Sergio Asenjo
Personal information
Full name Sergio Asenjo Andrés[1]
Date of birth (1989-06-28) 28 June 1989 (age 34)[1]
Place of birth Palencia, Spain
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
San Juanillo
2005–2006 Valladolid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Valladolid B 39 (0)
2006–2009 Valladolid 47 (0)
2009–2014 Atlético Madrid 18 (0)
2011 → Málaga (loan) 5 (0)
2013–2014 → Villarreal (loan) 35 (0)
2014–2022 Villarreal 193 (0)
2022–2023 Valladolid 10 (0)
International career
2006 Spain U17 10 (0)
2007 Spain U19 8 (0)
2009 Spain U20 4 (0)
2008–2010 Spain U21 15 (0)
2016 Spain 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:06, 2 April 2023 (UTC)

Sergio Asenjo Andrés (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo aˈseŋxo]; born 28 June 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

He started his professional career with Valladolid in 2007, making 47 senior appearances in his first spell. He then moved to Atlético Madrid in 2009 and spent five seasons with the club, during which he was also loaned to Málaga and Villarreal before signing for the latter on a permanent deal in 2014; his career was marred by several knee injuries.

Asenjo was a Spanish international, making a single appearance for the senior side in 2016. He previously represented the nation at various youth levels.

Club career

Valladolid

Born in Palencia, Castile and León, Asenjo started his playing career in the academy of Real Valladolid and soon emerged as one of the most talented players in the club.[2] Succeeding first-team goalkeepers Alberto and Ludovic Butelle, he was promoted to the senior side during the 2007–08 season, and kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 home win over Villarreal CF on 2 December 2007 which marked his La Liga debut.[3][2] He conceded just once in his first five matches, which earned him a permanent starting berth and saw him rewarded with his first professional contract in January of the following year.[2]

Asenjo retained his position, but saw 2008–09 be interrupted by a knee injury which ruled him out for a number of matches midway through the campaign.[2] The injury, which sidelined him for a period of three months, was the first of a number of knee ailments which would later plague him during his career.[4][5]

Asenjo returned to the pitch following his recovery, and ultimately made just short of 50 appearances for the Estadio José Zorrilla-based team before earning a move to Atlético Madrid.[2]

Atlético Madrid

On 8 July 2009, Asenjo transferred to Atlético Madrid for a reported fee of €5 million and signed a four-year deal with the club.[6] He started the season as first choice, but often alternated with compatriot David de Gea.[2]

In May 2010, Asenjo suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and was ruled out for a further six months.[7][5] Upon his return, he found his place in the squad uncertain and, in December of that year, he was loaned to Málaga CF until the end of the campaign, with teammate Ignacio Camacho also making the move in a permanent deal.[8][2]

On 6 February 2011, during a league match between Málaga and Sevilla FC, Asenjo suffered a second ACL injury to his right knee when he turned awkwardly on the pitch surface. He missed the remainder of the season, having only made five league appearances during his loan spell.[9][10]

Asenjo returned to Atlético for 2011–12 and 2012–13, but served featured primarily as back-up to Thibaut Courtois, who had arrived on loan from Chelsea as a replacement for the departed De Gea.[11][12]

Villarreal

With his game time limited in Madrid, Asenjo agreed to a one-year loan deal with Villarreal in July 2013 with the club retaining a buyout option at the end of the season.[13] He excelled during his first year, missing only three league matches and keeping nine clean sheets as the side qualified for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League.[2] The ensuing summer, he signed a permanent five-year contract.[14]

Asenjo retained his starting spot throughout the 2014–15 campaign but, on 29 April 2015, in the dying minutes of a 1–0 loss to former side Atlético, he tore his ACL for a third time while attempting to make a save.[15][16][2] After an excruciating rehabilitation process, he made his return to the squad on 23 February 2016 when he was named on the bench by Marcelino García Toral for the Europa League fixture against Italy's S.S.C. Napoli.[17][18] The following month, and in the same competition, he played his first game in nearly 11 months and kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw (2–0 aggregate win) at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[19]

