Ashot I აშოტ I
Prince of Iberia Kouropalatēs
Ashot Kurapalates, first Bagrationi King of Georgia, 829 AD
King of Georgia
Reign	813–830
Predecessor	Stephen III
Successor	Bagrat I of Iberia Adarnase II of Tao-Klarjeti Guaram Mampali
Issue
Bagrat I of Iberia Adarnase II of Tao-Klarjeti Guaram Mampali Bagrationi, Queen of Abasgia
Dynasty	Bagrationi
Father	Adarnase I of Tao-Klarjeti
Died	c. 826/830 Nigali valley
Religion	Georgian Orthodox Church

Ashot I the Great (Georgian: აშოტ I დიდი) (died 826/830) was a presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia), first of the Bagratid family to have attained to this office c. 813. From his base in Tao-Klarjeti, he fought to enlarge the Bagratid territories and sought the Byzantine protectorate against the Arab encroachment until being murdered c. 830. Ashot is also known as Ashot I Curopalates for the Byzantine title he wore. A patron of Christian culture and a friend of the church, he has been canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Biography[link]

Ashot was the son of the Iberian nobleman Adarnase who had founded the Bagratid hereditary fiefdom in Tao-Klarjeti (now northeast Turkey) and bequeathed to his son extensive possessions acquired upon the extinction of his Guaramid and Chosroid cousins. Ashot initially failed to gain a foothold in central Iberia (Shida Kartli), his efforts being dashed by the Arab control of Tiflis. Ashot established himself in his patrimonial duchy of Klarjeti, where he restored the castle of Artanuji said to have been built by the Iberian king Vakhtang I Gorgasali in the 5th century, and received the Byzantine protection, being recognized as the presiding prince and curopalates of Iberia. To revive the country devastated by the Arabs and cholera epidemics, he patronized the local monastic communities established by Grigol Khandzteli, and encouraged the settlement of the Georgians in the region. As a result, the political and religious center of Iberia was effectively transferred from central Iberia to the south-west, in Tao-Klarjeti.^[1][2]

From his base in Tao-Klarjeti, Ashot fought to recover more Georgian lands from the Arab hold and, though not always successful, succeeded in taking much of the adjoining lands from Tao in the southwest to Shida Kartli in the northeast, including Kola, Artani, Javakheti, Samtskhe, and Trialeti. Of the former Chosroid possessions, only Kakheti to the east eluded him. With local Arab emirs in the Caucasus growing ever more independent, the Caliph recognized Ashot as the prince of Iberia in order to counter the rebellious emir of Tiflis Isma’il ibn Shu’aib c. 818. The emir had enlisted support of Ashot’s foe—the Kakhetian prince Grigol—and the Georgian highland tribes of Mtiulians and Tsanars. Ashot, joined by the Byzantine vassal king of Abasgia, Theodosius II, met the emir on the Ksani, winning a victory and pushing the Kakhetians from central Iberian lands.^[2]

The Bagratids' fortunes reversed when Khalid b. Yazid, the Caliph's viceroy of Armīniya, moved in to reinforce the central Arab authority in the Caucasian polities in 827/8. Ashot I must have been still alive at that time, and the information provided by the 11th-century Georgian chronicler Sumbat, according to which Ashot was murdered in 826, is doubtful. It is more likely that the event took place four years later, on January 29, 830. Driven by the Arabs from central Iberia, Ashot fell back to the Nigali valley where he was assassinated by renegades at the altar of a local church.^[3][4]

Upon Ashot's death, his holdings were allotted to his three sons: Bagrat, Adarnase, and Guaram.^[2] His daughter was married to Theodosius II of Abasgia.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ashot I of Iberia

Iberian Peninsula   Peninsula Iberica (Aragonese) Península Ibérica (Asturian) Iberiar Penintsula (Basque) Península Ibèrica (Catalan) Iberian Peninsula (English) Peninsule Iberique (French) Península Ibérica (Galician) Península Ibérica (Mirandese) Peninsula Iberica (Occitan) Península Ibérica (Portuguese) Península Ibérica (Spanish)
Satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula.
Geography
Location	Southern & Western Europe
Coordinates	43°N 4°W / 43°N 4°W / 43; -4
Area	581,471.1 km2 (224,507.25 sq mi)
Highest elevation	3,478 m (11,411 ft)
Highest point	Mulhacén
Sovereign states and dependent territories
Andorra
Largest city	Andorra la Vella
Gibraltar
Largest city	Gibraltar
Portugal
Largest city	Lisbon
Spain
Largest city	Madrid
French Cerdagne (France)
Largest city	Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via
Demographics
Demonym	Iberian
Population	~53 million
Ethnic groups	Andorran, Gibraltarian, Portuguese and Spanish (Andalusian, Aragonese, Asturian, Basque, Cantabrian, Castilian, Catalan, Extremaduran, Galician, Leonese, Valencian, etc.)

