Christian Benítez facts for kids
Benítez with América in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt | ||
| Date of birth | 1 May 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Quito, Ecuador | ||
| Date of death | 29 July 2013 (aged 27) | ||
| Place of death | Doha, Qatar | ||
| Height | 1.68 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2005 | El Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | El Nacional | 84 | (29) |
| 2007–2011 | Santos Laguna | 95 | (51) |
| 2009–2010 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 30 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | América | 79 | (52) |
| 2013 | El Jaish | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 288 | (135) | |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2013 | Ecuador | 58 | (24) |
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Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt (born May 1, 1986 – died July 29, 2013), known as Chucho, was a famous Ecuadorian footballer. He played as a striker, scoring many goals for his teams.
Chucho started his career in Ecuador with El Nacional. Later, he moved to Santos Laguna in Mexico. There, he won the award for Best Player in 2008. He also played for Birmingham City in England.
After his time in England, he joined Club América in Mexico. This move cost a record US$10 million. He was a top scorer there. At the time of his passing, he was playing for El Jaish in Qatar.
Benítez also played for the Ecuador national football team 58 times. He scored 24 goals for his country. He represented Ecuador in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.
After his passing, the Ecuadorian Football Federation decided to retire his number 11 jersey. This was a special tribute to him. However, due to FIFA rules, the number had to be used again for the 2014 FIFA World Cup team.
Contents
About Christian Benítez's Life
Christian Benítez was born in Quito, Ecuador. His father, Ermen Benítez, was also a famous football player for Ecuador. In 2007, Christian married Liseth, whose father, Cléber Chalá, also played for Ecuador. They had twins in August 2009.
People often called him Chucho. This nickname is used in Spanish-speaking countries. It's a friendly way to refer to a small, lively dog.
Benítez's Club Football Journey
Playing for El Nacional
Christian Benítez showed great talent at El Nacional. His strong performances caught the eye of big clubs. Even Villarreal CF in Spain was interested in him.
He scored 29 goals in 83 league games for El Nacional. He helped his team win two championships: the 2005 Clausura and the 2006 League.
Success with Santos Laguna
In July 2007, Benítez moved to Santos Laguna in Mexico. His arrival made the team much stronger. They had an amazing season, beating many top Mexican clubs. In 2007, he was named the best Ecuadorian footballer playing outside Ecuador.
Even though Benfica from Portugal wanted him, Benítez stayed in Mexico. He scored 10 goals, helping Santos win the Clausura 2008 title. He was also chosen as the best player of that season.
Loan to Birmingham City in England
On June 3, 2009, Birmingham City announced they signed Benítez. He joined them on a three-year loan deal. This was a big move for the club.
He played his first game for Birmingham on August 16, 2009. It was against Manchester United. He almost scored, but the goalkeeper made a great save. His first start in the Premier League was on September 19.
Benítez scored his first goal for Birmingham on November 9 against Liverpool. He scored with a header in a 2-2 draw. He also scored two "classy goals" in an FA Cup match against Everton. However, he only scored four goals that season. Birmingham decided not to buy him permanently. He then returned to Santos Laguna.
Returning to Santos Laguna in 2010
On July 21, 2010, Benítez signed a new three-year deal with Santos Laguna. In his first tournament back, he was the top goal scorer. He scored 16 goals. Chucho helped Santos reach the 2010 Apertura Finals. They lost to Monterrey.
Joining Club América
Great Seasons with América (2011-2013)
Benítez joined América on May 22, 2011. The transfer fee was US$10 million. This was a record for a club in Mexico. He scored in his first game on July 24. It was a 2-1 win against Querétaro.
On August 21, 2011, Benítez scored his first hat-trick for América. This was against Atlas in a 5-2 win. He also scored in his first "Súper Clásico" match. Benítez ended the Clausura 2012 season with 14 goals. He was the league's top scorer.
Benítez continued his amazing form in the 2012–13 season. He scored his first goals of the season on July 28. This was in a 4-2 win over Chiapas. By November 11, he was again the joint top goal-scorer.
On March 2, 2013, Benítez scored another hat-trick. This time it was against Cruz Azul in a 3-0 win. He scored with two headers and a left-footed shot. On April 27, he scored a hat-trick to help América win 4-2 against Pachuca. Benítez was the Liga MX top scorer for the third season in a row. On May 26, América won the Liga MX 2013 Clausura championship. They beat Cruz Azul in a penalty shoot-out. Benítez scored the second penalty.
Time with El Jaish
Benítez left América on July 6, 2013. He signed a contract with El Jaish in Qatar. He played his first and only match for them on July 28. This was in the Sheikh Jassim Cup.
