Damià Abella facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Damià Abella Pérez | ||
| Date of birth | 15 April 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Olot, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Full-back, midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2000 | Ferrán Martorell | ||
| 2000–2001 | Caprabo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2002 | Peralada | ||
| 2002–2003 | Valencia C | ||
| 2003–2004 | Figueres | 19 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | Barcelona B | 22 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Barcelona | 9 | (0) |
| 2006 | → Racing Santander (loan) | 18 | (3) |
| 2006–2010 | Betis | 79 | (2) |
| 2010–2014 | Osasuna | 120 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Middlesbrough | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 273 | (8) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004 | Catalonia | 4 | (0) |
|
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Damià Abella Pérez (born on April 15, 1982), known simply as Damià, is a Spanish former professional football player. He mostly played as a full-back.
Damià started his career at Barcelona. He played in La Liga, Spain's top football league, for nine seasons. During this time, he played 198 matches and scored five goals. He also played for Racing de Santander, Betis, and Osasuna. Later in his career, he spent two years playing in England for Middlesbrough.
Contents
Damià's Football Journey
Starting at Barcelona
Damià was born in Olot, Catalonia, Spain. His first professional team was Figueres in the Segunda División B league during the 2003–04 season. After that, he joined the famous club Barcelona. He was first assigned to their B team, Barcelona B.
Because many players in Barcelona's main team were injured, Damià got a chance to play. He made his first appearance in La Liga on October 30, 2004. He played as a right-back for the whole game against Athletic Bilbao, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Even though he played ten games for the main team that season, he mostly played for the reserve team.
In January 2006, Damià moved to Racing de Santander on a loan deal. He played mostly as a right midfielder. He scored his first goal in the top league on February 12, helping his team win 2–0 against Espanyol. He started 15 matches and helped Racing avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Playing for Betis
In the summer of 2006, Real Betis signed Damià for €1 million. He signed a five-year contract. However, he had a serious hip injury that he got while still playing for Racing. Because of this, he could not play for the entire 2006–07 season. He had surgery in the United States to fix his hip.
Damià finally made his first game for Betis on September 30, 2007. He played as a right-back in a 3–0 home win against Mallorca. He scored his first goals for Betis in the 2008–09 season. He scored in two games in a row early in the season. Sadly, his club was moved down to a lower league after nine years in La Liga.
Time at Osasuna
In July 2010, after Betis tried but failed to get back into the top league, Damià joined Osasuna. He played several seasons there, mostly as a left-back, even though he was naturally right-footed.
Moving to Middlesbrough
On August 16, 2014, Damià joined Middlesbrough in England. He moved on a free transfer, meaning no money was paid for him. He was signed by his fellow Spaniard, Aitor Karanka. He was cleared to play just hours before his first game against Leeds United. He played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 loss.
Damià left Middlesbrough in May 2016 when his contract ended. He played only seven games during his time there. He decided to retire from football at the age of 34.
Achievements
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05 season winner
See also
In Spanish: Damià Abella para niños
