Rafael Márquez
Mexican footballer and manager (born 1979)
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Key Takeaways
- Rafael Márquez Álvarez ( Spanish: [rafaˈel ˈmaɾkes] ; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican football coach and former player who played as a defender.
- Nicknamed El Káiser , he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and one of the best Mexican players of all time.
- In 2003, Márquez joined Barcelona, becoming the first ever Mexican to represent the club.
- In 2006, he became the first Mexican player to win the Champions League when Barcelona defeated Arsenal in the final.
- After being released from the club in 2012, he returned to his native Mexico, this time to play for León, captaining the team to back-to-back Liga MX titles in 2013 and 2014.
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (Spanish: [rafaˈel ˈmaɾkes] ; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican football coach and former player who played as a defender. He is currently the assistant coach of the Mexico national team. Nicknamed El Káiser, he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and one of the best Mexican players of all time.
Márquez began his career with Atlas in 1996, playing in over 70 games with the club before moving to France in 1999 with Monaco, where he won a Ligue 1 title. In 2003, Márquez joined Barcelona, becoming the first ever Mexican to represent the club. He would go on to play in over 240 games during seven seasons with the Blaugrana and win numerous honors, including four La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. In 2006, he became the first Mexican player to win the Champions League when Barcelona defeated Arsenal in the final. In 2010, Márquez joined Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls. After being released from the club in 2012, he returned to his native Mexico, this time to play for León, captaining the team to back-to-back Liga MX titles in 2013 and 2014. Márquez then transferred to Hellas Verona of the Italian Serie A. He returned to his boyhood club Atlas in 2015, and announced his retirement from football in April 2018.
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