Christian Benítez's International Career
Benítez was a key player for the Ecuador national team. He played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Many people were surprised he was chosen, but he showed great speed and skill. He was even considered for the Best Young Player Award. His only appearance in the World Cup was against Germany.
He scored his first international goal in September 2006 against Peru. In April 2007, he scored again against Peru. He also scored in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland.
Benítez played in all three games during the 2007 Copa América. He scored a goal against Chile. In a friendly match against El Salvador in September 2007, he scored two goals.
He also scored important goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored against Bolivia and Chile.
A Sad Farewell and Lasting Memory
On July 29, 2013, Christian Benítez went to a hospital in Doha, Qatar. He was feeling a lot of pain. Sadly, a few hours later, he passed away at the age of 27. His passing was a great shock to the football world.
Tens of thousands of people came to say goodbye to him. His body was placed in a special casket in Quito, Ecuador. Many important people, including the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, attended his funeral.
After his passing, the Ecuadorian Football Federation announced they would retire his number 11 jersey. This was to honor his memory. His teammate Antonio Valencia even got a tattoo of Benítez's number. However, FIFA rules meant that the number 11 had to be used again for the 2014 FIFA World Cup team. Felipe Caicedo wore it.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| El Nacional | 2004 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2005 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 | ||||||
| 2006 | 38 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 50 | 16 | ||||||
| 2007 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 8 | ||||||
| Total | 84 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 101 | 30 | ||||||
| Santos Laguna | 2007–08 | Primera División | 40 | 17 | – | 40 | 17 | |||||
| 2008–09 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 19 | ||||||
| 2010–11 | 35 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 21 | ||||||
| Total | 95 | 51 | 12 | 6 | 107 | 57 | ||||||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2009–10 | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 36 | 4 | |
| América | 2011–12 | Primera División | 36 | 22 | – | 36 | 22 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 43 | 30 | – | – | 43 | 30 | ||||||
| Total | 79 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 52 | ||||||
| Career total | 288 | 135 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 7 | 323 | 143 | ||
International goals
- Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Benítez goal.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Final | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2006 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Peru |
1–0 | 1–1 | International friendly |
| 2 | 23 May 2007 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Republic of Ireland |
1–0 | 1–1 | International friendly |
| 3 | 6 June 2007 | Barcelona, Spain | Peru |
1–0 | 2–0 | International friendly |
| 4 | 26 June 2007 | Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela |  Chile |
1–2 | 2–3 | 2007 Copa América |
| 5 | 8 September 2007 | Quito, Ecuador |  El Salvador |
2–0 | 5–1 | International friendly |
| 6 | 4–1 | |||||
| 7 | 20 August 2008 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Colombia |
1–0 | 1–0 | International friendly |
| 8 | 6 September 2008 | Quito, Ecuador |  Bolivia |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 12 October 2008 | Quito, Ecuador | Chile |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 9 September 2009 | La Paz, Bolivia | Bolivia |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 4 September 2010 | Zapopan, Mexico |  Mexico |
1–0 | 2–1 | International friendly |
| 12 | 12 October 2010 | Montreal, Canada |  Poland |
1–0 | 2–2 | International friendly |
| 13 | 2–2 | |||||
| 14 | 17 November 2010 | Quito, Ecuador |  Venezuela |
1–0 | 4–1 | International friendly |
| 15 | 2–0 | |||||
| 16 | 1 June 2011 | Toronto, Canada |  Canada |
1–1 | 2–2 | International friendly |
| 17 | 2 September 2011 | Quito, Ecuador |  Jamaica |
3–0 | 5–2 | International friendly |
| 18 | 4–0 | |||||
| 19 | 6 September 2011 | Quito, Ecuador |  Costa Rica |
4–0 | 4–0 | International friendly |
| 20 | 7 October 2011 | Quito, Ecuador | Venezuela |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 15 November 2011 | Quito, Ecuador | Peru |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 10 June 2012 | Quito, Ecuador | Colombia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 21 March 2013 | Quito, Ecuador | El Salvador |
2–0 | 5–0 | International friendly |
| 24 | 26 March 2013 | Quito, Ecuador |  Paraguay |
3–1 | 4–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honors and Awards
Club Achievements
El Nacional
- Serie A: 2005 Clausura, 2006
Santos Laguna
- Mexican Primera División: Clausura 2008
Club América
- Liga MX: Clausura 2013
Individual Awards
- Serie A Best Player: 2006 Serie A
- Liga MX Golden Ball: Clausura 2008, Apertura 2012
- Liga MX Golden Boot: Apertura 2010, Clausura 2012, Apertura 2012, Clausura 2013
See also
In Spanish: Christian Benítez para niños
