Alexandre Geijo

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Álex Geijo

| image = AlexGeijo.png

| image_size =

| caption = Geijo with Watford in 2013

| fullname = Alexandre Geijo Pazos

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|3|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Geneva, Switzerland

| height = 1.88 m

| position = Striker

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Galaica-Onex

| youthyears2 = 1995–2000 | youthclubs2 = Grand-Lancy

| years1 = 2000–2001 | clubs1 = Neuchâtel Xamax | caps1 = 11 | goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2001–2005 | clubs2 = Málaga B | caps2 = 122 | goals2 = 51

| years3 = 2003–2005 | clubs3 = Málaga | caps3 = 15 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2005–2007 | clubs4 = Xerez | caps4 = 71 | goals4 = 20

| years5 = 2007–2009 | clubs5 = Levante | caps5 = 53 | goals5 = 15

| years6 = 2009–2010 | clubs6 = Racing Santander | caps6 = 19 | goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2010–2015 | clubs7 = Udinese | caps7 = 17 | goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2010–2012 | clubs8 = → Granada (loan) | caps8 = 60 | goals8 = 26

| years9 = 2012–2013 | clubs9 = → Watford (loan) | caps9 = 20 | goals9 = 2

| years10 = 2013–2014 | clubs10 = → Mallorca (loan) | caps10 = 27 | goals10 = 1

| years11 = 2015–2016 | clubs11 = Brescia | caps11 = 36 | goals11 = 11

| years12 = 2016–2019 | clubs12 = Venezia | caps12 = 75 | goals12 = 18

| years13 = 2019–2021 | clubs13 = Sanluqueño | caps13 = 39 | goals13 = 6

| totalcaps = 565 | totalgoals = 153

}}

Alexandre "Álex" Geijo Pazos (born 11 March 1982) is a former footballer who played as a striker.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2005/11/14/deportes/1131922808_850215.html|title=Tres goles del 'suizo' Geijo hacen más líder al Xerez de Lucas Alcaraz|trans-title=Three goals from 'Swiss' Geijo make Lucas Alcaraz's Xerez even more first|newspaper=El País|first=Daniel|last=Borasteros|language=es|date=14 November 2005|access-date=7 August 2019}}

He amassed Segunda División totals of 216 matches and 70 goals over seven seasons, representing five clubs in the process. He added eight goals from 90 appearances in La Liga, with Málaga, Levante, Racing de Santander and Granada, and also competed professionally in his birth nation of Switzerland, Italy (all three major levels) and England.

Club career

The son of Spaniards who immigrated to Switzerland, Geijo was born in Geneva.{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/deporte/Alex_Geijo_goles_con_acento_andaluz.html?siteSect=181&sid=10234846&cKey=1233650300000&ty=st|title=Alex Geijo: goles con acento andaluz|trans-title=Alex Geijo: goals with Andalusian accent|publisher=Swissinfo|first=Iván|last=Turmo|language=es|date=31 January 2009|access-date=11 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629123634/http://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/deporte/Alex_Geijo_goles_con_acento_andaluz.html?siteSect=181&sid=10234846&cKey=1233650300000&ty=st|archive-date=29 June 2012}} He started his professional career in his country of birth with Neuchâtel Xamax FCS in 2000, moving the following year to Spain where he began playing with Málaga CF, with little individual success (15 matches in three seasons, playing mostly for the reserves), being released in summer 2005.{{cite news|url=https://granadacf.ideal.es/noticias/2012-06-14/409629-cruz-lex-geijo.html|title=La cruz de Álex Geijo|trans-title=Álex Geijo's cross to bear|newspaper=Ideal|language=es|date=14 June 2012|access-date=7 November 2022}}

