Óscar Serrano (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Óscar Serrano

| image = Óscar Serrano Rodríguez 2009.jpg

| image_size = 150

| caption = Serrano training with Racing Santander in 2009

| fullname = Óscar Serrano Rodríguez

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|9|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Blanes, Spain

| height = {{height|m=1.78}}

| position = Winger

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Blanes

| youthyears2 = 1997–1999 | youthclubs2 = Barcelona

| youthyears3 = 1999–2000 | youthclubs3 = Vilobí

| years1 = 2000–2001 | clubs1 = Vilobí | caps1 = 23 | goals1 = 8

| years2 = 2001–2002 | clubs2 = Guixols | caps2 = 33 | goals2 = 22

| years3 = 2002–2004 | clubs3 = Figueres | caps3 = 58 | goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2004–2005 | clubs4 = Espanyol | caps4 = 30 | goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2005–2012 | clubs5 = Racing Santander | caps5 = 177 | goals5 = 13

| years6 = 2012–2013 | clubs6 = Levante | caps6 = 6 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2013–2014 | clubs7 = Alavés | caps7 = 16 | goals7 = 1

| totalcaps = 343 | totalgoals = 51

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2010 | nationalteam1 = Catalonia | nationalcaps1 = 7 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Óscar Serrano Rodríguez (born 30 September 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a left winger.

He spent most of his professional career with Racing de Santander, appearing in 206 competitive matches over six and a half seasons and scoring 16 goals. In La Liga, he also played for Espanyol and Levante.

Club career

Born in Blanes, Province of Girona, Catalonia, Serrano was still playing amateur football already in his 20s but, in July 2004, he went straight out of Segunda División B club UE Figueres to La Liga with neighbouring RCD Espanyol, for only €180.000,[https://elpais.com/diario/2004/10/16/deportes/1097877601_850215.html "Me he comido mucha tierra" ("I've swallowed a lot of dirt")]; El País, 16 October 2004 (in Spanish) being an important attacking element in his only season (22 starts, 1.933 minutes of action) to help the latter to finish fifth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.[https://www.elperiodico.com/es/deportes/20071203/espanyol-mantiene-puestos-europeos-pese-5502348 El Espanyol se mantiene en los puestos europeos pese al empate (Espanyol remain in European places in spite of draw)]; El Periódico de Catalunya, 3 December 2007 (in Spanish)

Serrano signed with Racing de Santander for the 2005–06 campaign, appearing in 34 matches with three goals in his third year[https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/futbol/el-zaragoza-tambien-se-estrella-ante-el-racing-5560562 El Zaragoza también se estrella ante el Racing (Zaragoza also crash against Racing)]; Sport, 2 September 2007 (in Spanish)[https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/deportes/2007/10/28/serrano-jorge-lopez-hunden-getafe/00031193598019768521960.htm Serrano y Jorge López hunden al Getafe (Serrano and Jorge López sink Getafe)]; La Voz de Galicia, 28 October 2007 (in Spanish)[https://elpais.com/diario/2008/03/31/deportes/1206914419_850215.html Efervescente Racing (Effervescing Racing)]; El País, 31 March 2008 (in Spanish) as the Cantabrians achieved a first ever UEFA Cup qualification.[http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/379897/0/cronica/racing/osasuna/ El Racing se mete por primera vez en la UEFA al ganar a Osasuna (1–0) (Racing reach UEFA for the first time after beating Osasuna (1–0))]; 20 minutos, 18 May 2008 (in Spanish) A skilled player with a volatile temperament, he was booked an average of ten times in his first four years, also being sent off in four games.[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2006/05/07/futbol/1147021974.html El Racing canta su particular alirón (Racing sing their own alirón)]; El Mundo, 7 May 2006 (in Spanish)[https://as.com/futbol/2007/12/09/mas_futbol/1197154817_850215.html El Racing remonta al Mallorca y se mete en la UEFA (Racing come from behind against Mallorca and reach UEFA positions)]; Diario AS, 9 December 2007 (in Spanish)[http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/20080320/deportes/futbol/getafe-elimina-racing-partido-200803200722.html El Getafe elimina al Racing en un partido muy polémico y repetirá final en la Copa (Getafe oust Racing in highly controversial match and will repeat Cup final)]; Las Provincias, 20 March 2008 (in Spanish)[https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/sevilla-racing-proeza-445653/0/ El Racing consigue la proeza tras jugar en inferioridad numérica una hora (0–2) (Racing pull stunt after playing one hour undermanned (0–2))]; 20 minutos, 25 January 2009 (in Spanish)

