Albert Luque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Albert Luque

Luque as an Ajax player in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Albert Luque Martos
Date of birth	(1978-03-11) 11 March 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth	Terrassa, Spain
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Winger, striker
Youth career
1985–1991	Can Parellada
1991–1996	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1997	Barcelona C
1997–1999	Mallorca B	62	(25)
1999–2002	Mallorca	67	(24)
1999–2000	→ Málaga (loan)	23	(3)
2002–2005	Deportivo La Coruña	101	(26)
2005–2007	Newcastle United	21	(1)
2007–2009	Ajax	16	(4)
2008–2009	→ Málaga (loan)	32	(8)
2009–2011	Málaga	19	(1)
Total		341	(92)
National team
1998–2000	Spain U21	13	(3)
2000	Spain U23	2	(0)
2002–2005	Spain	17	(2)
2002–2006	Catalonia	3	(2)
Honours Men's Football Representing  Spain Olympic Games Silver 2000 Sydney Team Competition
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Albert Luque Martos (born on March 11, 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He mostly played as a left winger or a striker.

He played for 14 years as a professional. He spent most of his career with Mallorca and Deportivo. In Spain's top league, La Liga, he played 248 matches and scored 61 goals over 11 seasons. He also played in England for Newcastle United and in the Netherlands for Ajax.

Albert Luque played for the Spanish national team in the early 2000s. He represented Spain at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.

Club Career Highlights

Albert Luque was born in Terrassa, Spain. He grew up supporting FC Barcelona and even tried out for their team. However, he was released by their C team when he was 19 years old.

Playing for Mallorca

After leaving Barcelona, Luque joined RCD Mallorca. He first played for their reserve team. Later, he joined the main squad after a successful loan period at Málaga CF.

In the 2000–01 season, Luque scored nine goals for Mallorca. This helped his team finish third in the league. This was a big achievement, as it allowed Mallorca to play in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. He even scored a key goal in extra time against HNK Hajduk Split to help them reach the group stage.

Time at Deportivo

On August 29, 2002, Luque moved to Deportivo de La Coruña. In his first season, 2002–03, he scored important goals. One memorable goal was a bicycle kick against his old club, Málaga. He scored 12 goals in La Liga that season, often coming on as a substitute.

In the 2003–04 season, Luque became a regular starter. He scored the winning goal against Rosenborg BK in the Champions League qualifying round. He also scored important goals in the knockout stages against strong teams like Juventus FC and AC Milan. He added 11 more goals in the Spanish league that year.

Joining Newcastle United

On August 27, 2005, Luque moved to Newcastle United F.C. in England. He signed a five-year contract with the club. He made his first appearance against Manchester United. In his next game, he got a hamstring injury while playing against Fulham. After returning, he played in different positions but struggled to score many goals.

On April 17, 2006, Luque scored his first goal for Newcastle. It was in a local derby match against Sunderland. He chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to score. He hoped to score more goals that season, but he did not play in the remaining games.

Luque scored his first goal at Newcastle's home stadium against Lillestrom S.K. in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. He also scored in a UEFA Cup match against U.S. Città di Palermo. There were some questions about his transfer from Deportivo to Newcastle.

Moving to Ajax

On August 25, 2007, Ajax in the Netherlands announced they had signed Luque. On September 30, he scored his first two goals for the team. He helped Ajax win 6–1 against VVV-Venlo. However, he got a small injury after scoring.

Luque had a disagreement with a teammate during a game in November 2007. This led to both players being taken off the field. In July 2008, it was reported that Luque would be leaving Ajax.

Back to Málaga

Just before the transfer deadline on September 1, 2008, Luque returned to Málaga CF on a one-year loan. He had played for Málaga before, nine years earlier. On November 30, 2008, he scored his first goal in his second time at Málaga. He helped the team win 4–2 against CA Osasuna. He was an important player as Málaga tried to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

On July 30, 2009, Málaga signed Luque permanently from Ajax. He played mostly as a substitute under the new coach. In the 2010–11 season, Luque did not play much for Málaga. In December 2010, the club decided to release him. His release was confirmed on January 4, 2011.

International Career

Luque played for Spain at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played two matches as the Spanish team won a silver medal in Sydney. After a good season with Mallorca, he was called up to the senior national team.

He made his international debut at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. His first game was a 3–2 win against South Africa on June 12, 2002. He also played in the win against the Republic of Ireland.

Two years later, Luque played at UEFA Euro 2004. He played as a left winger in the 1–0 loss to host country Portugal. His last game for Spain was on September 7, 2005. It was a World Cup qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro.

International goals

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

List of international goals scored by Albert Luque

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 October 2004	El Sardinero, Santander, Spain	Belgium	1–0	2–0	2006 World Cup qualification
2	4 June 2005	Mestalla, Valencia, Spain	Lithuania	1–0	1–0	2006 World Cup qualification

Managerial Career

On April 29, 2019, Albert Luque joined the staff of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. In December 2022, he became the sporting director for the federation. This happened after the Spanish team was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup.

Personal Life

In November 2006, Luque was driving to Newcastle International Airport. He was going to a UEFA Cup game in Germany. He had to stop his car because of a flat tire. Soon after he got out to make a phone call, a lorry hit his empty car and destroyed it. Despite this, he managed to get a flight to Germany and played in the match.

Honours

Mallorca

• Supercopa de España: 1998

Deportivo

• Supercopa de España: 2002

Newcastle United

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006

Spain U23

• Summer Olympic Games silver medal: 2000

See Also

In Spanish: Albert Luque para niños