For the next two years, Geijo played in the Segunda División with another Andalusian club, Xerez CD, where he blossomed into a useful attacking player, scoring 13 goals in his first season.{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/especiales/2005/08/liga/segundadivision/goleadores.html|title=Goleadores de 2005–2006|trans-title=2005–2006 top scorers|newspaper=El Mundo|language=es|date=2006|access-date=17 February 2016}} For the 2007–08 campaign, he joined Levante UD:{{cite news|url=http://archivo.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/levante/es/desarrollo/684305.html|title=El Levante ficha a los delanteros Luyindula y Geijo|trans-title=Levante sign forwards Luyindula and Geijo|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=1 September 2006|access-date=7 June 2016}} in a team severely hindered by financial problems, and eventually relegated from La Liga, he finished as the second team goal scorer at five, behind Mustapha Riga's eight.{{cite news|url=https://www.superdeporte.es/futbol/2009/07/28/geijo-cierra-etapa-levante-quince-53724638.html|title=Geijo cierra su etapa en Levante con quince goles en dos temporadas|trans-title=Geijo finishes his spell in Levante with fifteen goals in two seasons|newspaper=Super Deporte|language=es|date=28 July 2009|access-date=7 November 2022}}

Geijo started his second year strong, netting ten second-tier goals before the end of 2008. However, he missed the remainder of the season due to a serious fibula injury, after an awkward fall in a training session.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2009/02/21/futbol/equipos/levante/1235237996.html|title=Geijo se fractura el peroné y será operado el lunes|trans-title=Geijo fractures fibula and will undergo surgery on Monday|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=21 February 2009|access-date=7 June 2016}}

On 28 July 2009, Geijo joined Racing de Santander for four years; still recovering from injury, he nonetheless completed a successful medical.{{cite news|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2009/07/28/mas_futbol/1248732031_850215.html|title=El Racing ficha a Geijo para las cuatro próximas temporadas|trans-title=Racing sign Geijo for next four seasons|newspaper=Diario AS|language=es|date=28 July 2009|access-date=7 June 2016}} His only goal only arrived on 24 January 2010, but it was a crucial one, as the Cantabrians beat Sporting de Gijón away by a single goal.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275734?cc=5739|title=Geijo goal sinks Gijon|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|date=24 January 2010|access-date=26 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102052809/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275734?cc=5739|archive-date=2 November 2012}} However, on 1 February, he signed with Udinese Calcio, rejoining former Levante coach Gianni De Biasi.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2010/02/01/futbol/equipos/racing/1265057518.html|title=El Racing traspasa a Geijo al Udinese|trans-title=Racing transfer Geijo to Udinese|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=1 February 2010|access-date=7 June 2016}}

In July 2010, inserted in a partnership between Granada CF and Udinese, Geijo was loaned by the Italians in a season-long move.{{cite news|url=http://granadacf.ideal.es/noticias/2010-07-08/148742-lex-geijo-jugador-cedido-granada.html|title=Álex Geijo, jugador cedido al Granada por una temporada|trans-title=Álex Geijo, player loaned to Granada for one season|newspaper=Ideal|first=S.|last=Yepes|language=es|date=8 July 2010|access-date=7 June 2016}} On 30 October he put three past former team Xerez in a 5–0 home win{{cite news|url=https://www.diariodejerez.es/xerezcd/Vergonzosa-imagen_0_419358126.html|title=Vergonzosa imagen (5–0)|trans-title=Shameful display (5–0)|newspaper=Diario de Jerez|first=Fran|last=Pereira|language=es|date=30 October 2010|access-date=7 November 2022}} and, on 13 November, he scored all of his team's goals in a 4–1 home victory over FC Barcelona B.{{cite news|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2010/11/13/mas_futbol/1289602820_850215.html|title=Geijo, con cuatro goles, lideró a un gran Granada|trans-title=Geijo, with four goals, led great Granada|newspaper=Diario AS|language=es|date=13 November 2010|access-date=7 June 2016}} He finished the campaign with 24 goals (fourth-best in the competition) and his team achieved a second consecutive promotion, reaching the top flight after 35 years.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2012/06/28/futbol/equipos/granada/1340872961.html|title=Geijo, adiós a todo un ídolo|trans-title=Geijo, farewell to idol extraordinaire|newspaper=Marca|first=Juan|last=Prieto|language=es|date=28 June 2012|access-date=7 June 2016}}

