Lillo (footballer)

Manuel Castellano Castro (born 27 March 1989), commonly known as Lillo, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa F.C. as a right or left back.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Castellano and the second or maternal family name is Castro.
Lillo
Personal information
Full name Manuel Castellano Castro
Date of birth (1989-03-27) 27 March 1989
Place of birth Aspe, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s) Full back
Club information
Current team
 Maccabi Haifa
Number 16
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Valencia B 45 (0)
2008–2009 → Murcia (loan) 11 (0)
2010 Valencia 1 (0)
2010–2012 Almería B 44 (0)
2010 Almería 2 (0)
2012–2013 Alcoyano 23 (0)
2013–2016 Eibar 67 (0)
2016–2017 Sporting Gijón 25 (0)
2017–2019 Osasuna 60 (0)
2020– Maccabi Haifa 1 (0)
National team
2006 Spain U17 9 (0)
2007–2008 Spain U19 6 (0)
2009 Spain U20 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 February 2020

Club career

Born in Aspe, Alicante, Valencian Community, Lillo began his career with local Valencia CF, playing three seasons with the reserves. In 2006–07 and 2009–10, he totalled 23 appearances combined, with the team being relegated from the third division on both occasions; in between, he spent the 2008–09 campaign on loan at Real Murcia, playing in less than one third of the games as the club finished 14th in the second level.

On 21 March 2010, Lillo appeared in his first official match with the main squad, playing the first 45 minutes of a 2–0 La Liga home win against UD Almería.[1] In late May, as his contract with the Che was expiring, he signed with Elche CF;[2] however, due to a mistake from his agent, the move was declared void and, two months later, he joined Almería.[3]

Lillo spent the vast majority of his first season with the Andalusians with the B-side in division three, playing in only two games with the first team. In November 2012, the free agent joined another club in that tier, CD Alcoyano.[4]

On 18 July 2013, Lillo moved to SD Eibar, freshly promoted to the second division.[5] He appeared in 26 matches during his debut campaign, with the Armeros being promoted to the top flight for the first time ever, and on 11 July 2014 renewed his link with the Basques for a further year.[6]

On 31 December 2014, Lillo extended his contract with the club until 2017.[7] On 5 July 2016, he mutually agreed to terminate his contract,[8] and signed a two-year deal with Sporting de Gijón just hours later.[9]

On 1 September 2017, free agent Lillo agreed to a two-year contract with CA Osasuna in the second level.[10]

Honours

Club

Eibar

Osasuna

International

Spain U20

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References
  1. Valencia 2–0 Almeria; ESPN Soccernet, 21 March 2010
  2. El Elche ficha a Lillo (Elche sign Lillo) Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Info Expres, 27 May 2010 (in Spanish)
  3. Lillo, ex del Valencia, ficha por filial (Lillo, formerly with Valencia, signs with reserves); Diario de Almería, 26 August 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. Alcoyano cierra la plantilla con el fichaje de Manuel Castellano 'Lillo' (Alcoyano close roster with signing of Manuel Castellano 'Lillo'); Diario Información, 9 November 2012 (in Spanish)
  5. El Eibar refuerza su zaga con el lateral Lillo, del Alcoyano (Eibar bolster defence with full-back Lillo, from Alcoyano); El Correo, 18 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  6. Presentación oficial de Lillo y Jaime Jiménez (Official presentation of Lillo and Jaime Jiménez); SD Eibar, 11 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  7. "Lillo renueva por dos temporadas más por la SD Eibar" [Lillo renews for two further seasons with SD Eibar] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  8. "SD SD Eibar y el jugador Manuel Castellano, conocido como Lillo, acuerdan rescindir contrato" [SD Eibar and Manuel Castellano, known as Lillo, agree to contract termination] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  9. "Lillo será presentado mañana a las 12.15 horas en Mareo" [Lillo will be presented tomorrow at 12.15 in Mareo] (in Spanish). Sporting Gijón. 5 July 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  10. "El Club Atlético Osasuna se refuerza con Lillo" [Club Atlético Osasuna bolster with Lillo] (in Spanish). CA Osasuna. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  11. ITA – ESP 1:2 (0:0) Archived 15 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Pescara 2009, 4 July 2009
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