Jesús Maria Lacruz
Personal information
Full name Jesús María Lacruz Gómez
Date of birth (1978-04-25) 25 April 1978
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1993–1994 Osasuna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Osasuna B 34 (0)
1995–1997 Osasuna 48 (1)
1997–2006 Athletic Bilbao 224 (12)
2006–2009 Espanyol 48 (0)
2010–2012 Real Unión 56 (1)
Total 410 (14)
International career
1995–1996 Spain U18 6 (0)
1997 Spain U20 4 (0)
1998–2000 Spain U21 9 (0)
2000 Spain U23 5 (1)
2003–2005 Navarre 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Olympic medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's Football
Silver medal – second place2000 SydneyTeam Competition

Jesús María Lacruz Gómez (born 25 April 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a versatile defender.

He amassed La Liga totals of 272 games and 12 goals over the course of 12 seasons, representing Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol in the competition.

Club career

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Lacruz's professional career began in 1994 with hometown side CA Osasuna in the Segunda División, making his first appearance for the main squad aged just 17,[1] and in 1997 he joined Athletic Bilbao, where he made his La Liga debut in a 1–0 home win against Atlético Madrid on 13 September.[2] He was a regular starter for the latter in six of his nine seasons.

After 251 official matches with Athletic – five in the 1998–99 edition of the UEFA Champions League[3][4]– Lacruz moved to RCD Espanyol in summer 2006 for €300,000 on a three-year contract, reuniting with his former manager Ernesto Valverde.[5] His first competitive appearance took place on 17 August in a 0–1 home loss to FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España,[6] and he scored his first goal for his new team against A.S. Livorno Calcio in a UEFA Cup fixture.[7] In the same competition, he added another in a 2–1 away victory over SV Werder Bremen[8] as the Catalans went on to lose the final to Sevilla FC on penalties.[9] After only ten league appearances in the 2008–09 campaign, the 31-year-old left the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

On 14 January 2010, after several months without a club, Lacruz signed for modest Real Unión on a free transfer, until the end of the second-division season, thus returning to the Basque Country.[10] He appeared in 20 games in his first year (all starts), in an eventual relegation.[11]

International career

Lacruz was part of the Spain squad that won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, losing the final to Cameroon.[12] Additionally, he represented the nation at under-18, under-20 and under-21 levels.[13]

Honours

Espanyol

Spain U23

References

  1. ↑ "Aitor Buñuel, un debutante que ya destacó en el Interescolar" [Aitor Buñuel, newcomer who already showed promise in Interschool]. Noticias de Navarra (in Spanish). 17 May 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Castañeda, Eduardo (14 September 1997). "El 'anticiclón' pasa por San Mamés" [The 'anticyclone' goes through San Mamés]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  3. ↑ Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (19 September 2011). "Llorente jugará en Málaga su partido 250 con el Athletic" [Llorente will play 250th match with Athletic in Málaga]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Aramendia, Arkaitz (21 October 2014). "Un día para romper con el año 1998" [A day to break free from year 1998]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Lacruz ficha por el Espanyol" [Lacruz signs for Espanyol] (in Spanish). UEFA. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Aguilar, Francesc (18 August 2006). "La clase se impone" [Class gets on top] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Espanyol ease through against Livorno". UEFA. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Atkin, John (3 May 2007). "Espanyol ease into Glasgow final". UEFA. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  9. 1 2 Henderson, Charlie (16 May 2007). "Espanyol 2–2 Sevilla". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Jesús Mari Lacruz, presentado como nuevo jugador del Unión" [Jesús Mari Lacruz, presented as new Unión player]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 14 January 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  11. ↑ Cosín, Raúl (19 June 2010). "El Hércules vuelve a Primera catorce años después" [Hércules return to Primera fourteen years later]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Sidney 2000: Oro negro" [Sydney 2000: Black gold] (in Spanish). Recuerdos de Nigeria. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. ↑ González, M. (16 August 2022). "El exrojillo Mari Lacruz intenta ayudar a un corredor del Pilón y resulta cogido" [Former red Mari Lacruz tries to help a Pilón runner and is gored]. Noticias de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
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