1. Overview
Raúl Rodríguez Navarro (Raúl Rodríguez Navarroraˈul roˈðɾiɣeθSpanish), born on September 22, 1987, in Barcelona, Catalonia, is a Spanish former professional footballer who primarily played as a central defender. Throughout his career, he made 92 appearances for Espanyol in La Liga, and subsequently competed in various leagues across the United States, China, and Kuwait. He also represented the Catalonia representative side.
2. Early life
Raúl Rodríguez Navarro was born on September 22, 1987, in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, Spain.
3. Club career
Raúl Rodríguez Navarro's professional career began in the Spanish lower leagues before he rose to prominence in La Liga with RCD Espanyol. He later embarked on an international journey, playing for clubs in the United States, China, and Kuwait.
3.1. UDA Gramenet
Rodríguez began his professional career with UDA Gramenet. He spent three full seasons with the team in the Segunda División B, the third tier of Spanish football. During his time at Gramenet, he accumulated 83 appearances and scored 3 goals in the league.
3.2. RCD Espanyol
In the summer of 2010, Rodríguez signed with RCD Espanyol, a club in his hometown, initially being assigned to their reserve team, RCD Espanyol B. His opportunity with the first team arose in January 2011 when Víctor Ruiz was sold and Juan Forlín suffered a serious injury. Manager Mauricio Pochettino promoted Rodríguez to the main squad.
He made his La Liga debut on November 27, 2010, coming on as a substitute for Dani Osvaldo in the final minute of a 3-2 away victory against Atlético Madrid. He concluded his first professional season, the 2010-11 season, with ten appearances, including eight starts. Rodríguez was definitively promoted to the main squad on August 1, 2011. His performance led to a contract renewal in June 2012, extending his commitment to the club until 2015. However, on January 8, 2015, Rodríguez cut ties with the Pericos (Espanyol's nickname). This decision came after he had been completely ostracized by the new coach, Sergio, and his contract was due to expire on June 30 of that year.
3.3. Career abroad
Following his departure from Espanyol, Rodríguez ventured into international football, playing for clubs in North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
On January 9, 2015, Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer in the United States announced his signing. He made his debut for the team on March 8, being replaced in injury time during a 1-0 home victory against the Columbus Crew. His first goal for Houston Dynamo came on April 26, in a 4-4 draw against Sporting Kansas City.
After his stint in the United States, Rodríguez moved to China, where he played for two China League One clubs: Shanghai Shenxin F.C. and Meizhou Meixian Techand F.C.. In 2019, he signed with Al-Arabi SC in the Kuwaiti Premier League. Notably, he was signed for all three of these international clubs by his compatriot manager, Juan Ignacio Martínez.
4. International career
Raúl Rodríguez was never capped by the Spain national team at any level. However, he did represent the Catalonia representative side in one match. This appearance occurred on December 30, 2011, in a goalless draw against the Tunisia national football team at his then-club ground, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. He entered the match as a half-time substitute for Gerard Piqué.
5. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gramenet | 2007-08 | Segunda División B | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 28 | 0 | |
| 2008-09 | Segunda División B | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2009-10 | Segunda División B | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 33 | 2 | ||
| Total | 83 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 84 | 3 | |||
| Espanyol | 2010-11 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | |
| 2011-12 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 80 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 92 | 0 | |||
| Houston Dynamo | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 28 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 27 | 2 | ||
| Total | 52 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 55 | 4 | |||
| Shanghai Shenxin | 2017 | China League One | 28 | 3 | 6 | 0 | - | 34 | 3 | |
| Meizhou Meixian Techand | 2018 | China League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | |
| Career total | 246 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 268 | 9 | ||
6. Retirement
Raúl Rodríguez Navarro is a former professional footballer. His last known professional club was Al-Arabi SC in the Kuwaiti Premier League, where he played in 2019. The specifics of his official retirement announcement or any post-retirement activities are not detailed in available information.