Serrano played 33 matches in 2009–10, scoring three times as Racing again retained their league status. On 25 April 2010, during a home loss against Villarreal CF, he sustained a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury which would sideline him until December;[https://www.eldiariomontanes.es/v/20100426/deportes/racing/serrano-estara-ocho-meses-20100426.html Serrano estará ocho meses de baja al romperse el ligamento cruzado (Serrano will be eight months out after tearing cruciate ligament)]; El Diario Montañés, 26 April 2010 (in Spanish) he celebrated his comeback by netting in a 1–0 away win over RCD Mallorca – in the 90th minute – having taken the pitch two minutes before,[https://archive.today/20120716065429/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/302042?cc=5739 Mallorca 0–1 Racing Santander]; ESPN Soccernet, 12 December 2010 but relapsed shortly after,[http://www.marca.com/2011/01/18/futbol/equipos/racing/1295379336.html Óscar Serrano es operado de la rodilla izquierda (Óscar Serrano undergoes surgery to left knee)]; Marca, 18 January 2011 (in Spanish) being limited to only four league appearances as his team again managed to stay afloat.[https://athletic.elcorreo.com/noticias/2011-01-12/serrano-racing-dice-adios-20110112.html Serrano, del Racing, dice adiós a la temporada (Serrano, from Racing, says goodbye to season)]; El Correo, 12 January 2011 (in Spanish)[https://www.reuters.com/article/oessp-futbol-santander-cuper-idESMAE75S0WM20110629 Héctor Cúper vuelve a España con el Racing de Santander (Héctor Cúper returns to Spain with Racing de Santander)]; Reuters, 29 June 2011 (in Spanish)

Upon recovering full fitness, Serrano never managed to return to starting duties again.[https://www.levante-emv.com/deportes/2012/01/25/oscar-serrano-penultimo-rescate-13009783.html Óscar Serrano, el penúltimo rescate (Óscar Serrano, penultimate rescue)]; Levante-EMV, 25 January 2012 (in Spanish) On 24 January 2012, he terminated his contract with Racing and joined fellow top-tier side Levante UD,[https://www.eldiariomontanes.es/20120124/deportes/racing/oscar-serrano-rescinde-contrato-201201241215.html Serrano se marcha del Racing entre lágrimas y "dolido" (Serrano leaves Racing in tears and "hurt")]; El Diario Montañés, 24 January 2012 (in Spanish) being sent off in his first game, a 0–3 home defeat to Valencia CF in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey (7–1 on aggregate).[http://www.marca.com/marcador/futbol/2011_12/copa/cuartos/vuelta/lev_val/ Para Piatti no fue un trámite (Not just another game for Piatti)]; Marca, 26 January 2012 (in Spanish)

In August 2013, following a successful trial,[https://www.lainformacion.com/deporte/el-extremo-oscar-serrano-llega-a-prueba-al-alaves_j5c1Ayw2pTTj1xUsaopFW1/ El extremo Óscar Serrano llega a prueba al Alavés (Winger Óscar Serrano on trial at Alavés)]; La Información, 15 July 2013 (in Spanish) Serrano agreed to a contract with Deportivo Alavés in the Segunda División.[https://www.mundodeportivo.com/20130802/el-alaves-me-ha-devuelto-la-ilusion-afirma-oscar-serrano_54379080562.html "El Alavés me ha devuelto la ilusión", afirma Óscar Serrano ("Alavés have given me my hunger back", Óscar Serrano says)]; Mundo Deportivo, 2 August 2013 (in Spanish) He scored his only goal for the Basques on 14 December, closing the 2–1 home victory against CD Lugo.[https://www.marca.com/2013/12/14/futbol/2adivision/1387054201.html Nueve jornadas después y con un gol al final vence el Alavés (Nine rounds later and with goal at the end Alavés finally win)]; Marca, 14 December 2013 (in Spanish)