- Melli (Spanish footballer)
-
Melli Personal information Full name Juan Alberto Andreu Alvarado Date of birth 6 June 1984 Place of birth Barbate, Spain Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) Playing position Defender Club information Current club Gent Number 6 Youth career 1988–2001 Betis Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001–2004 Betis B 57 (1) 2002 → Poli Ejido (loan) 2 (0) 2002–2010 Betis 177 (4) 2010–2011 Tenerife 25 (1) 2011– Gent 0 (0) National team 2000–2001 Spain U16 6 (1) 2001 Spain U17 4 (1) 2002–2003 Spain U19 8 (0) 2003 Spain U20 9 (0) 2003–2006 Spain U21 20 (1) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 August 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Andreu and the second or maternal family name is Alvarado.Juan Alberto Andreu Alvarado, aka Melli (born 6 June 1984 in Barbate, Cádiz, Andalusia), is a Spanish footballer who plays for K.A.A. Gent in the Belgian first division.
A versatile defender, he can appear as either a right or a central defender, and spent most of his professional career at Betis, for which he appeared in more than 200 official games, winning one Copa del Rey.
Contents
Club career
Melli joined Real Betis as a 14-year old, and made his way up through the ranks until he reached the reserve team in 2001. He served a small loan stint at Andalusia neighbours Polideportivo Ejido in the late stages of 2001–02, with two appearances in the second division.
Melli scored his first career goal through a header from a Joaquín corner kick, against CA Osasuna on 18 September 2004 (3–2 away loss). He also appeared in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup during the 2005–06 season. In the latter, he scored an essential goal away to AZ Alkmaar which allowed Betis to progress into the next round[1]- this came just one week after having scored two unfortunate own goals against FC Barcelona in a league match at the Camp Nou.[2]
Melli won his first medal for Betis during the 2005 Spanish Cup final against Osasuna at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on 11 June 2005, playing the full 90 minutes plus extra time in an eventual 2–1 win. He continued to be a defensive presence in the following seasons for the Verdiblancos, playing an average of 25 league matches, and suffering relegation in 2008–09.
In late August 2011, after another relegation, now with CD Tenerife (in the second division) whom he joined in the 2010 summer - a second consecutive for the Canary Islands club - Melli moved abroad for the first time and signed for K.A.A. Gent in Belgium, joining compatriot César Arzo.
International career
Melli represented the Spanish national team at under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.
Honours
- Betis
- Spain U16
- Spain U19
- Spain U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: Runner-up 2003
Personal
Melli's nickname stems from the Spanish word mellizo (twin), as he himself is a twin. His brother Víctor is also a footballer, also being nicknamed Melli. A goalkeeper, he never played in higher than the fourth division during his career.[3]
References
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- Futbolme profile (Spanish)
- Melli – FIFA competition record
- Transfermarkt profile
2 Alexis • 3 Peña • 4 C. García • 5 Melli (c) • 6 Vitolo • 7 Coro • 8 Iniesta • 9 S. García • 10 Manu • 11 Gavilán • 12 Bouzón • 13 Riesgo • 14 Arizmendi • 15 Goikoetxea • 16 Gabi • 17 Juanfran • 18 Pina • 19 Tello • 20 Rubén • Coach: Ufarte
•K.A.A. Gent – current squad 1 Boeckx · 2 M'Sila · 3 Šuler · 4 Myrie · 5 Nahayo · 6 Melli · 7 Smolders · 8 Thijs · 9 Mboyo · 10 Jørgensen · 11 El Ghanassy · 12 Hendrickx · 13 N'Diaye · 14 Barić · 15 Arzo · 16 Coulibaly · 17 van der Bruggen · 18 Bâ · 19 Rafinha · 20 Bruzzese · 21 Montaño · 22 Škarabot · 24 Soumahoro · 25 Wallace · 26 Lepoint · 27 Vogels · 28 Conté · 30 Ljubijankič · 31 Grondin · 33 Padt · Manager: Sollied
Categories:- 1984 births
- Living people
- People from Cádiz (province)
- Twin people
- Spanish footballers
- Association football defenders
- La Liga footballers
- Real Betis footballers
- Polideportivo Ejido footballers
- CD Tenerife players
- Belgian Pro League players
- K.A.A. Gent players
- Spain youth international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Belgium
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.