Introduction
Alejandro "Álex" Grimaldo García (born 20 September 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Benfica as a left back.
Club career
Barcelona
Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Grimaldo joined Barcelona's youth system in 2008. He made his official debut for the B-team on 4 September 2011, starting in a 4–0 away win against Cartagena at the age of 15 years and 349 days and becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a Segunda División game.
On 23 February 2013, Grimaldo suffered a serious knee injury, being ruled out for the remainder of the season. He returned to action in January of the following year, appearing in 14 matches to help his team finish in third position.
On 13 September 2014, Grimaldo scored his first professional goal, netting his side's last in a 3–2 success at Alavés. In a campaign which saw the team relegated, he netted four times in 36 matches; he and Sergi Palencia were sent off on 25 April 2015, in a 2–1 win over Ponferradina at the Mini Estadi.
Benfica
On 29 December 2015, as his contract was about to expire, Grimaldo signed with Portuguese champions Benfica until 2021, for €1.5 million. Barcelona has the right to a percentage of a future sale.
Grimaldo played his first game with his new team on 26 January 2016, coming in as a 62nd-minute substitute for Sílvio in a 6–1 away routing of Moreirense for the Taça da Liga. On 29 February, he debuted in the Primeira Liga, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win against União da Madeira; he only appeared once more in the latter competition until the end of the season, filling in for suspended Eliseu in a 4–1 success over Nacional also at the Estádio da Luz that sealed the club's third consecutive national championship.
International career
Grimaldo gained his first cap for the Spanish under-21 team on 5 February 2013 – before he had turned 18 – playing the second half of a 1–1 friendly draw in Belgium.
Club statistics
- As of match played 1 November 2016
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | |||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||||
| 2013–14 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||||
| 2014–15 | 36 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 36 | 4 | |||||
| 2015–16 | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 92 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 92 | 6 | |||||
| Benfica | |||||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |
| Total | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | |
| Career total | 102 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 110 | 8 | |
Honours
Club
- Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2015–16
- Taça da Liga: 2015–16
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2016
Country
- Spain
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2012
- "Depois do "tri", o "hepta". Benfica goleia e vence Taça da Liga" [After "tri", "hepta". Benfica routs and wins League Cup] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- "La sub´19, campeona de Europa" [The U19, European champions] (in Spanish). La Nueva España. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2015.