Xavi Torres

Xavi Torres

Torres playing with Levante in 2012
Personal information
Full name Xavier Torres Buigues
Date of birth (1986-11-21) 21 November 1986
Place of birth Xàbia, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Sporting Gijón
Number 21
Youth career
1994–2006 Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Villarreal B
2006–2007 Alicante 36 (4)
2007–2009 Barcelona B 59 (5)
2009 Barcelona 2 (0)
2009–2012 Málaga 11 (1)
2010–2012 → Levante (loan) 69 (5)
2012–2013 Getafe 35 (0)
2013–2016 Betis 48 (2)
2016– Sporting Gijón

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2016.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Torres and the second or maternal family name is Buigues.

Xavier 'Xavi' Torres Buigues (born 21 November 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Sporting de Gijón as a defensive midfielder.

Club career

Early years

Born in Xàbia, Alicante, Valencian Community, Torres played his youth career at two clubs, including Villarreal CF where he finished his formation in 2006. He made his professional debut at another club in the region, Alicante CF, in the 2006–07 Segunda División B.

Barcelona

In the 2007 summer, Torres signed for FC Barcelona, spending the vast majority of his two-year spell with the reserve team, which he helped return to the third level in his debut campaign, as the Catalans were coached by young Pep Guardiola.

Torres made his La Liga debut on 17 May 2009, appearing for the already crowned champions in a 1–2 away loss against RCD Mallorca. After the match, the player said that he was very grateful to Guardiola – promoted to first-team manager in the previous summer – for giving him an opportunity to play in the main squad;[1][2] it would be the first of two appearances.

Málaga

On 12 June 2009, Málaga CF signed Torres on a free transfer for four seasons.[3] He scored his first goal with the Andalusians on 30 August, closing the score at 3–0 against Atlético Madrid in the 89th minute, in the season's opener.[4]

On 13 September 2009, Torres made his Málaga debut as a starter, in a 0–1 defeat at Deportivo de La Coruña, being replaced by Victor Obinna in the 84th minute.[5] However, he appeared rarely in his first year and, on 7 June 2010, was loaned to freshly-promoted side Levante UD.[6] He made his debut on 28 August, playing the entire 1–4 home loss against Sevilla FC.

Levante

In early December 2010, Torres was linked with a potential move to Everton,[7] but nothing came of it. He rarely missed a game for Levante – being the second most used player in the squad – as the Valencian team finally retained their top division status. In July 2011, the move was extended for a further season.

Torres scored his first goal for the Granotas on 20 November 2011, in a 2–3 defeat at Atlético Madrid.[8] He ended the campaign with five as they finished sixth and qualified to the UEFA Europa League for the first time ever.

Getafe

On 31 May 2012, Levante activated the €300.000 buying option it had on Torres, offering the player a four-year contract[9] which he refused.[10] On 1 August, after lengthy negotiations, he signed a four-year deal with fellow league side Getafe CF for a fee of approximately €500.000.[11]

Torres started in most of his league appearances for the Madrid outskirts club (37 official contests during the season), his first being on 26 August 2012 in a 2–1 home win against Real Madrid, where he featured the 90 minutes.[12]

Betis

On 7 August 2013, Torres signed for four seasons with Real Betis. He scored his first competitive goal 22 days later, grabbing their last in a 6–0 home routing of FK Baumit Jablonec for the Europa League playoff round.[13] In December, however, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in a game against HNK Rijeka for the same competition, being sidelined for the rest of the campaign,[14] which ended with relegation to the second tier.

Sporting Gijón

On 15 August 2016, Torres terminated his contract with the Verdiblancos and signed a one-year deal with Sporting de Gijón just hours later.[15]

Club statistics

As of 28 April 2012[16]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Alicante 2006–07 36410--374
Total 36410--374
Barcelona B 2007–08 334----334
2008–09 261----261
Total 595----595
Barcelona 2008–09 20000020
Total 20000020
Málaga 2009–10 11140--151
Total 11140--151
Levante 2010–11 35030--380
2011–12 31530--345
Total 66560--725
Career totals 174151100018515

Honours

Barcelona
Betis

References

  1. ↑ El Mallorca desluce la celebración del Barça (Mallorca darkens Barça celebration); El Mundo, 17 May 2009 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Xavi Torres thrilled with Barcelona debut Archived 21 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.; Tribal Football, 18 May 2009
  3. ↑ Malaga sign Barcelona's Xavi Torres; The Guardian, 12 June 2009
  4. ↑ Málaga 3–0 Atlético Madrid; ESPN Soccernet, 30 August 2009
  5. ↑ Filipe strike enough for Depor; ESPN Soccernet 13 September 2009
  6. ↑ Xavi Torres, al Levante (Xavi Torres, to Levante); Marca, 7 July 2010 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ English eyes on Torres; Sky Sports, 6 December 2010
  8. ↑ Atletico edge Levante in thriller; ESPN Soccernet, 20 November 2011
  9. ↑ El Levante ejerce la opción de compra por Xavi Torres (Levante exercise buying option on Xavi Torres); Diario AS, 31 May 2012 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Xavi Torres vuelve al Málaga por ahora (Xavi Torres returns to Málaga for the time being) Archived 2 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine.; El Desmarque, 28 June 2012 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ Xavi Torres ficha por cuatro temporadas (Xavi Torres signs for four seasons); Mundo Deportivo, 1 August 2012 (Spanish)
  12. ↑ El Madrid no aprende (Madrid does not learn); Marca, 26 August 2012 (Spanish)
  13. ↑ "Real Betis 6–0 FK Jablonec: A la Europa League por la puerta grande con Rubén Castro" [Real Betis 6–0 FK Jablonec: To the Europa League through the front door with Rubén Castro] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Xavi Torres se rompe el tendón de Aquiles del pie izquierdo" [Xavi Torres fractures Achilles tendon in left foot] (in Spanish). Marca. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "Xavi Torres llega a Gijón procedente del Betis" [Xavi Torres arrives in Gijón from Real Betis] (in Spanish). Sporting de Gijón. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  16. ↑ "Xavi Torres". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
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