
, Luque was a lifelong supporter of FC Barcelona
, and started out in football on trial with them, but was released by the C team
when he was still not aged 20. He was then taken by RCD Mallorca
, and immediately sent to its B side
, but eventually broke into the first team after a successful loan spell at Málaga CF
.
In 2000–01, he scored nine goals for Mallorca, helping the Balearic Islands
side qualify for the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in the club's history, after finishing third. Luque's extra time
goal in the qualifying round against HNK Hajduk Split
carried Mallorca into the first group stage.
in 2002, in a deal worth €
15 million (approximately £
10 million), for strikers José "Turu" Flores
and Walter Pandiani
(on loan). In his first season at Depor, Luque scored the winning goal against former club Málaga with a bicycle kick
, adding another La Liga
winners against Athletic Bilbao
, Racing de Santander
and RCD Espanyol
. He scored a total of 12 goals in that season, mostly from substitute appearances.
The 2003–04 season saw Luque's firm establishment as a Deportivo starter, as he scored the winner against Rosenborg B.K.
in the Champions League qualifying round, the only goal in both legs. He also netted important goals in the competition against PSV Eindhoven, Juventus F.C.
and A.C. Milan
, adding 11 in his final season
in Galicia.
for a fee of €14 million (£9.5), signing a five-year contract. He made his debut against Manchester United
at St James' Park
, which included having a goal ruled out for offside. However, in his next game, he suffered a hamstring
injury while playing against Fulham
. Upon return from injury, he was used in a number of roles, including left midfielder
, failing to live up to his large price tag.
On 17 April 2006, Luque scored his first goal for Newcastle in the Tyne–Wear derby, when he broke free from the Sunderland
defence and calmly chipped goalkeeper Kelvin Davis
. He commented after the game that he hoped to score before the end of the season, and thanked the team's physio for bringing him back to full fitness after injury; he played no part in Newcastle's remaining fixtures, however.
Luque's first competitive home goal came against Lillestrom S.K. at the start of Newcastle's UEFA Intertoto Cup
tournament. He added two against Liverpool's reserves in a 4–1 success in October. After having fallen low in the side's offensive pecking order, a number of injuries awarded him a start against Serie A
table-toppers U.S. Città di Palermo
on 2 November, in the UEFA Cup, and rewarded manager Glenn Roeder
's choice scoring the game's only goal with a header. Since then, however, the player had few significant first-team appearances, by now behind the likes of Matty Pattison
, a reserve/first team fringe player. In the January 2007 transfer window, he was even linked with a loan move to PSV, but the deal fell through, reportedly due to high wage demands.
On 23 June 2007, new Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce
revealed that he would be willing to give Luque a proper chance to impress. However, this did not prevent him from awarding Luque's number 7 shirt to new signing Joey Barton
, which initially left the Spaniard without a squad number. He was eventually given the number 19 jersey, previously worn at Deportivo, and used in Newcastle by defender
Titus Bramble
.
His transfer from Deportivo to Newcastle is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:
"There remains inconsistencies in evidence provided by Graeme Souness
- a former manager of the club"
"The inquiry still has unanswered questions relating to possible payments made by agent Francis Martin
, who Newcastle officials believed was working for the selling club." At the end of the next month, AFC Ajax agreed a fee to sign Luque.
outfit, turning the scoresheet in two minutes against VVV-Venlo in an eventual 6–1 home win, but coming out injured slightly afterwards.
He was fined after a game against Feyenoord in November 2007 for a half-time altercation in the changing rooms with teammate Luis Suárez
, which caused manager Adrie Koster to substitute them both before the second half. It was reported on 14 July 2008 that Luque had no future at Ajax. Technical director Danny Blind
told Sportweek: "Ajax has told Luque that he has to leave the club. I told Albert myself that we don't want to go on with him and if I've told it to him I really don't know who else I should inform."
outfit nine years later. On 30 November 2008, he came from the bench to open his scoring account for the club in his second spell, in a 4–2 home win over CA Osasuna
, and was a crucial offensive element as the club fought for UEFA Cup qualification until the final days of the season.
On 30 July 2009, after lengthy negotiations, Málaga signed Luque from Ajax, on a free transfer. Under new coach Juan Ramón López Muñiz
Luque played mainly from the bench and scored only once in the first half of the season
, being then dropped out for almost one month; upon his return to first-team action, he replaced Duda in the 84th minute of a 3–0 win at Racing Santander.
In 2010–11
, Luque continued absent from Málaga's lineups, both under Jesualdo Ferreira
and his successor Manuel Pellegrini
. In December 2010, he was deemed surplus to requirements, alongside five other players, being definitely released on 4 January 2011.
