Aitor Cantalapiedra

Aitor Cantalapiedra Fernández (born 10 February 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek club Panathinaikos.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Cantalapiedra and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.
Aitor Cantalapiedra
Aitor playing for Twente in 2018
Personal information
Full name Aitor Cantalapiedra Fernández
Date of birth (1996-02-10) 10 February 1996
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Panathinaikos
Youth career
2001–2002 Cinc Copes
2002–2006 Barcelona
2006–2009 Espanyol
2009–2010 Sant Andreu
2010–2012 Damm
2012–2014 Cornellà
2014–2015 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Barcelona B 18 (4)
2015 Barcelona 0 (0)
2016–2017 Villarreal B 47 (2)
2016 Villarreal 1 (0)
2017–2018 Sevilla B 21 (1)
2018–2020 Twente 56 (20)
2020– Panathinaikos 0 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 June 2020

Club career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Aitor joined FC Barcelona's youth school in 2002, aged six, after starting it out at PB Cinc Copes.[1] Released in 2006, he spent his youth at three other teams in the region – RCD Espanyol, CF Damm and UE Cornellà – before joining Barça's youth ranks towards the end of the 2013–14 season.[2][3]

After finishing his graduation, Aitor was promoted to the reserves in July 2015, after the club's relegation to Segunda División B.[4] He made his senior debut on 22 August of that year, replacing Joan Campins for the final 21 minutes of a 1–2 loss at former club Cornellà.[5]

Aitor scored his first senior goal on 5 September 2015, equalising in the 43rd minute against rivals RCD Espanyol B at the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque, albeit in a 2–3 defeat.[6] On 11 October, he scored the only goal in a home success over CD Alcoyano.[7]

On 28 October 2015, Aitor made his first team debut, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for fellow debutant Wilfrid Kaptoum in a 0–0 away draw against CF Villanovense, for the season's Copa del Rey.[8][9] He played all 90 minutes in the return leg at the Camp Nou, which Barcelona won 6–1 and proceeded to the next round.[10]

On 12 January 2016, despite being their top scorer with four goals as they fought a second successive relegation, Aitor's contract with Barcelona B was rescinded as part of a mid-season revolution; hours later he joined Villarreal CF, being again put into their B-team.[11] He made his La Liga debut on 28 August, replacing Nicola Sansone for the final three minutes of a goalless draw at Sevilla FC.[12]

On 7 August 2017, Aitor signed for another reserve team, Sevilla Atlético in Segunda División.[13] He played exactly half of games as they finished the season in last place, only scoring in the 2–1 loss at Lorca FC on the final day.[14]

Aitor moved abroad for the first time on 31 July 2018, signing a two-year deal for FC Twente of the Dutch Eerste Divisie.[15] He scored 13 times in his first season in the Netherlands, as the team won promotion to the Eredivisie as champions with three games to spare, adding three more in the KNVB Cup.[16] He netted seven goals in the 2019–20 top-flight campaign, which was voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic; this included two in a 3–1 home win over FC Utrecht on 1 September.[17]

On 24 June 2020, Aitor signed a three-year contract with Panathinaikos F.C. of Super League Greece.[18]

Honours
Barcelona
Twente

References
  1. "Camino del Camp Nou: Aitor Cantalapiedra" [Road to Camp Nou: Aitor Cantalapiedra] (in Spanish). Vavel. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  2. "Emotivo y decisivo" [Emotional and decisive] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  3. "Sergi Samper-Aitor Cantalapiedra: Una conexión con 13 años de historia" [Sergi Samper-Aitor Cantalapiedra: a connection with 13 years of history] (in Spanish). Sport. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  4. "Barça B: Several Juvenil players to begin pre-season with the second team". Sport. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  5. "2–1: el Barça B cae en Cornellà en el último minuto y de penalti" [2–1: Barça B falls in Cornellà in the last minute and in a penalty] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  6. "3–2: El Espanyol B lleva de cabeza al Barça B" [3–2: Espanyol B takes Barça B by heads] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. "FC Barcelona B v CD Alcoyano: First win at Miniestadi (1–0)". Barcelona's official website. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  8. "Los niños no hacen los deberes" [The kids do not make their homework] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  9. "Wilfrid Kaptoum and Aitor Cantalapiedra just the latest to debut under Luis Enrique". Barcelona's official website. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  10. FC Barcelona vs. CF Villanovense match report; goal.com, 2 December 2015
  11. "Aitor Cantalapiedra: "La dirección del Barça B no es buena"" [Aitor Cantalapiedra: "Barça B are not moving in the right direction"] (in Spanish). Sport. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  12. "Empate a bostezos" [Snore draw]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  13. "Aitor Cantalapiedra firma por un Sevilla Atlético del que se despide Ivi" [Aitor Cantalapiedra signs for a Sevilla Atlético which Ivi leaves] (in Spanish). Sevilla FC. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  14. "El Sevilla Atlético acaba colista, como casi siempre (2-1)" [Sevilla Atlético finish in last place, as almost always (2–1)]. Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). 1 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  15. "El Twente ficha a Aitor Cantalapiedra, un ex Barça B" [Twente sign Aitor Cantalapiedra, formerly of Barça B]. Sport (in Spanish). 31 July 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  16. "Cantalapiedra: "En el Twente he encontrado mi sitio en el fútbol"" [Cantalapiedra: "I've found my place in football at Twente"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 25 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  17. "Specialist Aitor schiet Twente langs Utrecht in duel vol VAR-momenten" [Specialist Aitor shoots Twente past Utrecht in duel full of VAR moments] (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  18. "Παναθηναϊκός: Αϊτόρ τριετίας και επίσημα" [Panathinaikos: Aitor for three years and officially] (in Greek). Sport 24. 24 June 2020.
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