Geijo started 2011–12 injured, with Granada languishing in the table's bottom three for most of the first months.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2011/06/06/futbol/2adivision/1307360083.html|title=La lesión de Geijo tiene bastante preocupado a todo el Granada|trans-title=Geijo's injury has all of Granada worrying|newspaper=Marca|first1=A.|last1=Estévez|first2=J.|last2=Piñeiro|first3=J.M.|last3=Ortega|first4=J.|last4=Palomar|language=es|date=6 June 2011|access-date=7 June 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://granadacf.ideal.es/noticias/2011-09-19/305967-geijo-lesion-mollo-decision-tecnica.html|title=Geijo, por lesión, y Mollo, por decisión técnica, no viajan y entran Ighalo y Jaime|trans-title=Geijo, due to injury, and Mollo, due to technical decision, do not travel and Ighalo and Jaime come in|newspaper=Ideal|language=es|date=19 September 2011|access-date=7 June 2016}} On 31 October 2011 he scored his first goal of the campaign, equalising an eventual 2–1 away defeat of Sevilla FC in a local derby.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=327697&cc=5739|title=Sevilla slip up against Granada|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|date=31 October 2011|access-date=31 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714121234/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=327697&cc=5739|archive-date=14 July 2012}}

On 9 August 2012, Geijo joined Football League Championship club Watford on a season-long loan.{{cite news|url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/9865795.watford-confirm-loan-signing-of-udinese-striker-alex-geijo/|title=Watford confirm loan signing of Udinese striker Alex Geijo|newspaper=Watford Observer|date=9 August 2012|access-date=7 November 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordfc.com/news/article/120809-geijo-signs-302158.aspx|title=Striker Geijo signs|publisher=Watford F.C.|date=9 August 2012|access-date=9 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810200924/http://www.watfordfc.com/news/article/120809-geijo-signs-302158.aspx|archive-date=10 August 2012}} He scored his first goal on 27 November, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/20405362|title=Sheffield Wed 1–4 Watford|publisher=BBC Sport|date=28 November 2012|access-date=7 June 2016}}

Geijo only scored once for Udinese in the Serie A, in the 2–2 away draw with U.C. Sampdoria on 21 December 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/2014/12/21/news/sampdoria-udinese_2-2_marassi_resta_inviolata_ci_pensa_gabbiadini-103449027/|title=Sampdoria-Udinese 2–2: Gabbiadini riprende i friulani, Marassi ancora inviolato|trans-title=Sampdoria-Udinese 2–2: Gabbiadini equals Friulians, Marassi still undefeated|newspaper=La Repubblica|first=Armando|last=Ossorio|language=it|date=21 December 2014|access-date=7 November 2022}} He remained in the country subsequently, with Brescia Calcio in the Serie B{{cite web|url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-b/geijo-il-centravanti-operaio-vera-sorpresa-del-brescia-750086|title=Geijo, il centravanti operaio vera sorpresa del Brescia|trans-title=Brescia pulled a real surprise with working striker Geijo|publisher=Tutto Mercato Web|first=Luca|last=Bargellini|language=it|date=5 November 2015|access-date=7 November 2022}} and Venezia F.C. in the Serie C, winning promotion with the latter in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://sport.sky.it/calcio/serie-c/2017/04/15/lega-pro-venezia-promosso-in-serie-b-dopo-pareggio-con-fano|title=Il Venezia fa festa, Inzaghi promosso in serie B|trans-title=Venezia party, Inzaghi promoted to Serie B|publisher=Sky Sport|language=it|date=15 April 2017|access-date=7 November 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bresciaoggi.it/argomenti/sport/brescia-calcio/venezia-rescinde-alex-geijo-1.7173636|title=Venezia: rescinde Alex Geijo|trans-title=Venezia: Alex Geijo cuts ties|newspaper=Brescia Oggi|language=it|date=8 March 2019|access-date=7 November 2022}}

Geijo retired in August 2021 at the age of 39, after two seasons in his country's Segunda División B with Atlético Sanluqueño CF.{{cite news|url=https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga_cf/Malaga-CF-Alex-Geijo-retirada_0_1601241022.html|title=El ex del Málaga CF Álex Geijo anuncia su retirada|trans-title=Former Málaga CF man Álex Geijo announces retirement|newspaper=Málaga Hoy|language=es|date=13 August 2021|access-date=7 November 2022}}