, playing twice as the national team won silver
in Sydney
. After a successful season at Mallorca, still uncapped for the senior team
, he was called-up to the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, making his international debut in a 3–2 group stage win against South Africa
on 12 June 2002, and also appeared in the round of 16 success against Republic of Ireland
.
Two years later he played at UEFA Euro 2004, in the 0–1 defeat to hosts Portugal
, being used as a left winger in the match. His last game was on 7 September 2005, in a 2006 World Cup qualifier
against Serbia and Montenegro.
Newcastle
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays as either a left winger or striker.
His 14-year professional career was mainly associated with Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
and Deportivo
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
, and he amassed La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
totals of 245 games and 61 goals over the course of nine seasons. He also had unassuming spells in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
A Spanish international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the first half of the 2000s, Luque represented the nation in one World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and one European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Mallorca
Born in TerrassaTerrassa
Terrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
, Barcelona, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Luque was a lifelong supporter of FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, and started out in football on trial with them, but was released by the C team
FC Barcelona C
Fútbol Club Barcelona C was a Spanish football team that folded on 2 July 2007. The youth team of FC Barcelona, it played home games at the Mini Estadi....
when he was still not aged 20. He was then taken by RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
, and immediately sent to its B side
RCD Mallorca B
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca B, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Palma, Majorca, in the autonomous community of Balearic Islands. Founded in 1967, it is the reserve team of RCD Mallorca, and plays in Segunda División B – Group 3, holding home matches at Estadio Son Bibiloni, with a...
, but eventually broke into the first team after a successful loan spell at Málaga CF
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
.
In 2000–01, he scored nine goals for Mallorca, helping the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
side qualify for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time in the club's history, after finishing third. Luque's extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
goal in the qualifying round against HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
carried Mallorca into the first group stage.
Deportivo La Coruña
He was transferred to Deportivo de La CoruñaDeportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
in 2002, in a deal worth €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
15 million (approximately £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10 million), for strikers José "Turu" Flores
José Oscar Flores
José Oscar "Turu" Flores is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a striker, and the current assistant manager at Vélez Sársfield....
and Walter Pandiani
Walter Pandiani
Walter Gerardo Pandiani Urquiza is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for RCD Espanyol as a striker.Nicknamed El Rifle, his best assets are his strength and aerial ability, and he spent most of his professional career in Spain, where he made a name for himself at his first and last clubs -...
(on loan). In his first season at Depor, Luque scored the winning goal against former club Málaga with a bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
, adding another La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
winners against Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
and RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. He scored a total of 12 goals in that season, mostly from substitute appearances.
The 2003–04 season saw Luque's firm establishment as a Deportivo starter, as he scored the winner against Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg Ballklub is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. With 22 league titles and nine Norwegian Cup titles, the club is the most successful in Norway and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s...
in the Champions League qualifying round, the only goal in both legs. He also netted important goals in the competition against PSV Eindhoven, Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, adding 11 in his final season
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
in Galicia.
Newcastle United
In August 2005, Luque was sold to Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
for a fee of €14 million (£9.5), signing a five-year contract. He made his debut against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, which included having a goal ruled out for offside. However, in his next game, he suffered a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury while playing against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. Upon return from injury, he was used in a number of roles, including left midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, failing to live up to his large price tag.
On 17 April 2006, Luque scored his first goal for Newcastle in the Tyne–Wear derby, when he broke free from the Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
defence and calmly chipped goalkeeper Kelvin Davis
Kelvin Davis
Kelvin Geoffrey Davis is an English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for newly-promoted Championship club Southampton. Born in Bedford, Davis began his career with Luton Town as a youth player in 1991 and remained there until 1999. Davis later played for Wimbledon, Ipswich Town and...
. He commented after the game that he hoped to score before the end of the season, and thanked the team's physio for bringing him back to full fitness after injury; he played no part in Newcastle's remaining fixtures, however.
Luque's first competitive home goal came against Lillestrom S.K. at the start of Newcastle's UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
tournament. He added two against Liverpool's reserves in a 4–1 success in October. After having fallen low in the side's offensive pecking order, a number of injuries awarded him a start against Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
table-toppers U.S. Città di Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
on 2 November, in the UEFA Cup, and rewarded manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
's choice scoring the game's only goal with a header. Since then, however, the player had few significant first-team appearances, by now behind the likes of Matty Pattison
Matty Pattison
Matthew Joseph "Matty" Pattison is a South African association footballer who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League.-Early life:...
, a reserve/first team fringe player. In the January 2007 transfer window, he was even linked with a loan move to PSV, but the deal fell through, reportedly due to high wage demands.
