Raúl Gaitán

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gaitán and the second or maternal family name is Ballesteros.

Raúl Gaitán Ballesteros (born 10 September 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right back.

Raúl Gaitán

Personal information
Full name	Raúl Gaitán Ballesteros
Date of birth	(1979-09-10) 10 September 1979 (age 45)[1]
Place of birth	Málaga, Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
1995–1997	Málaga
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Málaga B
1998–1999	Valladolid B
1999	Los Barrios
1999–2000	Juventud Torremolinos
2000–2001	Lucena
2001–2002	Andalucía
2002–2003	Toledo	22	(1)
2003–2004	Fuengirola	29	(13)
2004–2005	Alhaurino	32	(0)
2005–2007	Marbella	70	(3)
2007–2008	Málaga	2	(0)
2008–2010	Poli Ejido	59	(4)
2010–2011	Estepona	32	(1)
2011–2015	Jaén	106	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

Born in Málaga, Andalusia, Gaitán finished his youth career with local Málaga CF, but played lower league and amateur football until the age of nearly 23, successively representing Atlético Malagueño, Real Valladolid B, UD Los Barrios, Juventud de Torremolinos CF, Lucena CF and Andalucía CF. In the 2002–03 season he first arrived in Segunda División B, signing for CD Toledo.

In summer 2007, after four years with three clubs which included UD Marbella, Gaitán returned to Málaga, with the first team competing in Segunda División. He made his professional debut on 5 September, scoring in a 2–1 home win against Celta de Vigo for the campaign's Copa del Rey;^[2] on 17 November he first appeared in the league, netting in his own goal in a 4–2 triumph over Racing de Ferrol also at La Rosaleda Stadium.^[3]

Gaitán played in the third level in the following years, with Polideportivo Ejido,^[4] Unión Estepona CF^[5] and Real Jaén.^[6] The 33-year-old helped the latter side achieve promotion at the end of 2012–13, scoring twice in 35 games.

References

1. "Raúl Gaitán". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL Medien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
2. Raúl Gaitán y Apoño eliminan al Celta y dejan herido a Stoichkov (Raúl Gaitán and Apoño oust Celta and leave Stoichkov wounded); Diario AS, 6 September 2007 (in Spanish)
3. Parecido al 4–2 con el Ferrol (Looked like 4–2 against Ferrol); Diario Sur, 9 February 2009 (in Spanish)
4. Raúl Gaitán, procedente del Málaga CF, nuevo jugador del Polideportivo Ejido (Raúl Gaitán, from Málaga CF, new player of Polideportivo Ejido); Teleprensa, 20 August 2008 (in Spanish)
5. Unión Estepona: llega Raúl Gaitán. (Unión Estepona: Raúl Gaitán arrives); esFutbol, 10 August 2010 (in Spanish)
6. El Real Jaén ficha al defensa Raúl Gaitán, que fue jugador del Málaga (Real Jaén sign defender Raúl Gaitán, who was a Málaga player); Ideal, 13 July 2011 (in Spanish)

External links

• Raúl Gaitán at BDFutbol
• Raúl Gaitán at Soccerway