Asenjo, who reclaimed his starting position following his recovery, signed a new contract in December 2016 to last until 2022.[20] The following 26 February, during the first half of a league home match against Real Madrid, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament for a fourth time, this time in his left knee[21][5]– prior to the misfortune, he had conceded the fewest goals in the league and had kept 11 clean sheets.[2] He spent nine months on the sidelines as a result of the injury, before making his return in November 2017 in a Copa del Rey encounter against SD Ponferradina.[22]

In 2020–21, under new manager Unai Emery, Asenjo retained his place as a starter in the league season, while Gerónimo Rulli was preferred for the victorious Europa League campaign.[23] He made one appearance on the European front, the last-16 second leg at home to FC Dynamo Kyiv which his team won 2–0 on 18 March.[24]

Return to Valladolid

On 7 July 2022, Asenjo returned to Valladolid on a free transfer.[25] He acted mainly as a backup to longtime incumbent Jordi Masip, and after being demoted to third-choice following the arrival of John, he left the club on 1 September 2023.[26]

International career

In 2006, Asenjo was selected to the Spain under-17 side as they took home the bronze medal in the UEFA European Championship. He started in all of the matches, except the third-place play-off.[27]

Asenjo was again called up for the 2007 Under-19 European Championship: in the qualification rounds his role in the team was quite insignificant, but his status changed in the semi-final against France, replacing the injured starter and saving two penalties in the shootout as the country progressed to the final,[28] where he appeared against Greece with another excellent display for a 1–0 win.[29]

Asenjo made his under-21 debut in late August 2008,[30] and was first choice at the 2009 European Championships.[31][32][33] He also played at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.[34]

In March 2015, Asenjo received his first ever callup to the senior national team, being named in Vicente del Bosque's squad for a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Ukraine and a friendly with the Netherlands.[35] He did not make his debut until 29 May the following year, in a 3–1 friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at the AFG Arena in St. Gallen, Switzerland; he was the first footballer from Palencia to win a cap since Jesús Landáburu 36 years prior.[36]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 2 April 2023[37]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Valladolid B 2006–07 Segunda División B 29 0 — — 1[a] 0 30 0
2007–08 Segunda División B 10 0 — — — 10 0
Total 39 0 — — 1 0 40 0
Valladolid 2007–08 La Liga 24 0 0 0 — — 24 0
2008–09 La Liga 23 0 0 0 — — 23 0
Total 47 0 0 0 — — 47 0
Atlético Madrid 2009–10 La Liga 15 0 2 0 9[b] 0 — 26 0
2011–12 La Liga 2 0 2 0 1[c] 0 — 5 0
2012–13 La Liga 1 0 1 0 8[c] 0 0 0 10 0
Total 18 0 5 0 18 0 0 0 41 0
Málaga (loan) 2010–11 La Liga 5 0 1 0 — — 6 0
Villarreal (loan) 2013–14 La Liga 35 0 0 0 — — 35 0
Villarreal 2014–15 La Liga 34 0 6 0 8[c] 0 — 48 0
2015–16 La Liga 4 0 0 0 3[c] 0 — 7 0
2016–17 La Liga 24 0 2 0 5[d] 0 — 31 0
2017–18 La Liga 23 0 1 0 2[c] 0 — 26 0
2018–19 La Liga 32 0 0 0 0 0 — 32 0
2019–20 La Liga 34 0 0 0 — — 34 0
2020–21 La Liga 36 0 0 0 1[c] 0 — 37 0
2021–22 La Liga 6 0 1 0 0 0 1[e] 0 8 0
Total 228 0 10 0 19 0 1 0 258 0
Valladolid 2022–23 La Liga 10 0 2 0 — — 12 0
Career total 347 0 18 0 37 0 2 0 404 0
  1. ^ Appearances in Segunda División B promotion play-offs
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, seven appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ^ a b c d e f Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Spain[38] 2016 1 0
Total 1 0

