Cuco Martina
Martina playing for Southampton in 2015
Personal information
Full name Rhu-endly Aurelio Jean-Carlo Martina[1]
Date of birth (1989-09-25) 25 September 1989 (age 34)
Place of birth Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Right back
Team information
Current team
 NAC Breda
Number 15
Youth career
Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 RBC Roosendaal 68 (2)
2011–2013 RKC Waalwijk 43 (1)
2013–2014 Jong Twente 11 (0)
2013–2015 Twente 48 (1)
2015–2017 Southampton 24 (1)
2017–2020 Everton 21 (0)
2018–2019 → Stoke City (loan) 17 (0)
2019 → Feyenoord (loan) 11 (0)
2021–2022 Go Ahead Eagles 11 (0)
2023– NAC Breda 20 (3)
International career‡
2011– Curaçao 63 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:03, 22 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:54, 17 June 2023 (UTC)

Rhu-endly Aurelio Jean-Carlo Martina (born 25 September 1989), known as Cuco Martina, is a professional footballer who plays for NAC Breda and the Curaçao national team. He plays primarily as a right-back, but can also play as a centre-back or defensive midfielder.[2]

A youth player at Feyenoord, Martina began his senior career with RBC Roosendaal in the Eerste Divisie, followed by two seasons each at Eredivisie clubs RKC Waalwijk and FC Twente. In 2015, he joined Premier League club Southampton, and two years later Everton.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Martina represents Curaçao at international level, for whom he is captain. First capped in 2011, he won the 2017 Caribbean Cup, and represented the team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2017 and 2019.

Early and personal life

Martina was born in Rotterdam.[2] He grew up in the south of the city with his mother, brothers and sister.[3] Martina did not know his father, and states his elder brother was instead like a father to him.[3] His brother Javier is also a footballer.[4] Derwin Martina is not related to him, despite media reports to the contrary.[5]

Club career

Netherlands

Martina played youth football with Feyenoord.[3] He spent his early senior career with RBC Roosendaal in the Eerste Divisie.[2][6][7] In 2011, he joined RKC Waalwijk of the Eredivisie.[8] He played 59 official matches in two seasons in North Brabant, scoring to open a 2–0 home win over N.E.C. on 8 December 2012.[9]

On 30 July 2013, he joined FC Twente on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[10] Martina played 59 games across all competitions for the Enschede club, scoring once: an added-time equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with Feyenoord on 23 February 2014.[11]

Southampton

He signed a two-year contract with English club Southampton on 7 July 2015.[12] An unused substitute in the first leg,[13] Martina made his Southampton debut in their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg away to Vitesse Arnhem, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 win on 6 August.[14] Three days later, he made his league debut as a half-time substitute for fellow new signing Cédric Soares in a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United.[15] Martina became the first-ever Curaçao international to play for Southampton and the second to play in the Premier League after West Bromwich Albion's Shelton Martis in 2009.[4]

On 26 December 2015, on his first start, Martina scored his only goal for the Saints, a long-range strike to open a 4–0 win over Arsenal. He became the first Curaçaoan to score in the Premier League.[16] He was released by Southampton at the end of the 2016–17 season.[17]

Everton

On 17 July 2017, following his release from Southampton, Martina joined fellow Premier League side Everton on a three-year deal, reuniting with his former Saints manager Ronald Koeman.[18][19] Martina made his league debut for Everton on 12 August, when his club beat Stoke City 1–0 at Goodison Park.[20]

Martina joined Stoke, newly relegated to the EFL Championship, on a loan for the 2018–19 season.[21] He made his debut on 25 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win over Hull City.[22]

Martina's loan with Stoke was cancelled on 31 January 2019,[23] and he joined Feyenoord on loan for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[24]

On 25 June 2020 it was announced that Martina would leave the club when his contract expired on 30 June 2020.[25]

Return to the Netherlands

He signed for Go Ahead Eagles in November 2021.[26][27]

In January 2023 he signed for NAC Breda.[28]

International career

Martina made his international debut for Curaçao on 9 August 2011, in their first match since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. He played the first half of the 1–0 friendly loss to the Dominican Republic at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristóbal, before being substituted for Kenny Kunst.[2][29] He has played in qualifying matches for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.[30] He served as national team captain.[31]

Martina was part of the Curaçao squad that won the 2017 Caribbean Cup in Martinique, defeating Jamaica 2–1 in the final.[32] He captained the team at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[33] On 10 September 2018 he scored his first international goal in a 10–0 home win over Grenada in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying.[34]

