 Benítez withAmérica in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1986-05-01)1 May 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Quito, Ecuador | ||
| Date of death | 29 July 2013(2013-07-29) (aged 27) | ||
| Place of death | Doha, Qatar | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2005 | El Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | El Nacional | 84 | (29) |
| 2007–2011 | Santos Laguna | 95 | (51) |
| 2009–2010 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 30 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | América | 79 | (52) |
| 2013 | El Jaish | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 288 | (135) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2013 | Ecuador | 58[3] | (24) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Christian Rogelio "Chucho" Benítez Betancourt (1 May 1986 – 29 July 2013) was an Ecuadorian professionalfootballer who played as astriker.
He began his career withEl Nacional in Ecuador and then joinedSantos Laguna, with whom he won the award for Best Player of theClausura 2008.[4] He spent the 2009–10 season onloan toPremier League clubBirmingham City, and then moved toClub América for a Mexican record US$10 million, where he was a regular scorer. He played forEl Jaish of theQatar Stars League at the time of his death. Benitez played 58 times for theEcuador national football team from his debut in 2005, scoring 24 goals. He played for them at the2006 FIFA World Cup and twoCopa America tournaments.
Following his death, theEcuadorian Football Federation retired Benítez's number 11 jersey from the national team.[3] However, due to FIFA regulations they had to reinstate it for the2014 World Cup squad.[5]
Benitez was born inQuito,[1] the son of former Ecuador international footballerErmen Benítez,[6] and Rita Betancourt.[7] In 2007, he married Liseth, daughter ofCléber Chalá, also an Ecuador international;[8] she gave birth to twins in August 2009.[9]
He played under the nicknameChucho, a name "used in the Spanish-speaking Americas when referring affectionately to a small, pesky dog".[10]
Due to a series of strong performances forEl Nacional, Benítez was scouted by clubs such asVillarreal of Spain,[11] though El Nacional denied any knowledge of the rumoured interest.[12]
Benítez contributed 29 goals in 83 league matches as El Nacional won both the 2005 Clausura and 2006 League Championships.
In July 2007, he moved toSantos Laguna of theMexican Primera División. With his arrival and that ofVicente Matías Vuoso, Santos had an impressive season with wins over several top Mexican clubs. In 2007, Benítez received an award as the best Ecuadorian footballer playing outside Ecuador,[13] succeedingPSV Eindhoven'sÉdison Méndez.[citation needed]
Despite interest from Portuguese clubBenfica,[14] Benítez decided to remain in Mexico. His 10 goals made a major contribution to Santos winning theClausura 2008 title, and his personal reward was selection as best player of the season.[4]
On 3 June 2009,Birmingham City announced the signing of Benítez on a three-year contract for an undisclosed club record transfer fee, which press reports speculated to be in the region of £6 million rising to £9m.[15] The move was subject to the striker receiving a work permit and passing a medical.[6][16] The medical revealed unforeseen knee problems,[17] which prompted the deal to be renegotiated on a "protected purchase" basis. The club would pay an initial $2m (£1.2m) with an option to abort the deal on medical grounds after the first year; thereafter the fee could potentially rise, depending on appearances and success, to a club record $12.5m (£7.7m).[18][19] The player eventually signed on 7 July.[18] The club later clarified that the initial £1.2m was in fact a loan fee.[20][21] While recovering from shoulder surgery and awaiting his visa, Benítez played in an all-star match in Ecuador without asking the club's permission.[22]
He made his debut as a second-halfsubstitute in Birmingham's opening match of the season, a 1–0 defeat atManchester United, and came close to equalising, drawing a "wonderful one-handed diving save" fromBen Foster.[23] His first Premier League start came againstHull City on 19 September; he played a key role in a 1–0 win and "could have had a hat-trick but for the supreme goalkeeping ofBoaz Myhill".[24] Benítez scored his first goal for the Blues on 9 November away toLiverpool, with a close-range header afterScott Dann had nodded the ball on, in a game which finished 2–2.[25] He scored the first of what managerAlex McLeish described as "two classy goals" as Birmingham knockedEverton out of theFA Cup atGoodison Park.[26] However, after his season produced only four goals and Birmingham's attempt to renegotiate the agreed transfer fee was unsuccessful, the club chose not to take up their option to purchase, and the player returned to Santos Laguna.[27][28]
On 21 July 2010, Benítez signed a new three-year deal with Santos Laguna,[29] in the first tournament after his return he was the top goalscorer with 16 goals. Leading the scoring table, Chucho led Santos to the 2010 Apertura Finals, losing toMonterrey.
