Sandra Vilanova
{{short description|Spanish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Sandra Vilanova
| fullname = Sandra Vilanova Tous
| image = Sandra Vilanova (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = With Espanyol in 2012
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|01|01}}
| birth_place = Barcelona, Spain
| height = 1.70 m
| currentclub = Espanyol
| clubnumber = 21
| position = Midfielder
| youthclubs1 = UD Castellar
| youthyears1 = 1995–1997
| years1 = 1997–2001
| years2 = 2001–2009
| years3 = 2009–2010
| years4 = 2010–2011
| years5 = 2011–2012
| years6 = 2012–2013
| years7 = 2014–2015
| clubs1 = Platges Calvià
| clubs2 = Levante
| clubs3 = Rayo Vallecano
| clubs4 = Espanyol
| clubs5 = Atlético Madrid
| clubs6 = Espanyol
| clubs7 = Espanyol
| caps1 =
| caps2 = 146
| caps3 =
| caps4 =
| caps5 = 37
| caps6 = 26
| caps7 = 6
| goals1 =
| goals2 = 29
| goals3 =
| goals4 =
| goals5 = 5
| goals6 = 1
| goals7 = 0
| nationalteam1 = Spain U-19
| nationalteam2 = Spain
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalyears2 = 2003–2013
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalcaps2 = 46
| nationalgoals1 =
| nationalgoals2 = 2
}}
{{family name hatnote|Vilanova|Tous|lang=Spanish}}
Sandra Vilanova Tous (born 1 January 1981) is a Spanish football midfielder who plays for RCD Espanyol of the Primera División. She previously played for Levante UD, Rayo Vallecano and Atlético Madrid, winning three league titles and five national cups. She also played the UEFA Women's Champions League with Levante and Rayo, and she was a member of the Spain women's national football team for a decade. She retired after captaining Spain in the 2013 European Championship, but made a comeback with Espanyol the following year.
Club career
Vilanova was raised in UE Castellar, near Barcelona. In 1997, at 16, she started playing for CF Platges de Calvià, a low-tier team in the Balearic Islands. Four years later she signed for national champion Levante UD, where she spent most of her career. With Levante she won two championships and four national cups, and she made her UEFA Women's Cup debut.{{cite web|url=http://es.levanteud.com/femenino/plantilla/20082009/Vilanova.html |title=Vilanova |language=es|publisher=Levante UD |accessdate=31 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221143056/http://es.levanteud.com/femenino/plantilla/20082009/Vilanova.html |archivedate=21 December 2013 }}
After eight years in Valencia, in 2009 she moved to Madrid to play for reigning champions Rayo Vallecano. For the next three seasons she played successively for Rayo, RCD Espanyol and Atlético Madrid, winning her third league with Rayo and her fifth cup with Espanyol.{{cite web | url = http://www.futbolbalear.es/2012/07/31/la-jugadora-mallorquina-sandra-vilanova-vuelve-al-rcd-espanol/ | title = Majorcan player Sandra Vilanova returns to RCD Espanyol | publisher = Fútbol Balear | date = 31 July 2012 | accessdate = 31 March 2013}} In 2012, she returned to Espanyol.
After she brought her second spell at Espanyol to an end in June 2013, she announced her retirement days before the start of the following season.{{cite web | url = http://www.vavel.com/es/futbol/espanyol/245797-renovaciones-fichaje-de-sonia-zarza-y-adios-de-sandra-vilanova-en-el-espanyol.html | title = Renovaciones, fichaje de Sonia Zarza y adiós de Sandra Vilanova en el Espanyol | language =es| publisher = Vavel | date = 26 June 2013 | accessdate = 3 August 2013 |first=Cesáreo|last=Martín González}} In December 2014 Vilanova emerged from retirement to rejoin Espanyol,{{cite news|title=Sandra Vilanova, nuevo refuerzo invernal|url=http://www.diariolagrada.com/noticias/futbol-base/sandra-vilanova-nuevo-refuerzo-invernal_10486.html|accessdate=28 August 2016|publisher=Diario La Grada|date=20 December 2014|language=es|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402112309/https://www.diariolagrada.com/noticias/futbol-base/sandra-vilanova-nuevo-refuerzo-invernal_10486.html|url-status=dead}} but she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in March 2015.{{cite news|title=Sandra Vilanova passarà aquest dimarts per quiròfan|url=http://www.rcdespanyol.com/ca/actualitat/sandra-vilanova-passara-aquest-dimarts-per-quirofan/_n:425/|accessdate=28 August 2016|publisher=RCD Espanyol|date=29 March 2015|language=es}}
International career
Vilanova made her debut for the Spain women's national football team since 2003,{{cite web | url = http://www.marca.com/2011/09/14/futbol/mas_futbol/1315990790.html | title = Sandra Vilanova, Quereda's forgotten one | language =es| publisher = Diario Marca | date = 14 September 2011 | accessdate = 31 March 2013}}{{cite web | url = http://rfef.es/index.jsp?nodo=137 | title = Última Convocatoria | language =es| publisher = Royal Spanish Football Federation | accessdate = 31 March 2013 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130331112651/http://rfef.es/index.jsp?nodo=137 | archivedate = 31 March 2013}} and she remained in Ignacio Quereda's plan for the following decade, serving as the team's captain.{{cite web | url = https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/classic/awards/01/56/65/61/awards_women_player.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120122071333/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/classic/awards/01/56/65/61/awards%5fwomen%5fplayer.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 22 January 2012 | title = List of WNT captains votes | publisher = FIFA | accessdate = 31 March 2013}} After Spain qualified for the 2013 European Championship following a hiatus of 16 years she was called up for the final tournament,{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/news/020a-0e1419947790-c24e4777e0f1-1000--spain-stick-with-tried-and-trusted/|title=Spain stick with tried and trusted|date=29 June 2013|access-date=30 July 2013|publisher=UEFA}} where she played one of Spain's four games, losing her position in the midfield to Nagore Calderón and Vicky Losada in the other matches. As she announced her retirement she mentioned this as a disappointment that influenced her in taking that decision.[http://www.ara.cat/femeni/Sandra-Vilanova-cansada-correr-altres-futfem_0_986901513.html Sandra Vilanova hangs her boots at 32 "tired to run for others".] Ara, 4 September 2013
International goals
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 November 2005 | La Ciudad del Fútbol, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain | {{fbw|DEN}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 2–2 | 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 27 October 2007 | Stadion města Plzně, Plzeň, Czech Republic | {{fbw|CZE}} | align=center|2–2 | align=center| 2–2 | UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{FIFA player|265223}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{Spain squad 2013 UEFA Women's European Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilanova, Sandra}}
Category:Footballers from Barcelona
Category:Spanish women's footballers
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:Levante UD Femenino players
Category:Rayo Vallecano Femenino players
Category:RCD Espanyol (women) players
Category:Atlético Madrid Femenino players
Category:Spain women's youth international footballers