Xavier 'Xavi' Companys Aguado (born 5 June 1968) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Xavi Aguado
Aguado in 2020
Personal information
Full name Xavier Companys Aguado
Date of birth (1968-06-05) 5 June 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth Badalona, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
Badalona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Badalona
1988–1990 Sabadell 50 (1)
1990–2003 Zaragoza 383 (22)
Total 433 (23)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent 13 years with Real Zaragoza – 12 in La Liga – appearing in nearly 500 official matches and winning three major titles.[1]

Club career

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Born in Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Aguado began playing as a senior with local club CF Badalona following a short spell in basketball. After two seasons at neighbours CE Sabadell FC in the Segunda División, he joined Real Zaragoza of La Liga for the 1990–91 campaign, quickly establishing as first choice whilst displaying aerial ability and leadership alike; he would be named captain early on.[2]

Aguado was part of the Zaragoza team that beat Arsenal in the final of the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[3][4] He was also on the winning side in the 2001 Copa del Rey Final, equalising an eventual 3–1 win over RC Celta de Vigo in Seville.[5]

From 1997 to 1999, Aguado scored a total of nine league goals, including a brace in a 2–2 home draw against SD Compostela on 28 September 1997.[6] However, during his 13-year career at the Aragonese, he also had a poor disciplinary record, collecting in the league alone 109 yellow cards and being sent off 18 times, the latter being an all-time worst in the competition[7][8] until both he and Pablo Alfaro were surpassed by Sergio Ramos in 2017.[9]

After Zaragoza's top-flight relegation in 2001–02, Aguado retired from professional football (he was still with the squad the following season, but made no appearances whatsoever) after 473 competitive games with the same club.[10]

Honours

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Zaragoza

References

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  1. ^ Hernández, Alfonso (17 November 2011). "El jugador que siempre estuvo allí (por Xavi Aguado)" [The player that was always there (by Xavi Aguado)]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b Gimeno, Marcos (27 March 2015). "Yo jugué en el Real Zaragoza: Xavi Aguado" [I played for Real Zaragoza: Xavi Aguado] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b "1994/95: Nayim's bolt from the blue sinks Arsenal". UEFA. 1 June 1995. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  4. ^ "¿Qué fue de 'los héroes de París'?" [What happened to the 'heroes of Paris'?]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 4 May 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  5. ^ a b Ortego, Enrique (1 July 2001). "Zaragoza, no hay quinta Copa mala" [Zaragoza, no such thing as a bad fifth Cup]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  6. ^ Andrés, Mariano (29 September 1997). "Ohen frustra la remontada" [Ohen frustrates comeback]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  7. ^ Andrés, Mariano (12 March 1997). "Aguado, perplejo ante el castigo que le cayó" [Aguado, lost for words after his punishment]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. ^ Marta, Laura (20 February 2013). "Los 12 más expulsados de la Liga" [The 12 with most ejections in League]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Ramos, 23 rojas: iguala a Alfaro y a Aguado con 18 en Primera" [Ramos, 23 reds: he equals Alfaro and Aguado with 18 in Primera]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 20 August 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. ^ "La afición zaragocista rindió homenaje a Xavi Aguado" [Zaragoza supporters paid homage to Xavi Aguado]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 30 May 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
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