The Iberian Peninsula (Asturian, Galician, Leonese, Mirandese, Portuguese and Spanish: Península Ibérica, Catalan: Península Ibèrica, Aragonese and Occitan: Peninsula Iberica, French: Péninsule Ibérique, Basque: Iberiar Penintsula), sometimes called Iberia, is a peninsula located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is the westernmost of the three major southern European peninsulas—the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas. It is bordered on the southeast and east by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the north, west and southwest by the Atlantic Ocean. The Pyrenees form the northeast edge of the peninsula, separating it from the rest of Europe. In the south, it approaches the northern coast of Africa. It is the second-largest peninsula in Europe, with an area of approximately 582,000 km² (225,000 sq mi).

Name[link]

Greek name[link]

The English word Iberia was adapted from the use of the Ancient Greek word Ιβηρία (Ibēría) by the Greek geographers under the Roman Empire to refer to what is known today in English as the Iberian Peninsula.^[1] At that time the name did not describe a single political entity or a distinct population of people.^[2] Strabo's Iberia was delineated from Keltikē by the Pyrenees and included the entire land mass south-west (he named it "west") of there.

The ancient Greeks discovered the Iberian peninsula by voyaging westward. Hecataeus of Miletus was the first known to use the term around 500 BC.^[3] Herodotus of Halicarnassus says of the Phocaeans that "it was they who made the Greeks acquainted with ... Iberia."^[4] According to Strabo^[5] prior historians used Iberia to mean the country "this side of the Ἶβηρος (Ibēros)" as far north as the Rhone river in France but currently they set the Pyrenees as the limit. Polybius respects that limit^[6] but identifies Iberia as the Mediterranean side as far south as Gibraltar, with the Atlantic side having no name. Elsewhere^[7] he says that Saguntum is "on the seaward foot of the range of hills connecting Iberia and Celtiberia."

Strabo^[8] refers to the Carretanians as people "of the Iberian stock" living in the Pyrenees, who are to be distinguished from either Celts or Celtiberians.

Roman names[link]

When the Romans encountered the Greek geographers they used Iberia poetically^{[clarification needed]} and spoke of the Iberi.^[9] First mention was in 200 BC by the poet Quintus Ennius. The Romans had already had independent experience with the peoples on the peninsula during the long conflict with Carthage. The Roman geographers and other prose writers from the time of the late Roman Republic called the entire peninsula Hispania.

As they became politically interested in the former territories of Carthage, the Romans came to use Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior for 'near' and 'far Spain'. Even at that time large sections of it were Lusitania (Portugal south of Douro river and Extremadura in western Spain), Gallaecia (Northern Portugal and Galicia in Spain), Celtiberia (central Spain), Baetica (Andalusia), Cantabria (northwest Spain) and the Vascones (Basques). Strabo says^[5] that the Romans use Hispania and Iberia synonymously, and distance them as near and far. He was living in a time when the peninsula was divided into Roman provinces, of which Baetia was supervised by the Senate, whereas the others were governed on behalf of the Emperor. Whatever language may have been spoken on the peninsula soon gave way to Latin, except for Basque, protected by the Pyrenees}}

Etymology[link]

Northeast Iberian script from Huesca.

The Iberian Peninsula has always been associated with the Ebro river, Ibēros in ancient Greek and Ibērus or Hibērus in Latin. The association was so well known it was hardly necessary to state; for example, Ibēria was the country "this side of the Ibērus" in Strabo. Pliny goes so far as to assert that the Greeks had called "the whole of Spain" Hiberia because of the river Hiberus.^[10] The river appears in the Ebro Treaty of 226 BC between Rome and Carthage, setting the limit of Carthaginian interest at the Ebro. The fullest description of the treaty, stated in Appian,^[11] uses Ibērus. With reference to this border, Polybius^[12] states that the "native name" is Ibēr, apparently the original word, stripped of its Greek or Latin -os or -us termination.

The early range of these natives, stated by the geographers and historians to be from southern Spain to southern France along the Mediterranean coast, is marked by instances of a readable script expressing a yet unknown language, dubbed 'Iberian'. Whether this was the native name or was given to them by the Greeks for their residence on the Ebro remains unknown. Credence in Polybius imposes certain limitations on etymologizing: if the language remains unknown, the meanings of the words, including Iber, must remain unknown also.

