Javi Moreno
Encyclopedia
Javier 'Javi' Moreno Valera (born 10 September 1974 in Silla, Valencia
) is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a striker.
Best known for his Alavés
stint, he also had short spells in Italy
and England
, with little impact, amassing La Liga
totals of 118 games and 38 goals.
's B team
. After stints with lowly Córdoba CF
and Yeclano Club de Fútbol
, he first joined Deportivo Alavés
in January 1998, with the Basque
side by then operating in Segunda División
.
After being instrumental in CD Numancia
first ever La Liga
promotion in 1998–99, Moreno returned to Alavés, shooting to prominence during his second spell, after playing a pivotal role in their run to the 2001 UEFA Cup final
. Along the way, defeated were the likes of Gaziantepspor
, Lillestrøm SK
, Rosenborg BK
, F.C. Internazionale Milano
, fellow league club Rayo Vallecano
and 1. FC Kaiserslautern
, before an eventual 4–5 extra time
loss to Liverpool
, with Moreno bagging two goals in three minutes (he also finished the league season with 22 strikes, good enough for third).
's A.C. Milan
to buy Moreno, amid attention from Europe's other elite clubs. However, he struggled immensely in his sole season, returning to Spain to join Atlético Madrid, freshly promoted to the top flight.
With goals hard to come by, a January 2004 loan move to Bolton Wanderers
ensued but, after eight goalless appearances for "The Trotters", including one in the season
's Football League Cup
final against Middlesbrough
, Moreno found himself on the move again, this time to Real Zaragoza
, where he appeared sparingly.
top scorer with 24 goals in 32 appearances. After three years, he was released by the club, subsequently joining lowly SE Eivissa-Ibiza, in the third level. As he did not play the amount of minutes he was expecting upon signing, he announced his retirement in December 2008.
Roughly one year after, Moreno returned to active aged 35, joining another club in division three, Lucena CF
, and retiring for good at the season's end.
in 2001 (his debut coming on 28 February against England
), scoring once.
Silla, Valencia
Silla is a municipality in the comarca of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community, Spain."Silla" means chair in the Spanish language. The etymology of Silla is not known for sure where it is coming from. Some say that it comes from the Arab Sila, other from the Latin language and others from Catalan...
) is a retired Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a striker.
Best known for his Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
stint, he also had short spells in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with little impact, amassing La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
totals of 118 games and 38 goals.
Early years / Alavés
Moreno made his professional debuts with FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
's B team
FC Barcelona B
Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their...
. After stints with lowly Córdoba CF
Córdoba CF
Córdoba Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Córdoba, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1954, it plays in Segunda División, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Arcángel, with a capacity of 18,280 seats....
and Yeclano Club de Fútbol
Yeclano Deportivo
Yeclano Deportivo is a Spanish football team based in Yecla, in the autonomous community of Murcia. Founded in 2004, it currently plays in Tercera División, holding home games at Estadio de La Constitución, which has a capacity of 4,000.-History:...
, he first joined Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
in January 1998, with the Basque
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
side by then operating in Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
.
After being instrumental in CD Numancia
CD Numancia
Club Deportivo Numancia de Soria, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded on 9 April 1945, it plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Nuevo Estadio Los Pajaritos, with a 10,200-seat capacity.Besides football it has other...
first ever La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
promotion in 1998–99, Moreno returned to Alavés, shooting to prominence during his second spell, after playing a pivotal role in their run to the 2001 UEFA Cup final
2001 UEFA Cup Final
The 2001 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Alavés of Spain on 16 May 2001 at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2000–01 edition of Europe's secondary cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Liverpool were...
. Along the way, defeated were the likes of Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969, Gaziantepspor are nicknamed the Şahinler . The club colours are black and red, and they play their home matches at Kamil Ocak Stadyumu....
, Lillestrøm SK
Lillestrøm S.K.
Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Lillestrøm. It was founded in 1917, after the merger of two local football clubs. Their home ground is Åråsen Stadion, while the principal training ground is Lillestrøm stadion, or the indoor arena, LSK-Hallen...
, Rosenborg BK
Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg Ballklub is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. With 22 league titles and nine Norwegian Cup titles, the club is the most successful in Norway and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s...
, F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, fellow league club Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
and 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
, before an eventual 4–5 extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
loss to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, with Moreno bagging two goals in three minutes (he also finished the league season with 22 strikes, good enough for third).
Abroad
His performances and goals during 2000–01 convinced Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
's A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
to buy Moreno, amid attention from Europe's other elite clubs. However, he struggled immensely in his sole season, returning to Spain to join Atlético Madrid, freshly promoted to the top flight.
With goals hard to come by, a January 2004 loan move to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
ensued but, after eight goalless appearances for "The Trotters", including one in the season
2004 Football League Cup Final
The 2004 Football League Cup Final was played between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium on 29 February 2004. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1 to clinch their first major trophy...
's Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, Moreno found himself on the move again, this time to Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
, where he appeared sparingly.
Return to Spain
Moreno refound his goalscoring form for old acquaintance Córdoba in July 2005, helping the club to promotion to the second division in 2007, while finishing the Segunda División BSegunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
top scorer with 24 goals in 32 appearances. After three years, he was released by the club, subsequently joining lowly SE Eivissa-Ibiza, in the third level. As he did not play the amount of minutes he was expecting upon signing, he announced his retirement in December 2008.
Roughly one year after, Moreno returned to active aged 35, joining another club in division three, Lucena CF
Lucena CF
Lucena Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Lucena, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1968, it plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Municipal de Lucena, with a capacity of 6.000 seats....
, and retiring for good at the season's end.
International career
Moreno played five games for SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in 2001 (his debut coming on 28 February against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
), scoring once.