Luis Rioja

Luis Rioja
Personal information
Full name Luis Jesús Rioja González
Date of birth (1993-10-16) 16 October 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Las Cabezas de San Juan, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Valencia
Number 22
Youth career
1999–2012 Cabecense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Cabecense 35 (4)
2013–2014 Real Madrid C 33 (0)
2014–2017 Celta B 65 (8)
2017–2018 Marbella 46 (5)
2018–2019 Almería 39 (4)
2019–2024 Alavés 180 (21)
2024– Valencia 16 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 December 2024

Luis Jesús Rioja González (born 16 October 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger and left back for Valencia CF.

Career

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Rioja was born in Las Cabezas de San Juan, Seville, Andalusia, and was a CD Cabecense youth graduate. He made his senior debut on 2 September 2012, playing the last 22 minutes of a 2–0 Tercera División home win against Cádiz CF B.

Rioja scored his first senior goal on 18 November 2012, in a 4–0 home routing of Arcos CF, and finished the campaign with four goals in 35 appearances. On 27 June of the following year, he signed a three-year deal with Real Madrid and was assigned to the C-team in Segunda División B.[2]

On 27 July 2014 Rioja joined another reserve team, Celta de Vigo B in the third division.[3] On 4 January 2017, he moved to fellow league team Marbella FC.[4]

On 23 July 2018, Rioja agreed to a two-year contract with Segunda División side UD Almería.[5] He made his professional debut on 17 August, starting in a 1–0 away loss against Cádiz CF.[6]

Rioja scored his first professional goal on 26 August 2018, netting the opener in a 1–1 home draw against CD Tenerife.[7] He was regular starter for the club during the campaign, contributing with four goals in 39 appearances.

On 1 July 2019, Rioja signed a four-year deal with La Liga side Deportivo Alavés, as the club activated his release clause.[8] He made his debut in the category on 18 August, starting in a 1–0 home defeat of Levante UD.[9]

On 22 August 2024, Rioja signed a two-year contract with Valencia CF.[10]

Career statistics

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As of match played 17 June 2023[11][12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cabecense 2012–13 Tercera División 35 4 35 4
Real Madrid C 2013–14 Segunda División B 33 0 33 0
Celta B 2014–15 Segunda División B 28 4 28 4
2015–16 37 4 37 4
2016–17 0 0 0 0
Total 65 8 0 0 0 0 65 8
Marbella 2016–17 Segunda División B 16 0 16 0
2017–18 30 5 2 0 2[a] 0 34 5
Total 46 5 2 0 2 0 50 5
Almería 2018–19 Segunda División 39 4 2 1 41 5
Alavés 2019–20 La Liga 28 0 1 0 29 0
2020–21 35 4 1 1 36 5
2021–22 37 1 2 1 39 2
2022–23 Segunda División 38 10 3 0 4[a] 0 45 10
2023–24 La Liga 37 5 2 0 0 0 39 5
2024–25 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 176 20 9 2 4 0 189 22
Career total 394 41 13 3 6 0 413 44
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Promotion Playoff

Honors

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Alavés

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Luis Rioja" (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Luis deja el Cabecense y ya es oficialmente merengue" [Luis leaves Cabecense and is officially merengue] (in Spanish). Estadio Deportivo. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Luis Rioja, velocidad y desborde para el Celta B" [Luis Rioja, speed and skill for Celta B] (in Spanish). Celta Vigo. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  4. ^ "El Marbella FC ficha a Luis Rioja, procedente del Celta de Vigo" [Marbella FC sign Luis Rioja, from Celta de Vigo] (in Spanish). Marbella 24 Hores. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Luis Rioja, extremo zurdo, décimo fichaje del Almería" [Luis Rioja, left winger, tenth signing of Almería] (in Spanish). UD Almería. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Álex Fernández da la primera victoria de la temporada al Cádiz" [Alex Fernández gives the first victory of the season to Cádiz] (in Spanish). Marca. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Malbasic rescata un punto para el Tenerife" [Malbasic rescues a point for Tenerife] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Luis Rioja llega al Deportivo Alavés" [Luis Rioja arrives at Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Joselu y Pacheco dan la primera victoria al Alavés" [Joselu and Pacheco give the first win to Alavés] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Official Statement | Luis Rioja". Valencia CF. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  11. ^ Luis Rioja at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  12. ^ Luis Rioja at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
  13. ^ "Luis Rioja named LaLiga SmartBank Player of the Month for February". La Liga. 2 March 2023.
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