Prehistory[link]

Schematic rock art from the Iberian peninsula.

Iberian Late Bronze Age since c. 1300 BC

Palaeolithic[link]

The Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited for at least 1,000,000 years as remains found in the sites at Atapuerca demonstrate. Among these sites is the cave of Gran Dolina, where six hominin skeletons, dated between 780,000 and one million years ago, were found in 1994. Experts have debated whether these skeletons belong to the species Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, or a new species called Homo antecessor.

Around 200,000 BC, during the Lower Paleolithic period, Neanderthals first entered the Iberian Peninsula. Around 70,000 BC, during the Middle Paleolithic period, the last ice age began and the Neanderthal Mousterian culture was established. Around 35,000 BC, during the Upper Paleolithic, the Neanderthal Châtelperronian cultural period began. Emanating from Southern France this culture extended into the north of the peninsula. It continued to exist until around 28,000 BC when Neanderthal man faced extinction.

At about the 40th millennium BC Modern Humans entered the Iberian peninsula, coming from Southern France^{[citation needed]}. Here, this genetically homogeneous population (characterized by the M173 mutation in the Y-chromosome), developed the M343 mutation, giving rise to the R1b Haplogroup, still the most common in modern Portuguese and Spanish males. On the Iberian peninsula, Modern Humans developed a series of different cultures, such as the Aurignacian, Gravettian, Solutrean and Magdalenian cultures, some of them characterized by complex forms of Paleolithic art.

Neolithic[link]

During the Neolithic expansion, various megalithic cultures developed in the Iberian Peninsula. An open seas navigation culture from the east Mediterranean, called the Cardium culture, also extended its influence to the eastern coasts of the peninsula, possibly as early as the 5th millennium BC. These people may have had some relation to the subsequent development of the Iberian civilization.

Chalcolithic[link]

In the Chalcolithic or Copper Age (c. 3000 BC) a series of complex cultures developed, which would give rise to the peninsula's first civilizations and to extensive exchange networks reaching to the Baltic, the Middle East and North Africa. At about 2150 BC the Bell Beaker culture intruded into the peninsula, being of Central European origin.

Bronze Age[link]

Bronze Age cultures developed beginning c.1800 BC, when the civilization of Los Millares was followed by that of El Argar. From this centre, bronze technology spread to other areas, such as those of the Bronze of Levante, South-Western Iberian Bronze and Cogotas I.

In the Late Bronze Age the urban civilisation of Tartessos developed in the area of modern western Andalusia, characterized by Phoenician influence and using the Tartessian script for its Tartessian language, a language isolate not related to the Iberian language.

Early in the first millennium BC, several waves of Pre-Celts and Celts migrated from Central Europe, thus partially changing the peninsula's ethnic landscape into Indo-European space in its northern and western regions. In Northwestern Iberia (Northern Portugal and Galicia) a Celtic culture developed, the Castro culture, with a large number of hill forts and some fortified cities.

Proto-history[link]

By the Iron Age, starting in the 7th century BC, the Iberian Peninsula consisted of complex agrarian and urban civilizations, either Pre-Celtic or Celtic (such as the Lusitanians, the Celtiberians, the Gallaeci, the Astur, or the Celtici, amongst others), the cultures of the Iberians in the eastern and southern zones and the cultures of the Aquitanian in the western portion of the Pyrenees.

The seafaring Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians successively settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded trading colonies there over a period of several centuries. Around 1100 BC, Phoenician merchants founded the trading colony of Gadir or Gades (modern day Cádiz) near Tartessos. In the 8th century BC, the first Greek colonies, such as Emporion (modern Empúries), were founded along the Mediterranean coast on the East, leaving the south coast to the Phoenicians. The Greeks coined the name Iberia, after the river Iber (Ebro). In the 6th century BC the Carthaginians arrived in the peninsula while struggling with the Greeks for control of the Western Mediterranean. Their most important colony was Carthago Nova (Latin name of modern day Cartagena).

History[link]

Roman conquest of Hispania

Iberian Peninsula in 560

The Reconquista, 790-1300

Map of Spain and Portugal, Atlas historique, dated approximately 1705-1739, of H.A. Chatelain.