On 23 June 2007, new Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
revealed that he would be willing to give Luque a proper chance to impress. However, this did not prevent him from awarding Luque's number 7 shirt to new signing Joey Barton
Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Barton is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League side Queens Park Rangers as either a central midfielder or a winger....
, which initially left the Spaniard without a squad number. He was eventually given the number 19 jersey, previously worn at Deportivo, and used in Newcastle by defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
Titus Bramble
Titus Bramble
Titus Malachi Bramble is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a defender. He is currently suspended by Sunderland after bring arrested for possession of a class A drug and sexual assault.-Ipswich Town:...
.
His transfer from Deportivo to Newcastle is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:
"There remains inconsistencies in evidence provided by Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
- a former manager of the club"
"The inquiry still has unanswered questions relating to possible payments made by agent Francis Martin
Francis Martin
-Biography:He was born in Galway during the occupation of the town by the Cromwellian army, his family been one of the Tribes of Galway. He was educated in one of the secret schools in the city. In 1673 he began his studies for the priesthood in Louvain with the Augustinian order. Ordained there in...
, who Newcastle officials believed was working for the selling club." At the end of the next month, AFC Ajax agreed a fee to sign Luque.
Ajax
On 25 August 2007, Ajax confirmed they had signed Luque until 2010. On 30 September, he scored his first two goals for the AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
outfit, turning the scoresheet in two minutes against VVV-Venlo in an eventual 6–1 home win, but coming out injured slightly afterwards.
He was fined after a game against Feyenoord in November 2007 for a half-time altercation in the changing rooms with teammate Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz , commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" , is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team...
, which caused manager Adrie Koster to substitute them both before the second half. It was reported on 14 July 2008 that Luque had no future at Ajax. Technical director Danny Blind
Danny Blind
Dirk Franciscus "Danny" Blind is a football coach and former Dutch international player. He played as a defender for Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax and the Dutch national team.Blind was born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands...
told Sportweek: "Ajax has told Luque that he has to leave the club. I told Albert myself that we don't want to go on with him and if I've told it to him I really don't know who else I should inform."
Return to Málaga
Just before the 1 September transfer deadline of the 2008–09 season, Luque signed a one-year loan deal with Málaga, returning to the AndalusiaAndalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
outfit nine years later. On 30 November 2008, he came from the bench to open his scoring account for the club in his second spell, in a 4–2 home win over CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
, and was a crucial offensive element as the club fought for UEFA Cup qualification until the final days of the season.
On 30 July 2009, after lengthy negotiations, Málaga signed Luque from Ajax, on a free transfer. Under new coach Juan Ramón López Muñiz
Juan Ramón López Muñiz
Juan Ramón López Muñiz is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager.-Playing career:Muñiz was born in Gijón, Asturias...
Luque played mainly from the bench and scored only once in the first half of the season
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
, being then dropped out for almost one month; upon his return to first-team action, he replaced Duda in the 84th minute of a 3–0 win at Racing Santander.
In 2010–11
2010–11 La Liga
The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
, Luque continued absent from Málaga's lineups, both under Jesualdo Ferreira
Jesualdo Ferreira
Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira is a Portuguese football manager who currently manages Greek club Panathinaikos.-Early career:In Ferreira's early career, he managed Rio Maior and Torreense...
and his successor Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Luis Pellegrini Ripamonti is a Chilean manager and former footballer. His current club is La Liga side Málaga CF.-Club career:...
. In December 2010, he was deemed surplus to requirements, alongside five other players, being definitely released on 4 January 2011.
International career
Luque represented Spain at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, playing twice as the national team won silver
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. After a successful season at Mallorca, still uncapped for the senior team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, he was called-up to the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, making his international debut in a 3–2 group stage win against South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
on 12 June 2002, and also appeared in the round of 16 success against Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
.
Two years later he played at UEFA Euro 2004, in the 0–1 defeat to hosts Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, being used as a left winger in the match. His last game was on 7 September 2005, in a 2006 World Cup qualifier
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...
against Serbia and Montenegro.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 October 2004 | Estadio El Sardinero Estadio El Sardinero Campos de Sport de El Sardinero , is a multi-purpose stadium in Santander, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, holding 22,400 people.... , Santander Santander, Cantabria The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 2. | 4 June 2005 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia, Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
Club
Deportivo- Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20022002 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2002 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 18 August and 25 August 2002. It contested by RCD de la Coruña, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2001–02, and Valencia CF, who won the 2001–02 Spanish League.-First leg:-Second leg:...
Newcastle
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2006
Country
Spain U23- Summer Olympic GamesSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
: Silver medalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
2000Football at the 2000 Summer OlympicsThe football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...