| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jesús María Lacruz Gómez | ||
| Date of birth | (1978-04-25)25 April 1978 (age 47) | ||
| Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1994 | Osasuna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Osasuna B | 34 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Osasuna | 48 | (1) |
| 1997–2006 | Athletic Bilbao | 224 | (12) |
| 2006–2009 | Espanyol | 48 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Real Unión | 56 | (1) |
| Total | 410 | (14) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Spain U18 | 6 | (0) |
| 1997 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Spain U21 | 9 | (0) |
| 2000 | Spain U23 | 5 | (1) |
| 2003–2005 | Navarre | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing Spain | ||
| Men'sFootball | ||
 | 2000 Sydney | Team Competition |
Jesús María Lacruz Gómez (born 25 April 1978) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as a versatiledefender.
He amassedLa Liga totals of 272 games and 12 goals over the course of 12 seasons, representingAthletic Bilbao andEspanyol in the competition.
Born inPamplona,Navarre, Lacruz's professional career began in 1994 with hometown sideCA Osasuna in theSegunda División, making his first appearance for the main squad aged just 17,[1] and in 1997 he joinedAthletic Bilbao, where he made hisLa Liga debut in a 1–0 home win againstAtlético Madrid on 13 September.[2] He was a regular starter for the latter in six of his nine seasons.
After 251 official matches with Athletic – five in the1998–99 edition of theUEFA Champions League[3][4]– Lacruz moved toRCD Espanyol in summer 2006 for€300,000 on a three-year contract, reuniting with his former managerErnesto Valverde.[5] His first competitive appearance took place on 17 August in a0–1 home loss toFC Barcelona in theSupercopa de España,[6] and he scored his first goal for his new team againstA.S. Livorno Calcio in aUEFA Cup fixture.[7] Inthe same competition, he added another in a 2–1 away victory overSV Werder Bremen[8] as theCatalans went on to losethe final toSevilla FC onpenalties.[9] After only ten league appearances in the2008–09 campaign, the 31-year-old left theEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
On 14 January 2010, after several months without a club, Lacruz signed for modestReal Unión on afree transfer, until the end of thesecond-division season, thus returning to theBasque Country.[10] He appeared in 20 games in his first year (all starts), in an eventual relegation.[11]
Lacruz was part of theSpain squad thatwon the silver medal at the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney, losing the final toCameroon.[12] Additionally, he represented the nation atunder-18,under-20 andunder-21 levels.[13]
Espanyol
Spain U23