Roman rule[link]

In 219 BC the first Roman troops invaded the Iberian Peninsula, during the Second Punic war against the Carthaginians, and annexed it under Augustus after two centuries of war with the Celtic and Iberian tribes and the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies, resulting in the creation of the province of Hispania. It was divided into Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior during the late Roman Republic, and during the Roman Empire, it was divided into Hispania Taraconensis in the northeast, Hispania Baetica in the south and Lusitania in the southwest.

Hispania supplied the Roman Empire with food, olive oil, wine, and metal. The emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca, and the poets Martial and Lucan were born from families living on the peninsula.

Germanic kingdoms[link]

In the early 5th century, Germanic tribes invaded the peninsula, namely the Suevi, the Vandals (Silingi and Hasdingi) and their allies, the Sarmatian Alans. Only the kingdom of the Suevi (Quadi and Marcomanni) would endure after the arrival of another wave of Germanic invaders, the Visigoths, who conquered all of the Iberian peninsula and expelled or partially integrated the Vandals and the Alans. The Visigoths eventually conquered the Suevi kingdom and its capital city Bracara (modern day Braga) in 584-585. They would also conquer the province of the Byzantine Empire (552-624) of Spania in the south of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

Islamic rule[link]

In AD 711, a North African Moorish Umayyad army invaded Visigothic Christian Hispania. Under their leader Tariq ibn-Ziyad, they landed at Gibraltar and brought most of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic rule in an eight-year campaign. Al-ʾAndalūs (Arabic الإندلس : Land of the Vandals) is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors and its subsesquent inhabitants.

From the 8th-15th centuries, parts of the Iberian Peninsula were ruled by the Moors (mainly Berber and Arab) who had crossed over from North Africa.

Reconquest[link]

Many of the ousted Gothic nobles took refuge in the unconquered north Asturian highlands. From there, they aimed to reconquer their lands from the Moors; this war of reconquest is known as the Reconquista. Christian and Muslim kingdoms fought and allied among themselves. The Muslim taifa kings competed in patronage of the arts, the Way of Saint James attracted pilgrims from all Western Europe, and the Jewish population set the basis of Sephardic culture.^{[citation needed]}

During the middle ages the peninsula housed many small states including Castile, Aragon, Navarre, León and Portugal. The peninsula was part of the Islamic Almohad empire until they were finally uprooted. The last major Muslim stronghold was Granada which was eliminated by a combined Castilian and Aragonese force in 1492.

Post reconquest[link]

The small states gradually amalgamated over time, with the exception of Portugal, even if for a brief period (1580–1640) the whole peninsula was united politically under the Iberian Union. After that point the modern position was reached and the peninsula now consists of the countries of Spain and Portugal (excluding their islands—the Portuguese Azores and Madeira Islands and the Spanish Canary Islands and Balearic Islands; and the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla), Andorra, French Cerdagne and Gibraltar.

Geography[link]

Overall characteristics[link]

An 18th century map of the peninsula depicting various topographical features of the land, as published in Robert Wilkinson's General Atlas, circa 1794.

Major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula: Miño/Minho, Duero/Douro, Tajo/Tejo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Segura, Júcar/Xúquer, Ebro/Ebre.

The Iberian Peninsula extends from the southernmost extremity at Punta de Tarifa (36°00′15″N 5°36′37″W / 36.00417°N 5.61028°W / 36.00417; -5.61028) to the northernmost extremity at Estaca de Bares Point (43°47′38″N 7°41′17″W / 43.79389°N 7.68806°W / 43.79389; -7.68806) over a distance between lines of latitude of about 865 km (537 mi) based on a degree length of 111 km (69 mi) per degree, and from the westernmost extremity at Cabo da Roca (38°46′51″N 9°29′54″W / 38.78083°N 9.49833°W / 38.78083; -9.49833) to the easternmost extremity at Cap de Creus (42°19′09″N 3°19′19″E / 42.31917°N 3.32194°E / 42.31917; 3.32194) over a distance between lines of longitude at 40° N latitude of about 1,155 km (718 mi) based on an estimated degree length of about 90 km (56 mi) for that latitude. The irregular, roughly octagonal shape of the peninsula contained within this spherical quadrangle was compared to an ox-hide by the geographer Strabo.^[13]

About three quarters of that rough octagon is the Meseta Central, a low and rolling plateau of up to several hundred metres in altitude.^[14] It is located approximately in the centre, staggered slightly to the east and tilted slightly toward the west (the conventional centre of the Iberian Peninsula has long been considered to be Getafe just south of Madrid). It is ringed by mountains and contains the sources of most of the rivers, which find their way through gaps in the mountain barriers on all sides.

