Carlos Aguilera (Spanish footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Carlos Aguilera

| image =

| fullname = Carlos Aguilera Martín{{WorldFootball.net|aguilera}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|5|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Madrid, Spain

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Right-back

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = San Cristóbal

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Atlético Madrid

| years1 = 1987–1988 | clubs1 = Atlético Madrid B | caps1 = 29 | goals1 = 11

| years2 = 1988–1993 | clubs2 = Atlético Madrid | caps2 = 96 | goals2 = 7

| years3 = 1993–1996 | clubs3 = Tenerife | caps3 = 88 | goals3 = 6

| years4 = 1996–2005 | clubs4 = Atlético Madrid | caps4 = 269 | goals4 = 22

| totalcaps = 482 | totalgoals = 46

| nationalyears1 = 1989–1990 | nationalteam1 = Spain U21 | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1997–1998 | nationalteam2 = Spain | nationalcaps2 = 7 | nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Carlos Aguilera Martín (born 22 May 1969) is a Spanish retired professional footballer.

Having started his career as a right winger, he finished it at his first club Atlético Madrid as a right-back.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2011/05/31/mas_futbol/1306823233_850215.html|title=AGUILERA. Se crió y creció en el Atlético|trans-title=AGUILERA. Raised and grown at Atlético|newspaper=Diario AS|language=es|date=31 May 2011|access-date=12 February 2025}} In a career that spanned almost two decades, he appeared in 375 La Liga games and scored 21 goals.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2004/12/04/mas_futbol/1102145216_850215.html|title=Aguilera cumplirá 450 partidos como rojiblanco|trans-title=Aguilera to celebrate 450 games in red-and-white|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Francisco Javier|last=Díaz|language=es|date=4 December 2004|access-date=12 February 2025}}

Aguilera represented Spain at the 1998 World Cup.

Club career

Born in Madrid, Aguilera began his career at Atlético Madrid, and his debut for the first team came on 26 March 1988 against Sporting de Gijón, after having started the season at the reserve side.{{cite news|url=https://www.diariodeavisos.com/2012/04/el-lateral-omnipresente/|title=El lateral omnipresente|trans-title=The ever-present full-back|newspaper=Diario de Avisos|first=José Antonio|last=Felipe|language=es|date=12 April 2012|access-date=12 February 2025}} He played for the club until 1993, winning consecutive Copa del Rey trophies (1991 and 1992) in the process.

Aguilera then signed with CD Tenerife,{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1993/07/10/deportes/742255207_850215.html|title=El Atlético traspasa a Aguilera al Tenerife, y a Moya, al Sevilla|trans-title=Atlético transfer Aguilera to Tenerife, and Moya, to Sevilla|newspaper=El País|language=es|date=10 July 1993|access-date=12 February 2025}} staying three years at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López. Incidentally, his best season in La Liga, 1995–96 – with five goals in 39 matches as the islanders qualified for the UEFA Cup{{cite news|url=https://www.eldia.es/jornada/2011-07-24/10-Jupp-Heynckes-Calderon-quince-veranos-convivencia.htm|title=De Jupp Heynckes a Calderón, quince veranos de convivencia|trans-title=From Jupp Heynckes to Calderón, fifteen summers of coexistence|newspaper=El Día|first=J.|last=Ruiz|language=es|date=24 July 2011|access-date=12 February 2025}}– came as Atlético reached an historical double;{{cite news|url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/atletico-madrid/20160525/402033117291/20-aniversario-doblete-atletico.html|title=20 años del ‘Doblete’ del Atlético de Liga y Copa|trans-title=20th anniversary of Atlético's League and Cup 'Double'|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Chema|last=G. Fuente|language=es|date=25 May 2016|access-date=12 February 2025}} previously, on 8 December 1993, he had scored his first UEFA Cup goal in the 2–1 home win for Tenerife against Juventus FC in the third round, lost 4–2 on aggregate.

In summer 1996, Aguilera returned to his first team, remaining with them even after a 2000 relegation and again putting up strong numbers over two Segunda División campaigns, featuring in 78 games and scoring 14 goals.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/2002/04/10/polideportivo/1018412146_850215.html|title=Aguilera supera su récord de goles|trans-title=Aguilera betters personal goal record|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Iñako|last=Díaz-Guerra|language=es|date=10 April 2002|access-date=12 February 2025}} Ahead of 2003–04, while agreeing to a new 12-month contract, he even accepted to take a pay cut.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0192-0f844e3b9f38-165f87d6c4e9-1000--aguilera-stays-loyal-to-atletico/|title=Aguilera stays loyal to Atlético|publisher=UEFA|date=30 June 2003|access-date=12 February 2025}}

Aguilera retired in 2005, aged 36. He returned to Atlético in directorial capacities six years later;{{cite web|url=http://www.clubatleticodemadrid.com/Web/noticia/template_noticia/noticia2.php?idnoticia=23719&previo=1&page=1|title=Caminero y Aguilera serán presentados el lunes 30 de mayo en la Sala VIP|trans-title=Caminero and Aguilera will be presented Monday 30 May in VIP room|publisher=Atlético Madrid|language=es|date=27 May 2011|access-date=13 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318033626/http://www.clubatleticodemadrid.com/Web/noticia/template_noticia/noticia2.php?idnoticia=23719&previo=1&page=1|archive-date=18 March 2012}} in October 2017, he was told his services as youth system coordinator were no longer required.{{cite news|url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/atletico/2017/10/06/59d7b62322601dcd558b4608.html|title=El Atlético ya no cuenta con Aguilera|trans-title=Atlético deem Aguilera surplus|newspaper=Marca|first=Alberto|last=R. Barbero|language=es|date=6 October 2017|access-date=12 February 2025}}

International career

Aguilera's form during his return to Atlético led to a selection for the Spain national team, his debut coming on 24 September 1997 in a 2–1 away victory over Slovakia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.{{cite news|url=https://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1997/09/25/pagina-2/380922/pdf.html|title=Amor firmó el 'pasaporte'|trans-title=Amor signed 'passport'|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Jesús|last=Galindo|language=es|date=25 September 1997|access-date=12 February 2025}} He was included in the squad for the final stages in France, starting against Paraguay (0–0){{cite news|url=https://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1998/06/20/pagina-2/399913/pdf.html|title=A la carambola|trans-title=Off to the lottery|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Rogelio|last=Román|language=es|date=20 June 1998|access-date=12 February 2025}} and Bulgaria (6–1 win) in a group-stage elimination.{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/world/events/1998/worldcup/news/1998/06/24/spain_bulgaria/|title=Spain beats Bulgaria 6–1 but fails to qualify|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=24 June 1998|access-date=22 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000915081942/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/world/events/1998/worldcup/news/1998/06/24/spain_bulgaria/|archive-date=15 September 2000}}

Aguilera totalled seven caps in one year.{{cite web|url=https://www.lavidaenrojiblanco.com/reportajes/carlos-aguilera-un-grande-de-la-historia-colchonera|title=Carlos Aguilera, un grande de la historia colchonera|trans-title=Carlos Aguilera, great in colchonera history|publisher=La Vida en Rojiblanco|first=Fernando|last=Sánchez|language=es|date=11 August 2015|access-date=12 February 2025}}

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Copa del Rey: 1990–91, 1991–92; runner-up: 1998–99, 1999–2000
Segunda División: 2001–02{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2020/04/27/primera/1588006654_347995.html|title=Atlético: logró el ascenso a Primera División hace 18 años|trans-title=Atlético: promotion to Primera División achieved 18 years ago|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Francisco Javier|last=Díaz|language=es|date=27 April 2020|access-date=12 February 2025}}