Benitez signed to play forAmérica on 22 May 2011. The transfer fee was reported to be of $10 million, which established a record for a club in Mexico. He scored a goal in his debut on 24 July in the 2–1 win againstQuerétaro. On 21 August, Benítez made his first hat trick with América againstAtlas in a 5–2 win. In his firstSúper Clásico, Benítez scored a header in a 3–1 loss toChivas.
Benítez scored the opening goal for Club América's Clausura 2012 season in a 2–0 win against Querétaro. He ended the season with 14 goals and ended up being the league's top scorer along withIván Alonso.
Benítez played his first game of the2012–13 season on 21 July against Monterrey, in a 0–0 away draw. On 28 July, he scored his first goals of the season in a 4–2 victory overChiapas. On 11 November, Benitez became joint top goal-scorer of the 2012 Apertura alongside Atlante'sEsteban Paredes. Three days later, he scored both goals in a 2–0 play-off quarter-final win away toMorelia.
Benítez scored his first goals of the 2013 Clausura season in a 2–0 away win against Jaguares de Chiapas. On 2 March, he scored a hat trick, 2 headers and a left-footed strike againstCruz Azul in a 3–0 win. On 27 April, after losing 2–0 in an away match against Pachuca, Benitez scored a hat-trick to lead América to a 4–2 win. Benitez ended up as the Clausura 2013 Liga MX top scorer for the third consecutive season. On 26 May Benitez became Liga MX 2013 Clausura champions after defeating Cruz Azul 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out, where he converted the second penalty.
Benítez left the club on 6 July 2013, and signed a contract with Qatari clubEl Jaish.[30] He made his debut in a match againstQatar SC in theSheikh Jassim Cup on 28 July "without complaining of any health problems", according to El Jaish officials.[31] This was the only match he played for the club. A day later, he died from cardiac arrest at age 27.
Benítez was a member of theEcuador national team at the2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Although considered by many as a surprise selection by coachLuis Fernando Suárez, he had impressed with his speed, elusiveness and skill in pre-World Cup showings against theNetherlands andJapan, in addition to his2006 Copa Libertadores experience. He was a candidate for the Gillette Best Young Player Award, a new award made at the end of theFIFA World Cup to the best young player born on or after 1 January 1985. His only appearance was in the 3–0 loss toGermany, replacingFelix Borja midway through the match.
His first international goal came in September 2006 againstPeru. Then, in April 2007, he scored another goal against Peru in Ecuador's 2–0 win in a friendly match held in theMini Estadi in Barcelona, Spain. He also scored in a 1–1 draw with theRepublic of Ireland, also in a friendly, played inNew Jersey on 23 May 2007.[32] This added to the belief that he could excel in Europe.[33]
Benítez started all three games during the2007 Copa América, scoring againstChile as Ecuador were eliminated in the first stage, losing all three matches. In an international friendly againstEl Salvador on 8 September 2007, Benítez scored twice in an emphatic 5–1 home win in Quito.[34]
In a2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstBolivia, he scored his country's third goal in a 3–1 win.[35] A month later, he scored the only goal against Chile.[36]
On 29 July 2013, Benítez entered a hospital inDoha,Qatar, because of a severe pain in his abdomen. According toMiguel Herrera and other teammates in an interview with Mexican morning showMatutino Express, he did not receive immediate medical attention and a few hours later, Benítez went intorespiratory failure.[37] He died from complications leading tocardiac arrest at theage of 27.[38][39]
Tens of thousands of people filed past the body, which lay in a glass-topped casket in theColiseo General Rumiñahui in Quito, before the public funeral ceremony, which was attended by sporting and political figures including the president of Ecuador,Rafael Correa. The cortege received a police motorcycle escort through crowded streets to a private interment.[40][41]
Following his death, theEcuadorian Football Federation announced that it would retire his number 11 jersey from the national team.[3] FIFA regulations required Ecuador to reinstate number 11 to their squad for the2014 World Cup in Brazil; it was allocated toFelipe Caicedo.[5] His international teammateAntonio Valencia had Benítez's number tattooed onto his upper arm in tribute after his death.[42]
