Álvaro Benito

Álvaro Benito Villar (born 10 December 1976) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left midfielder, and is the vocalist/guitarist of Rock band Pignoise.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Benito and the second or maternal family name is Villar.

Álvaro Benito
Personal information
Full name Álvaro Benito Villar
Date of birth (1976-12-10) 10 December 1976
Place of birth Salamanca, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Ávila
1991–1994 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Real Madrid C 20 (1)
1995–1997 Real Madrid B 12 (2)
1995–2002 Real Madrid 21 (2)
1997–1998 → Tenerife (loan) 2 (1)
2001–2002 Real Madrid B 11 (1)
2002–2003 Getafe 6 (0)
Total 72 (7)
National team
1992–1993 Spain U16 13 (0)
1993–1995 Spain U18 5 (1)
1996 Spain U21 1 (0)
Teams managed
2015–2019 Real Madrid (youth)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Salamanca, Castile and León, Benito emerged through Real Madrid's youth ranks, making his senior debut not yet aged 18 with the C-team. He progressed to the reserves the following year.

In the 1995–96 season, Benito was relatively used by the main squad,[1] and contributed with seven matches the following campaign as they were crowned La Liga champions. In November 1996, he suffered a severe knee injury from which he would never fully recover, undergoing three operations in only four months in 1998 in Pittsburgh, United States; he was involved in a car accident afterwards, which further curtailed his recovering process.[2]

After one unassuming loan with CD Tenerife and another spell with Castilla, Benito was released by Real Madrid in summer 2002, joining city neighbours Getafe CF in Segunda División,[3] He appeared rarely for his new club, again due to injury.[4]

After retiring, Benito was in charge of several of Real's youth sides, starting with the Alevín B in 2015.[5][6][7] He was dismissed in late February 2019, following criticism of the first team after a 0–3 home defeat against FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on a radio show.[8]

International career

Benito won his first – and only – cap for the Spain under-21 side on 12 November 1996, coming on as a late substitute for FC Barcelona's Roger García in a 1–1 home draw against Slovakia for the 1998 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, but being stretchered off shortly after with a serious injury that all but ended his career.[9][2]

Musical career

During his rehabilitation period, Benito started playing guitar and writing songs, going on to put together a band, Pignoise. The group, which also featured another former footballer, Héctor Polo (Real Zaragoza, Rayo Vallecano), eventually used many of the songs he composed prior to its creation.[10]

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

International

Spain U16

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References
  1. Carbajosa, Carlos E. (3 December 1995). "Los niños ponen patas arriba el Bernabéu" [Kids turn the Bernabéu upside down]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. "Alvaro empieza a ver la luz al final del túnel" [Alvaro starts to see light at the end of the tunnel]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 27 June 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  3. "Álvaro Benito ficha por el Getafe" [Álvaro Benito signs for Getafe]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 8 July 2002. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  4. De la Rosa, J.A. (31 December 2002). "Álvaro Benito volvió a lesionarse de menisco" [Álvaro Benito injured meniscus again]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  5. "El salmantino Álvaro Benito entrenará al Alevín B del Real Madrid" [Salamanca-born Álvaro Benito will coach Real Madrid's Alevín B]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Spanish). 14 August 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  6. "El cadete A del Real Madrid, con la selección española de fútbol para ciegos" [Real Madrid's cadete A, with the Spanish national team of blind football]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 April 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  7. Díaz, José Félix; Polo, Pablo (6 June 2017). "Una nueva oportunidad para Solari" [A new chance for Solari]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  8. "Real Madrid sack youth coach Alvaro Benito over radio criticism of first team". ESPN. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  9. García, Pedro (13 November 1996). "España Sub-21 no arranca "Las Palmas"" [Spain Under-21 do not get "The Claps" ("Las Palmas" in English, pun on city where match was held) started]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  10. "Álvaro Benito marca un gol en la música" [Álvaro Benito scores goal in music]. ABC (in Spanish). 13 January 2003. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
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