Ibán Cuadrado

Ibán Cuadrado
Personal information
Full name	Ibán Javier Cuadrado Alonso
Date of birth	21 February 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Salamanca, Spain
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Yanbian Longding
Youth career
1993–1997	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–1998	Barcelona C
1997–2001	Barcelona B
1998	Barcelona
2001–2008	Murcia
2008–2010	Málaga
2010	Rayo Vallecano
2010–2011	Ponferradina
2011–2012	Salamanca
2013–2014	Shanghai SIPG
2015–2016	Guizhou Zhicheng
Total
Managerial career
2024	Wuxi Wugo
2024	Yanbian Longding
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ibán Javier Cuadrado Alonso (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈβaŋ kwaˈðɾaðo];^[a] born 21 February 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender, currently a manager.

He amassed Segunda División totals of 248 games and five goals over the course of eight seasons, mainly in representation of Real Murcia. He also spent four years in La Liga, two apiece with that club and Málaga for a total of 62 matches.

Club career

Cuadrado was born in Salamanca, Region of León. A product of La Liga giants FC Barcelona, he would play almost exclusively for their B team in both the second and third divisions. Courtesy of Louis van Gaal, he appeared in one UEFA Champions League game with the main squad, featuring one minute in a 2–0 group-stage away win over Brøndby IF on 9 December 1998.^[1]

Released by the Catalans in 2001, Cuadrado signed with Real Murcia CF, where he would be an indispensable element throughout seven seasons, helping to two promotions (although he appeared in just ten matches in the 2007–08 campaign, which ended in La Liga relegation).^[2]^[3]^[4]

Subsequently, Cuadrado joined Málaga CF, recently promoted to the top flight,^[5] where he was only third or fourth choice. On 14 January 2010 he moved to Rayo Vallecano, signing with the second-tier side until the end of that season and the next.^[6] He made his debut three days later, starting in the 4–4 home draw against Hércules CF and scoring an own goal.^[7]

After one unsuccessful season with Rayo individually, the 31-year-old Cuadrado switched to SD Ponferradina of division two, reuniting with former Málaga teammates Javi López, Daniel Toribio and Miguel Ángel.^[8] In summer 2011, following his team's relegation, he returned to his hometown and signed with lowly UD Salamanca.^[9]

Cuadrado moved abroad for the first time in his career at the age of 34, joining Chinese Super League's Shanghai SIPG FC.^[10] In March 2015 he switched clubs but stayed in the nation, transferring to Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng F.C. from the League One.^[11]

In October 2018, Cuadrado returned to the Camp Nou, as youth assistant coach.^[12]

Notes

^ In isolation, Ibán is pronounced [iˈβan].

References

^ Un respiro muy oportuno (Timely breather); Mundo Deportivo, 10 December 1998 (in Spanish)
^ Alcaraz escribe el mismo guión (Alcaraz writes the same script); La Verdad, 8 February 2008 (in Spanish)
^ El exclusivo club grana de los 200 (The exclusive 200 grana club); La Verdad, 27 May 2012 (in Spanish)
^ Qué fue de… Ibán Cuadrado: un pionero en China (What happened to… Ibán Cuadrado: pioneer in China); 20 minutos, 17 June 2017 (in Spanish)
^ "En Primera, los defensas somos los más sufridores" ("In Primera, we the defenders suffer the most"); La Opinión de Málaga, 29 July 2008 (in Spanish)
^ Cuadrado, nuevo jugador del Rayo (Cuadrado, new Rayo player) Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine; Rayo Herald, 14 January 2010 (in Spanish)
^ Empacho de goles y reparto de puntos en Vallecas (Goal indigestion and points shared at Vallecas); Marca, 17 January 2010 (in Spanish)
^ 2 nuevas incorporaciones al equipo (2 new additions to the team); SD Ponferradina, 24 August 2010 (in Spanish)
^ La UDS cierra el fichaje del central Ibán Cuadrado por una temporada (UDS complete signing of stopper Ibán Cuadrado for one season); La Gaceta de Salamanca, 3 August 2011 (in Spanish)
^ 上港队敲定首名外援西中卫已以正式球员身份合练 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Shanghai EA, 30 January 2013 (in Chinese)
^ 贵州智诚火速选定三外援人选前上港队中卫加盟; Sohu, 5 March 2015 (in Chinese)
^ Ibán Cuadrado regresa al Barça y se enrola en La Masia (Ibán Cuadrado returns to Barça and is added to La Masia); Be Soccer, 3 October 2018 (in Spanish)

External links

Ibán Cuadrado at BDFutbol
Ibán Cuadrado at Soccerway

[1] In isolation, Ibán is pronounced [iˈβan].

[2] Un respiro muy oportuno (Timely breather); Mundo Deportivo, 10 December 1998 (in Spanish)

[3] Alcaraz escribe el mismo guión (Alcaraz writes the same script); La Verdad, 8 February 2008 (in Spanish)

[4] El exclusivo club grana de los 200 (The exclusive 200 grana club); La Verdad, 27 May 2012 (in Spanish)

[5] Qué fue de… Ibán Cuadrado: un pionero en China (What happened to… Ibán Cuadrado: pioneer in China); 20 minutos, 17 June 2017 (in Spanish)

[6] "En Primera, los defensas somos los más sufridores" ("In Primera, we the defenders suffer the most"); La Opinión de Málaga, 29 July 2008 (in Spanish)

[7] Cuadrado, nuevo jugador del Rayo (Cuadrado, new Rayo player) Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine; Rayo Herald, 14 January 2010 (in Spanish)

[8] Empacho de goles y reparto de puntos en Vallecas (Goal indigestion and points shared at Vallecas); Marca, 17 January 2010 (in Spanish)

[9] 2 nuevas incorporaciones al equipo (2 new additions to the team); SD Ponferradina, 24 August 2010 (in Spanish)

[10] La UDS cierra el fichaje del central Ibán Cuadrado por una temporada (UDS complete signing of stopper Ibán Cuadrado for one season); La Gaceta de Salamanca, 3 August 2011 (in Spanish)

[11] 上港队敲定首名外援西中卫已以正式球员身份合练 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Shanghai EA, 30 January 2013 (in Chinese)

[12] 贵州智诚火速选定三外援人选前上港队中卫加盟; Sohu, 5 March 2015 (in Chinese)

[13] Ibán Cuadrado regresa al Barça y se enrola en La Masia (Ibán Cuadrado returns to Barça and is added to La Masia); Be Soccer, 3 October 2018 (in Spanish)

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