A multipurpose stadium was constructed and named in his honour inGuayaquil; opened in February 2014, it is used as the home stadium ofGuayaquil City F.C.[43][44] Later that year, a statue of Benítez in typicalgoal celebration pose was unveiled at Santos Laguna's stadium. He was the third Santos player to be so honoured, afterJared Borgetti andRodrigo Ruiz.[45][46]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| El Nacional | 2004 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2005 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 | ||||||
| 2006 | 38 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 50 | 16 | ||||||
| 2007 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 8 | ||||||
| Total | 84 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 101 | 30 | ||||||
| Santos Laguna | 2007–08 | Primera División | 40 | 17 | – | 40 | 17 | |||||
| 2008–09 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 19 | ||||||
| 2010–11 | 35 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 21 | ||||||
| Total | 95 | 51 | 12 | 6 | 107 | 57 | ||||||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2009–10 | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 36 | 4 | |
| América | 2011–12 | Primera División | 36 | 22 | – | 36 | 22 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 43 | 30 | – | – | 43 | 30 | ||||||
| Total | 79 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 52 | ||||||
| Career total | 288 | 135 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 7 | 323 | 143 | ||
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Final | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2006 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Peru | 1–0 | 1–1 | International friendly |
| 2 | 23 May 2007 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 1–1 | International friendly |
| 3 | 6 June 2007 | Barcelona, Spain | Peru | 1–0 | 2–0 | International friendly |
| 4 | 26 June 2007 | Puerto Ordaz,Venezuela |  Chile | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2007 Copa América |
| 5 | 8 September 2007 | Quito,Ecuador |  El Salvador | 2–0 | 5–1 | International friendly |
| 6 | 4–1 | |||||
| 7 | 20 August 2008 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |  Colombia | 1–0 | 1–0 | International friendly |
| 8 | 6 September 2008 | Quito, Ecuador |  Bolivia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 12 October 2008 | Quito, Ecuador | Chile | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 9 September 2009 | La Paz,Bolivia | Bolivia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 4 September 2010 | Zapopan,Mexico |  Mexico | 1–0 | 2–1 | International friendly |
| 12 | 12 October 2010 | Montreal, Canada |  Poland | 1–0 | 2–2 | International friendly |
| 13 | 2–2 | |||||
| 14 | 17 November 2010 | Quito, Ecuador |  Venezuela | 1–0 | 4–1 | International friendly |
| 15 | 2–0 | |||||
| 16 | 1 June 2011 | Toronto, Canada |  Canada | 1–1 | 2–2 | International friendly |
| 17 | 2 September 2011 | Quito, Ecuador |  Jamaica | 3–0 | 5–2 | International friendly |
| 18 | 4–0 | |||||
| 19 | 6 September 2011 | Quito, Ecuador |  Costa Rica | 4–0 | 4–0 | International friendly |
| 20 | 7 October 2011 | Quito, Ecuador | Venezuela | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 15 November 2011 | Quito, Ecuador | Peru | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 10 June 2012 | Quito, Ecuador | Colombia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 21 March 2013 | Quito, Ecuador | El Salvador | 2–0 | 5–0 | International friendly |
| 24 | 26 March 2013 | Quito, Ecuador |  Paraguay | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
El Nacional
Santos Laguna
Club América
Blues will pay just $2 million, about £1.2 million, for the next 12 months and at the end of that period have a 'get out' option to cover themselves should Benitez's knee have caused him grief in that time. Thereafter, they will shell out money over a period of years, incorporating chunks for appearances and success, that could take the eventual price to $12.5 million, or £7.75 million.
Ecuador squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
