Alfonso Pérez

Alfonso Pérez Muñoz (born 26 September 1972), known simply as Alfonso, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Having represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his career, Alfonso possessed above-average heading ability despite not reaching 180 cm. He appeared in 307 La Liga games for three teams (also had two spells with Real Betis), scoring 84 goals.

The recipient of nearly 40 caps for Spain, Alfonso appeared for the nation in one World Cup and two European Championships.

Club career

Alfonso was born in Getafe, in the outskirts of Madrid. In 1991, aged just 18, he made his professional debut with Real Madrid and, although he never carved a regular place in the starting XI – playing mostly as understudy to Emilio Butragueño first and then Iván Zamorano – helped the capital side to the 1995 national championship.

In the summer of 1995, Alfonso joined Real Betis. In his second year at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, he scored 25 La Liga goals which was the most goals by a player in a season in the club's history. Teaming up with Pier, the pair combined for 60 from 1995 to 1997, and helped the Andalusia team finish fourth in the latter.

Barcelona signed Alfonso for the 2000–01 campaign. The player had a difficult time adjusting at the Camp Nou, netting only twice in his first year and serving an unsuccessful loan spell at French Ligue 1 side Marseille in January 2002, alongside Real Madrid's Alberto Rivera.

Barcelona then loaned Alfonso to former club Betis, which signed him permanently at the end of the season. After another two seasons where he struggled with injuries and loss of form (ten scoreless games in 2004–05), he retired from football when his contract expired in June 2005, having scored more than 100 official goals during his career; he subsequently returned to Real Madrid, joining its veterans' team.

International career

Alfonso appeared in 38 games for Spain, making his debut in a friendly with England on 9 September 1992, in Santander. The most important of his 11 goals was scored against Yugoslavia in UEFA Euro 2000: the team was losing 3–2 in injury time, needing a win to qualify from the group at Norway's expense. In the 90th minute, a penalty was won and converted by Gaizka Mendieta, and with seconds remaining Alfonso volleyed a spectacular shot past Ivica Kralj for his second of the game and the win.

Alfonso also took part in all of the matches at Euro 1996, including against Bulgaria in which he scored the equaliser after just one minute on the pitch. Additionally, he played two 1998 FIFA World Cup games.

Alfonso was also a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Personal life

Alfonso is the older brother of another footballer, Iván Pérez Muñoz. Both Real Madrid youth graduates, they coincided one season at Betis and reunited at Real Madrid veterans.

Getafe's stadium, the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, was named after him, despite the fact that he never played professionally for his hometown club. His name was dropped from the stadium name in 2023 after he made disparaging remarks about female footballers in an interview.

Career statistics

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pérez goal.

