Rafa Santacruz

Rafa Santacruz
Personal information
Full name	Rafael Carlos Santacruz Aragonés
Date of birth	27 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Córdoba, Spain
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
	Valladolid
Senior career*
Years	Team
2003–2004	Valladolid B
2004–2005	Valencia B
2005	Valencia
2005–2006	Real Madrid C
2006–2007	Real Madrid B
2007–2008	Ceuta
2008–2009	Linares
2009–2010	Conquense
2010–2011	Albacete
2011	Hospitalet
2011–2012	Puertollano
2012–2013	Pozoblanco
2013–2015	Lucena
2015–2016	Ciudad Lucena
2016–2017	Pozoblanco
2017–2019	Atlético Porcuna
2019–2021	Pozoblanco
2021–2024	Atlético Espeleño
International career
1999	Spain U16
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 May 2024

Rafael "Rafa" Carlos Santacruz Aragonés (born 27 January 1983) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central defender.

Club career

Santacruz was born in Córdoba, Andalusia. After starting out at Real Valladolid Promesas, he joined Valencia CF's reserves. On 10 April 2005, he made his only La Liga appearance with the latter's first team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 home draw against Málaga CF.^[1]

Subsequently, Santacruz spent one season apiece for Real Madrid's C and B sides, suffering relegation from Segunda División with the latter in 2007. After that, he returned to Segunda División B and represented in quick succession AD Ceuta, CD Linares and UB Conquense.^[2]

In the summer of 2010, the 27-year-old Santacruz went back to division two, signing for Albacete Balompié.^[3] In the following transfer window, however, he left without one single official appearance and resumed his career in the third tier. He retired well into his 30s, having competed in the Tercera División^[4] and the Andalusian regional leagues.^[5]

References

^ Valencia 2–2 Málaga; ESPN Soccernet, 10 April 2005
^ Balderas, Miguel Ángel (26 November 2013). "La última plantilla que descendió con el Castilla. ¿Qué fue de ellos?" [The last squad to be relegated with Castilla. What happened to them?] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
^ El Albacete confirma los fichajes del delantero Asen y del defensa Santacruz (Albacete confirm signings of forward Asen and defender Santacruz); Marca, 14 July 2010 (in Spanish)
^ Rafa Santacruz volverá a vestir la elástica del Club Deportivo Pozoblanco (Rafa Santacruz will don Club Deportivo Pozoblanco jersey again); Hoy al Día, 10 July 2016 (in Spanish)
^ El Porcuna se aprovecha del Oriente, que no arranca (Porcuna take advantage of Oriente, who do not get it started); Ideal, 24 September 2018 (in Spanish)

External links

Rafa Santacruz at BDFutbol
Rafa Santacruz at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
Rafa Santacruz at Soccerway

[1] Valencia 2–2 Málaga; ESPN Soccernet, 10 April 2005

[2] Balderas, Miguel Ángel (26 November 2013). "La última plantilla que descendió con el Castilla. ¿Qué fue de ellos?" [The last squad to be relegated with Castilla. What happened to them?] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 20 January 2020.

[3] El Albacete confirma los fichajes del delantero Asen y del defensa Santacruz (Albacete confirm signings of forward Asen and defender Santacruz); Marca, 14 July 2010 (in Spanish)

[4] Rafa Santacruz volverá a vestir la elástica del Club Deportivo Pozoblanco (Rafa Santacruz will don Club Deportivo Pozoblanco jersey again); Hoy al Día, 10 July 2016 (in Spanish)

[5] El Porcuna se aprovecha del Oriente, que no arranca (Porcuna take advantage of Oriente, who do not get it started); Ideal, 24 September 2018 (in Spanish)

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