Fran Álvarez (footballer, born 1998)

Francisco Javier "Fran" Álvarez Rodríguez (born 21 January 1998) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Polish club Widzew Łódź.

Fran Álvarez
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Álvarez Rodríguez
Date of birth (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Benidorm, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Widzew Łódź
Number 10
Youth career
Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Villarreal C 31 (4)
2017–2020 Villarreal B 33 (2)
2020–2021 Valladolid B 29 (6)
2021–2023 Albacete 54 (4)
2023– Widzew Łódź 34 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 August 2024

Career

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Youth career

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Born in Socovos, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha,[1] Álvarez was a Villarreal CF youth graduate.[2]

Villareal CF

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He made his senior debut with the reserves on 19 August 2017, coming on as a second-half substitute for Dani Raba in a 1–0 Segunda División B away win over CD Atlético Baleares,[3][4] but spent the vast majority of the campaign playing for the C-team in Tercera División.[3]

Real Valladolid Promesas

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On 16 January 2020, Álvarez moved to another reserve team, Real Valladolid Promesas, which was also in the third division.[5]

Albacete Balompié

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On 7 July 2021, he signed a one-year deal with Albacete Balompié, freshly relegated to Primera División RFEF.[6]

On 21 June 2022, after being regularly used as Alba achieved promotion to the second division, Álvarez signed a new one-year contract with the club.[7] He made his professional debut on 9 October, replacing goalscorer Manu Fuster in a 1–1 home draw against CD Tenerife.[8]

Álvarez scored his first professional goal on 7 May 2023, netting the opener in a 5–0 away routing of UD Ibiza.[3][9]

Widzew Łódź

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On 26 June, he moved abroad for the first time in his career and signed a two-year contract with Polish Ekstraklasa side Widzew Łódź,[10] where he was assigned squad number #10. He debuted in his new club on 23 July 2023 in a 3–2 home victory over Puszcza Niepołomice. He also scored his first goal for Widzew in the 35th minute of that match. During that season, he played 31 times (of which 28 Ekstraklasa matches were played and three in the Polish Cup).[11] On 1 September 2024, he was given two yellow cards and, as a consequence, he received a red card and was sent off the pitch.[12][13][14][15]

References

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  1. ^ "Fran Álvarez". www.90minut.pl. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Zawodnik Widzew Łódź: Fran Álvarez". Widzew (in Polish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Spain - Fran Álvarez - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ng.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Atlético Baleares vs. Villarreal II - 19 August 2017 - Soccerway". ng.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Fran Álvarez, nuevo refuerzo del Promesas" [Fran Álvarez, new addition of Promesas] (in Spanish). El Día de Valladolid. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Fran Álvarez se une al proyecto del Alba" [Fran Álvarez joins the project of Alba] (in Spanish). Albacete Balompié. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Fran Álvarez seguirá vistiendo la camiseta del Alba" [Fran Álvarez will continue wearing the shirt of Alba] (in Spanish). Albacete Balompié. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  8. ^ "El Albacete resiste ante un Tenerife que no puede contra diez" [Albacete resist against a Tenerife which cannot handle ten man] (in Spanish). Marca. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Ibiza vs. Albacete - 7 May 2023 - Soccerway". ng.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Fran Alvarez zawodnikiem Widzewa Łódź" [Fran Alvarez joins Widzew Łódź] (in Polish). Widzew Łódź. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Fran Álvarez (season 2023–24)". www.90minut.pl. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  12. ^ S.A, Telewizja Polska (1 September 2024). "Fran Alvarez odbił piłkę i zobaczył czerwoną kartkę… Czy słusznie?". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Zły początek i czerwona kartka. Widzew przegrał z Jagiellonią". Łódzki Sport (in Polish). 1 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Kontrowersje w meczu Widzewa. Czy Alvarez zasłużył na czerwoną kartkę?". Łódzki Sport (in Polish). 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Fran Álvarez (season 2024–25)". www.90minut.pl. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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