1. Early Life and Background
Alejandro Alfaro Ligero was born on November 23, 1986, in La Palma del Condado, Huelva, Spain. He stands at 69 in (175 cm) tall. Alfaro began his football journey within the youth system of Sevilla FC, a prominent club in Andalusia. Prior to joining Sevilla, he was part of the CCD Siempre Alegres youth club.
2. Club Career
Alejandro Alfaro Ligero's professional football career spanned several clubs, beginning with his development in Sevilla's youth ranks, a successful loan period with CD Tenerife, and subsequent spells with various teams before his eventual retirement and move into scouting.
2.1. Youth and Early Professional Years
Alfaro was a product of Sevilla FC's youth system. From 2005 onwards, he became one of the most important players for Sevilla Atlético, the club's reserve team. He played a crucial role in helping them achieve promotion to Segunda División in the 2006-07 season.
He made his debut for the Sevilla FC first team on April 30, 2006, playing eight minutes in a 2-1 away victory against Real Sociedad. His first La Liga goal came on January 28, 2007, as a starter in a 4-2 away win over Levante UD. During the 2006-07 season, Alfaro also participated in four UEFA Cup games, contributing to the club's victorious campaign. Despite these appearances, he remained largely a fringe player with the main squad in his initial three seasons, primarily due to the presence of Jesús Navas. Nevertheless, he scored seven goals in 34 matches to help Sevilla Atlético retain their second-division status.
2.2. Loan Spells and Key Performances
For the 2008-09 season, Alfaro was loaned to CD Tenerife. During this period, he proved to be instrumental in the Canary Islands side's return to the top flight after a seven-year absence, scoring a career-best 20 goals, which was the fourth-highest in the competition. His partnership with Nino was particularly notable.
After completing the 2009 preseason with Sevilla, Alfaro was again loaned to Tenerife for the 2009-10 season. Once more, he was a vital attacking member of the team, contributing seven goals. However, despite his efforts, the team was eventually relegated back to the Segunda División.
2.3. Later Career and Club Changes
Alfaro returned to Sevilla for the 2010-11 season. He benefited from Jesús Navas's injury-induced absence early in the season, earning more playing time. He scored in a 2-1 defeat of Málaga CF on September 19, 2010. On November 4, he scored twice against FC Karpaty Lviv in a 4-0 home win during that season's Europa League. The following week, he also found the net in two home fixtures: against Valencia CF (2-0, as a second-half substitute) and Real Unión (6-1, in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey).
On August 8, 2011, RCD Mallorca reached an agreement with Sevilla to acquire Alfaro for 700.00 K EUR on a five-year deal. He started in his first official match for Mallorca, a 1-0 victory over RCD Espanyol.
Alfaro terminated his contract with Mallorca on August 18, 2014, with an initial agreement to join Super League Greece side Panathinaikos FC. However, this deal fell through two days later. He then signed a two-year deal with Real Valladolid late in August. During his two-year tenure at Valladolid, he was sparingly used due to a persistent ankle injury, even requiring surgery at one point.
On July 1, 2016, Alfaro moved to Córdoba CF, also in the second tier. After suffering relegation with Córdoba, he agreed to a two-year contract with Segunda División B club Hércules CF on July 23, 2019. In 2020, he briefly played for CF Intercity, making 8 appearances without scoring.
3. Post-Playing Career
Alejandro Alfaro retired from professional football at the age of 33. In September 2020, he began a new chapter in his career by joining CA Osasuna as a scout. This position was offered to him by Braulio Vázquez and "Cata" Prieto, who served as sporting directors and knew Alfaro from their time together at Real Valladolid. Alfaro stated that he felt the "hunger was no longer there" for playing, and the opportunity at Osasuna led him to decide on retirement.
4. Personal Life
Alejandro Alfaro Ligero comes from a footballing family; both of his brothers also pursued careers in the sport. His elder brother, Juan José Alfaro (born 1981), is a midfielder who graduated from FC Barcelona's renowned La Masia youth academy. However, Juan José spent his entire career in Segunda División B or lower divisions. His younger brother, Jesús Alfaro (born 1991), is a forward who also emerged through the Sevilla FC youth ranks and played several seasons for Sevilla B.
5. Honours
Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2006-07
- UEFA Cup: 2006-07