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Villarreal

Spain U17

Spain U19

References

  1. ^ a b c "Asenjo". Diario AS. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Trials, tribulations, and triumph: The Sergio Asenjo story". Medium. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Real Valladolid 2–0 Villarreal". ESPN Soccernet. 2 December 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  4. ^ Macdonald, Paul (15 February 2009). "Sergio Asenjo returns to training for Valladolid". Goal. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Garcia, Adriana (27 February 2017). "Villarreal keeper Asenjo suffers fourth ACL injury". Reuters. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Atletico sign Asenjo". FIFA. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  7. ^ Aznar, Luis (9 May 2010). "Asenjo sufre una rotura del ligamento cruzado de la rodilla" [Asenjo suffers rupture to knee cruciate ligament]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Asenjo y Camacho se van al Málaga" [Asenjo and Camacho go to Málaga]. El País (in Spanish). 28 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Malaga goalkeeper Asenjo out for rest of season". CBC Sports. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. ^ Mondal, Subhankar (7 February 2011). "Malaga's Sergio Asenjo ruled out for eight months with knee injury". Goal. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Sergio Asenjo renueva hasta 2016" [Sergio Asenjo renews until 2016]. Marca (in Spanish). 6 June 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  12. ^ Maaijen, Derek (7 June 2012). "Atlético keep Asenjo and Courtois". Atlético Fans. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Villarreal loan Asenjo from Atletico". ESPN. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  14. ^ "La Liga: Villarreal sign Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo". Sky Sports. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Asenjo se vuelve a romper" [Asenjo shatters himself again]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 April 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  16. ^ Lara, M. Á.; Franch, Víctor (1 May 2015). "El tercer infierno de Asenjo" [The third hell of Asenjo]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Asenjo afronta recta final de su recuperación "motivado"" [Asenjo reaches final stretch of his recovery "motivated"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 October 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  18. ^ "Sergio Asenjo vuelve a una convocatoria" [Sergio Asenjo returns to a list]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 February 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  19. ^ "Villarreal keep Leverkusen at bay to advance". UEFA. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  20. ^ "Asenjo: "Ampliar mi contrato con el Villarreal ha sido muy fácil"" [Asenjo: "Extending my contract with Villarreal has been very easy"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 15 December 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  21. ^ Calderón, J. L. (26 February 2017). "Confirmada la cuarta lesión del ligamento cruzado de Sergio Asenjo" [Fourth cruciate ligament injury to Sergio Asenjo confirmed]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  22. ^ Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel; Sherman, Justin (30 November 2017). "Sergio Asenjo returns to action nine months after serious knee injury". Marca. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  23. ^ Lizarraga, José Luis (18 April 2021). "El dilema de la portería del Villarreal: Rulli o Asenjo" [Villarreal's dilemma in goal: Rulli or Asenjo]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  24. ^ Gonzalo, Juanjo (18 March 2021). "El Villarreal disfruta al son de Gerard Moreno" [Villarreal enjoy themselves to the rhythm of Gerard Moreno]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  25. ^ "Asenjo vuelve a casa" [Asenjo returns home] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  26. ^ "Asenjo finaliza su etapa en el Pucela" [Asenjo ends his spell at the Pucela] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  27. ^ a b "España, sin Sergio Asenjo, conquista el tercer puesto en el Europeo sub 17" [Spain, without Sergio Asenjo, conquer third place at under 17 European Championships]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). 15 May 2006. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  28. ^ "Sergio shines in shoot-out success". UEFA. 25 July 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  29. ^ a b "España demuestra su dominio" [Spain show their dominance] (in Spanish). UEFA. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  30. ^ "La España sub' 21 supera a Rusia y roza la clasificación para el Europeo" [Spain under' 21 overcome Russia and are all but qualified for the European Championships] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  31. ^ Haslam, Andrew (15 June 2009). "Spain and Germany goalless in opener". UEFA. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  32. ^ Haslam, Andrew (19 June 2009). "Second-half strikes see England through". UEFA. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  33. ^ Atkin, John (23 June 2009). "Too little too late for Spain". UEFA. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  34. ^ "Bojan y Asenjo, convocados para el Mundial sub'20" [Bojan and Asenjo, called to the under'20 World Cup]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 10 September 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  35. ^ "Official: 24-man squad to face Ukraine and Netherlands". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 20 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  36. ^ Calleja, Alberto (29 May 2016). "Sergio Asenjo debutó con España" [Sergio Asenjo made Spain debut] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  37. ^ "Asenjo". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  38. ^ "Sergio Asenjo". European Football. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  39. ^ Stone, Simon (26 May 2021). "Villarreal 1–1 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  40. ^ Sterling, Mark (11 August 2021). "Chelsea 1–1 Villarreal (Chelsea win 6–5 on penalties)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2021.

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