 Alcaraz withEverton in 2014 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antolín Alcaraz Viveros[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1982-07-30)30 July 1982 (age 43)[1] | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Roque González, Paraguay[1] | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | |||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Teniente Fariña | ? | (?) | |||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Racing Club | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2002 | →Fiorentina (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Beira-Mar | 112 | (5) | |||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Club Brugge | 68 | (5) | |||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Wigan Athletic | 69 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Everton | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Las Palmas | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Libertad | 74 | (2) | |||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Olimpia | 80 | (6) | |||||||||||
| Total | 423 | (22) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Paraguay | 23 | (2) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Antolín Alcaraz Viveros (born 30 July 1982) is a Paraguayan former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back.
He rarely settled with a team in his early career, before signing in 2003 withBeira-Mar and remaining with the club five seasons, after which he joinedClub Brugge. He then spent five years in thePremier League, in service ofWigan Athletic and Everton; after one year in Spain withLas Palmas, he returned to his country.
Alcaraz representedParaguay at the2010 World Cup and the2011 Copa América, helping them to the final of the later tournament.
Hailing from a humble background, Alcaraz worked throughout his teenage years as abuilder's assistant in his hometown ofSan Roque González de Santa Cruz in theParaguarí Department. He started his career at Club Teniente Fariña in the city ofÑemby, but he did not have the intention of one day playing professional football.[3]
Whilst Alcaraz was working as a builder at the age of 18, he metscout and football agent Carlos Bruni who took him to Argentina'sRacing Club de Avellaneda. He appeared rarely during his spell.[3]
Alcaraz was loaned toACF Fiorentina in 2002, but the Italians soon faced bankruptcy and regrouped in theLega Pro Seconda Divisione. He then had a trial atU.S. Città di Palermo,[4] but nothing came of it.
In January 2003, Alcaraz signed for Portuguese clubS.C. Beira-Mar.[5] After seven appearances in half aseason, he became a defensive mainstay at theAveiro side. In2005–06 he helped them return to thePrimeira Liga, playing 31 matches.[6]
Alcaraz joinedClub Brugge KV in Belgium on 30 April 2007, with the deal being effective as of July.[7]
After a slowfirst season he also eventually became first choice, helping his team to two third-places and one second.
On 14 May 2010, Alcaraz signed withWigan Athletic on afree transfer for an undisclosed fee,[8][9] as his contract with Brugge was due to expire at the end of June;[10] his new manager,Roberto Martínez, stated that the player was in "the best form of his career" at that point.[11][12] He scored his first goal for the club againstSunderland on 11 September 2010, netting in the 86th minute for a 1–1 home draw.[13]
Alcaraz caused widespread controversy on 6 November 2011, when replays showed him spitting atWolverhampton Wanderers defenderRichard Stearman during a 3–1 defeat atMolineux Stadium.[14] He was handed a three-game suspension due to his actions,[15] but later issued an apology.[16]
On 7 May 2012, Alcaraz scored the game's only goal atBlackburn Rovers to retain the Latics' top-division safety, whilst relegating their opponent to theFootball League Championship.[17] He won the2013 FA Cup, featuring the full 90 minutes in the1–0 upset ofManchester City.[18] However, only three days later, with him on the pitch again, Wigan were relegated from the top division following a 1–4 away loss toArsenal.[19]
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On 9 July 2013, after becoming afree agent,[20] Alcaraz moved toEverton on a two-year deal as both he and goalkeeperJoel Robles followed coach Martínez to the club.[21] He made his competitive debut on 29 December after an injury struck his start tothe season, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 home win overSouthampton.[22]
On 26 April 2014, Alcaraz scored anown goal in the first minute of a 0–2 loss to Southampton.[23] On 1 January of the following year, he received his firstsending off as an Everton player, being shown two yellow cards in a 0–2 away defeat againstHull City which was the team's fourth successive ofthe festive period.[24]
On 10 June 2015, Alcaraz was released.[25]
On 2 August 2015, aged nearly 33, Alcaraz signed a one-year contract with newly promotedLa Liga sideUD Las Palmas with the option of a second one.[26] He scored his first goal on 23 September, helping bestSevilla FC 2–0 at home.[27]
During his spell at theEstadio Gran Canaria, Alcaraz made only seven competitive appearances due to injury. On 29 January 2016, he left by mutual consent.[28]
In February 2016, Alcaraz agreed to a deal atClub Libertad.[29] He made hisParaguayan Primera División debut the following month at the age of 33, in a 2–1 home victory againstCerro Porteño.
On 2 January 2019, Alcaraz signed withClub Olimpia of the same league.[30] Inhis debut campaign, he was part of the squad that won the national championship.[31][32]
In November 2008, Alcaraz received his first call-up to theParaguay national team at the age of 26.[33] He was picked for the squad present at the2010 FIFA World Cup; on 14 June, in the group stage opener againstItaly, in just his seventhcap, he headed home through a powerful header following aset piece in an eventual 1–1 draw inCape Town,[34] and went on to play all the matches (save one due to suspension) and minutes for the quarter-finalists.[35]
Alcaraz was again first choice for Paraguay during the2011 Copa América, held inArgentina. On 13 July, he scored the 1–1 equaliser againstVenezuela in an eventual 3–3 group stage draw.[36] Four days later, in the quarter-finals withBrazil, he was sent off after an altercation withLucas Leiva,[37] and the national side finished runners-up.[38]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Beira-Mar | 2002–03 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
| 2005–06 | Segunda Liga | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
| Total | 81 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 4 | ||
| Club Brugge | 2007–08 | Belgian Pro League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| Total | 68 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 4 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 2010–11 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 69 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 3 | ||
| Everton | 2013–14 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 231 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 256 | 13 | ||
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium,Cape Town, South Africa |  Italy | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup[34] |
| 2. | 13 July 2011 | Padre Ernesto Martearena,Salta, Argentina |  Venezuela | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2011 Copa América[36] |
Beira-Mar
Wigan Athletic
Libertad
Olimpia
Paraguay
Paraguay squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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