Antonio Barragán facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Antonio Barragán

Barragán being presented at Valladolid
Personal information
Full name	Antonio Juan Barragán Fernández
Date of birth	(1987-06-12) 12 June 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Pontedeume, Spain
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Youth career
2002–2005	Sevilla
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	Liverpool	0	(0)
2006–2009	Deportivo La Coruña	26	(2)
2009–2011	Valladolid	41	(0)
2011–2016	Valencia	110	(1)
2016–2018	Middlesbrough	26	(0)
2017–2018	→ Betis (loan)	29	(0)
2018–2020	Betis	26	(0)
2020–2022	Elche	43	(0)
Total		301	(3)
International career
2005	Spain U17	4	(0)
2005–2006	Spain U19	11	(0)
2007	Spain U20	1	(0)
2007	Spain U21	5	(0)
2006	Galicia	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antonio Juan Barragán Fernández (born on June 12, 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side of the field.

Antonio spent most of his career playing in Spain's top two football leagues. He played for teams like Deportivo, Valladolid, Valencia, Betis, and Elche. He also had a short time playing in England with Liverpool and Middlesbrough. In total, he played 251 games in La Liga, which is Spain's top league, and scored three goals.

Barragán also represented Spain in youth tournaments, playing 21 games for his country's younger teams.

Antonio Barragán's Club Journey

Starting Out at Liverpool

Antonio Barragán was born in Pontedeume, a town in Galicia, Spain. In July 2005, when he was 18, he joined the English club Liverpool. Before this, he had not yet played for Sevilla FC's main team.

During the 2005–06 season, he mostly played for Liverpool's reserve team. He made one appearance for the main team. This happened when he came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match. He became the youngest foreign player to play for Liverpool's first team.

Playing for Deportivo

On August 4, 2006, Barragán signed a five-year contract with Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. This move cost €1 million. He started well at Deportivo, playing in the first eight La Liga matches. He even scored a goal in a 2–0 home win against Real Sociedad.

He shared the right-back position with another player, Manuel Pablo. However, in April 2008, he broke his knee. This injury kept him out of action for the rest of that season and all of the next season.

Later, Deportivo tried to end his contract without his agreement. Antonio took the club to court and won. He was awarded €400,000, and the club decided to keep him in the squad.

Time at Valladolid

In June 2009, Barragán moved to Real Valladolid on a three-year deal. He played one season in La Liga and one in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division. In the 2009–10 season, he played 17 league games, but the team was relegated to the second division.

Success at Valencia

On August 30, 2011, Barragán joined Valencia CF in a deal worth €1.5 million. In his first season, he, along with two other right-backs, played a similar number of games. Valencia finished third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

Antonio scored his first goal for Valencia on March 13, 2014. It was the first goal in a 3–0 away win against PFC Ludogorets Razgrad in the UEFA Europa League. He continued to compete for the starting right-back spot with another player, João Pereira.

On January 5, 2015, Barragán scored his only league goal for Valencia. This goal helped his team win 2–1 at home against Real Madrid. This victory ended Real Madrid's amazing 22-match unbeaten streak.

Back in England with Middlesbrough

After ten years in Spain, Barragán returned to England on July 15, 2016. He signed a three-year contract with Middlesbrough. He made his Premier League debut on August 13, playing the whole game in a 1–1 draw against Stoke City.

The season ended with Middlesbrough being relegated from the Premier League. During this season, Barragán was noted for committing eight fouls related to throw-ins.

Returning to Spain with Betis and Elche

On July 6, 2017, Barragán went back to Spain's top division. He joined Real Betis on a one-year loan deal. About a year later, his move to Betis was made permanent.

On October 4, 2020, Barragán signed a one-year contract with Elche CF. Elche had just returned to the top league. Antonio Barragán announced his retirement from football in February 2023, when he was 36 years old.

Playing for Spain's Youth Teams

Antonio Barragán was part of the Spain under-19 team. This team won the 2006 UEFA European Championship in Poland. A few months later, because he was playing well for Deportivo, he was called up to the under-21 team.

In December 2006, Barragán also played for the Galicia unofficial team. This was in a friendly match against Ecuador.

Career Numbers

Here's a look at Antonio Barragán's appearances and goals for different clubs and competitions:

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Barragán para niños