List of international goals scored by Alfonso Pérez

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 December 1992	Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Latvia	flag alias = Flag of Latvia.svg	flag alias-pantone = Flag of Latvia (Textile).svg	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Latvian Air Forces.svg	link alias-air force = Latvian Air Force	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Latvia.svg	link alias-naval = Latvian Naval Forces	link alias-army = Latvian Land Forces	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Latvia.svg	link alias-navy = Latvian Naval Forces	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || align="center"|3–0 || align="center"|5–0 || 1994 World Cup qualification
2	6 September 1995	Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Cyprus	flag alias = Flag of Cyprus.svg	flag alias-1878 = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg	flag alias-1881 = Flag of Cyprus (1881–1922).svg	flag alias-colonial = Blue Ensign of Cyprus (1922).svg	flag alias-April 1960 = Flag of Cyprus (1960).svg	flag alias-1960 = Flag of Cyprus (1960–2006).svg	link alias-army = Cypriot Ground Forces	size =	name =	variant =	altlink = national football team }} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|6–0 || Euro 1996 qualifying
3	9 June 1996	Elland Road, Leeds, England	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Bulgaria	flag alias = Flag of Bulgaria.svg	flag alias-digital = Flag of Bulgaria (digital).svg	flag alias-1878 = Flag of Bulgaria.svg	flag alias-1947 = Flag of Bulgaria (1946–1948).svg	flag alias-1948 = Flag of Bulgaria (1948–1967).svg	flag alias-1968 = Flag of Bulgaria (1967-1971).svg	flag alias-1971 = Flag of Bulgaria (1971–1990).svg	flag alias-naval-1879 = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria (1878-1944).svg	flag alias-naval-1949 = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria (1949-1955).svg	flag alias-naval-1955 = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria (1955-1990).svg	flag alias-naval-1991 = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria 1991-2005.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria.svg	link alias-naval = Bulgarian Navy	flag alias-army = War flag of Bulgaria.svg	link alias-army = Bulgarian Land Forces	link alias-air force = Bulgarian Air Force	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Bulgaria.svg	link alias-navy = Bulgarian Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–1 || UEFA Euro 1996
4	4 September 1996	Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Faroe Islands	flag alias = Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg	size =	name =	altlink = national football team }} || align="center"|2–1 || rowspan="3" align="center"|6–2 || rowspan="3"|1998 World Cup qualification
5				4–1
6				6–1
7	12 February 1997	Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Malta	flag alias = Flag of Malta.svg	flag alias-1875 = Flag of Malta (1875–1898).svg	flag alias-1898 = Flag of Malta (1898–1923).svg	flag alias-1923 = Flag of Malta (1923–1943).svg	flag alias-1943 = Flag of Malta (1943–1964).svg	flag alias-unofficial-1943 = Flag of Malta (1943).svg	flag alias-colonial = Flag of Malta (1943-1964).svg	flag alias-civil = Civil Ensign of Malta.svg	link alias-naval = Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta	link alias-navy = Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta	flag alias-navy =Naval Jack of Malta.svg	flag alias-1814 = 19th Century Flag of Malta.svg	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || align="center"|2–0 || rowspan="2" align="center"|4–0 || rowspan="2"|1998 World Cup qualification
8				3–0
9	29 March 2000	Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Italy	flag alias = Flag of Italy.svg	flag alias-1861 = Flag of Italy (1861–1946).svg	flag alias-1943 = War flag of the Italian Social Republic.svg	flag alias-2003 = Flag of Italy (2003–2006).svg	flag alias-civil = Civil Ensign of Italy.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Italy.svg	flag alias-navy-1947 = Naval Ensign of Italy (1947-2013).svg	link alias-naval = Italian Navy	link alias-air force = Italian Air Force	link alias-army = Italian Army	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Italy.svg	link alias-navy = Italian Navy	link alias-roller hockey = Italy {{{mw}}} national roller hockey team	size =	name =	variant =	altlink = national football team	altvar = football }} ||align="center"| 1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || Friendly
10	21 June 2000	Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Federal Republic of Yugoslavia	shortname alias = Yugoslavia	flag alias = Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006).svg	name alias-football = FR Yugoslavia	link alias-football = Serbia and Montenegro national football team	link alias-ice hockey = Serbia and Montenegro national ice hockey team	link alias-basketball = Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team	link alias-volleyball = Serbia and Montenegro men's national volleyball team	link alias-handball = Serbia and Montenegro men's national handball team	link alias-water polo = Serbia and Montenegro men's national water polo team	link alias-baseball = Serbia and Montenegro national baseball team	flag alias-navy = Naval ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg	link alias-navy = Yugoslav War Navy	flag alias-naval = Naval jack of Serbia and Montenegro (1993–2006).svg	link alias-naval = Yugoslav War Navy	flag alias-air force = Fin flash of the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro.svg	link alias-air force = Yugoslav War Air Force	border-air force=	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	altvar = football	variant = }} || align="center"|1–1 || rowspan="2" align="center"|4–3 || rowspan="2"|UEFA Euro 2000
11				4–3

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1994–95
• Copa del Rey: 1992–93
• Supercopa de España: 1993

Betis

• Copa del Rey: 2004–05

Spain U23

• Summer Olympic Games: 1992

Individual

• Spanish Player of the Year: 1998

External links

• Template:BDFutbol
• Template:Webarchive
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• Template:PAGENAMEBASE – FIFA competition record (archived)Template:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
• Template:EU-Football.info