At the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Martina was again captain and played every game up to a 1–0 loss to hosts the United States in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia.[35]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 20 April 2019[36]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
RBC Roosendaal 2008–09 Eerste Divisie 14 0 0 0 — — 14 0
2009–10 Eerste Divisie 23 1 1 0 — — 24 1
2010–11 Eerste Divisie 32 1 0 0 — — 32 1
Total 69 2 1 0 — — 70 2
RKC Waalwijk 2011–12 Eredivisie 23 0 0 0 — — 23 0
2012–13 Eredivisie 34 1 2 0 — — 36 1
Total 57 1 2 0 — — 59 1
Jong FC Twente 2013–14 Eerste Divisie 11 0 0 0 — — 11 0
FC Twente 2013–14 Eredivisie 16 1 1 0 — 0 0 17 1
2014–15 Eredivisie 32 0 5 0 — 2[a] 0 39 0
Total 48 1 6 0 — 2 0 56 1
Southampton 2015–16[37] Premier League 15 1 1 0 0 0 2[a] 0 18 1
2016–17[38] Premier League 9 0 2 0 2 0 5[a] 0 18 0
Total 24 1 3 0 2 0 7 0 36 1
Everton 2017–18[39] Premier League 21 0 1 0 0 0 6[a] 0 28 0
2018–19[40] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2019–20[41] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 21 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 28 0
Stoke City (loan) 2018–19[40] Championship 17 0 0 0 1 0 — 18 0
Feyenoord (loan) 2018–19[40] Eredivisie 11 0 0 0 — — 11 0
Career total 256 5 13 0 3 0 15 0 289 5
  1. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 16 June 2023[2]
National team Year Apps Goals
Curaçao 2011 9 0
2013 2 0
2014 6 0
2015 7 0
2016 4 0
2017 7 0
2018 5 1
2019 7 0
2020 0 0
2021 8 0
2022 5 0
2023 4 0
Total 63 1
As of match played 16 June 2023.
Scores and results list Curaçao's goal tally first.[2]
List of international goals scored by Cuco Martina
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 September 2018 Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curaçao  Grenada 2–0 10–0 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying

Honours

Curaçao

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Cuco Martina". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Cuco Martina heet eigenlijk Rhu-endly" (in Dutch). Twente Insite. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "In Profile: Cuco Martina". Southampton FC. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Derwin Martina: York City release defender after playing one game for reserve team". BBC Sport. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Profile" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Cuco Martina at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  8. ^ Ummels, Jody (27 June 2011). "Overzicht van de Brabantse voetbaltransfers" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Degelijk RKC Waalwijk verslaat dramatisch NEC: 2–0" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Cuco Martina naar FC Twente" (in Dutch). FC Twente. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Feyenoord pegged back in injury time". Feyenoord. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Cuco Martina: Southampton sign FC Twente defender". BBC Sport. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  13. ^ Williams, Adam (30 July 2015). "Southampton 3–0 Vitesse". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  14. ^ Jennings, Patrick (6 August 2015). "Vitesse 0–2 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  15. ^ Davis, Matt (9 August 2015). "Newcastle 2–2 Southampton". Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Martina: An unbelievable feeling". Southampton FC. 26 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  17. ^ "Saints release four players". Southampton FC. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Blues Swoop For Martina". Everton Official Site. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Cuco Martina: Everton sign out-of-contract Southampton defender". BBC Sport. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Everton 1–0 Stoke City". BBC Sport. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  21. ^ "Cuco Martina: Stoke City sign Everton defender on a season-long loan deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Stoke City 2–0 Hull City". BBC Sport. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  23. ^ "Martina returns to Everton". Stoke City. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  24. ^ "Martina Makes Feyenoord Loan Switch". Everton. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  25. ^ "Everton Announces Players To Leave Club". www.evertonfc.com.
  26. ^ "Cuco Martina: Sprong gat in de lucht toen ik mocht blijven". 26 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Cuco Martina na ontberingen weer voetballer bij Go Ahead Eagles: Ik had er genoeg van". Telegraaf. 28 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Martina (33) moet NAC-defensie van ervaring voorzien". Voetbal International. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Zoet houdt weer de nul, Martina met Curaçao onderuit" (in Dutch). RKC Waalwijk. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  30. ^ Cuco Martina – FIFA competition record (archived)
  31. ^ Connor O'Neill (24 August 2016). "Who is Everton target Cuco Martina? Everything you need to know". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  32. ^ Williams, Sean (26 June 2017). "Boyz edged 1–2 by Curacao in Caribbean Cup final". Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  33. ^ "Curaçao 2 – 0 Jamaica". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  34. ^ "The Nations League 2018: Curaçao Beats Grenada 10–0". D Real FM. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  35. ^ "USA scrape past world No 79 Curacao and into Gold Cup semi-finals". The Guardian. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  36. ^ Cuco Martina at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  37. ^ "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  38. ^ "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  39. ^ "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  40. ^ a b c "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  41. ^ "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  42. ^ "Mexico leads way in Concacaf Men's Best XI". www.concacaf.com. 15 January 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cuco Martina.
NAC Breda – current squad
Curaçao squads
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