Coastline[link]

The coastline of the Iberian Peninsula is 3,313 km (2,059 mi), 1,660 km (1,030 mi) on the Mediterranean side and 1,653 km (1,027 mi) on the Atlantic side.^[15] The coast has been inundated over time, with sea levels having risen from a minimum of 115–120 m (377–390 ft) lower than today at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to its current level at 4000 years BP.^[16] The coastal shelf created by sedimentation during that time remains below the surface; however, it was never very extensive on the Atlantic side, as the continental shelf drops rather steeply into the depths. An estimated 700 km (430 mi) length of Atlantic shelf is only 10–65 km (6.2–40 mi) wide. At the 500 m (1,600 ft) isobath, on the edge, the shelf drops off to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).^[17]

The submarine topography of the coastal waters of the Iberian Peninsula has been studied extensively in the process of drilling for oil. Ultimately the shelf drops into the Bay of Biscay on the north (an abyss), the Iberian abyssal plain at 4,800 m (15,700 ft) on the west and Tagus abyssal plain to the south. In the north between the continental shelf and the abyss is an extension, the Galicia Bank, a plateau containing also the Porto, Vigo and Vasco da Gama seamounts, creating the Galicia interior basin. The southern border of these features is marked by Nazare Canyon, splitting the continental shelf and leading directly into the abyss.

Mountains[link]

Mountains consist mainly of serrated ridges aligned in an east-west direction, due to the orogenic factors of the region's geologic history. Rivers generally flow through the valleys between the ridges. In a counterclockwise direction, the major mountain ranges are: the Pyrenees crossing the isthmus of the peninsula so completely as to allow no passage except by mountain road or trail or coastal road, the Cantabrian Mountains perched on the northern coastline, the Sistema Ibérico, the Sistema Central, the Montes de Toledo, the Sierra Morena and the Sierra Nevada.

Rivers[link]

Modern countries and territories[link]

Political divisions of the Iberian Peninsula sorted by area:

Country/ Territory	Peninsular area[citation needed]				Description
	Population[18]	km2	sq mi	Share
Spain	42,500,000	505,519	195,182	85%	occupies most of the peninsula
Portugal	10,000,000	89,261	34,464	15%	occupies most of the west of the peninsula
France	12,035	540	210	<1%	French Cerdagne is in the south side of the Pyrenees range between Spain and France, so it is technically located in the Iberian peninsula[19]
Andorra	84,082	468	181	<1%	a northern edge of the peninsula in the south side of the Pyrenees range between Spain and France
Gibraltar	29,431	7	3	<1%	a British overseas territory near the southernmost tip of the peninsula

Urbanization[link]

Major cities[link]

Various other notable cities are also present on the peninsula, like Elche, Oviedo, Badalona and Terrassa (in Spain), and Braga, Sintra, Coimbra and Setúbal (in Portugal).

Major metropolitan areas[link]

The main metropolitan areas and conurbations over a million are: Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Valencia, Porto, Seville, Bilbao and Málaga.

Ecology[link]

Forests[link]

The woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems. Although the various regions are each characterized by distinct vegetation, there are some similarities across the peninsula.

While the borders between these regions are not clearly defined, there is a mutual influence which makes it very hard to establish boundaries and some species find their optimal habitat in the intermediate areas.

East Atlantic flyway[link]

The Iberian Peninsula in an important stopover on the East Atlantic flyway for birds migrating from northern Europe to Africa. For example, Calidis ferruginea rests in the region of Cadiz Bay.^[20]

In addition to the birds migrating through, some seven million wading birds from the north spend the winter in the estuaries and wetlands of the Iberian Peninsula, mainly at locations on the Atlantic coast. In Galicia are the Ria de Arousa (a home of Pluvialis squatarola), Ria de Ortigueira, Ria de Corme and Ria de Laxe. In Portugal the Aveiro Lagoon hosts Recurvirostra avosetta, Charadrius hiaticula, Pluvialis squatarola and Calidris minuta. Ribatejo Province on the Tagus River supports Recurvirostra arosetta, Pluvialis squatarola, Culidris alpina, Limosa lapponica and Tringa totanus. In the Estuário do Sado are Calidris alpina, Numenius arquata, Pluvialis squatarola and Tringa totanus. The Algarve hosts Calidris canutus, Tringa nebularia and Arenaria interpres. The Marismas de Guadalquivir region of Andalusia and the Salinas de Cádiz are especially rich in wintering wading birds: Charadrius alexandrinus, Charadrius hiaticula, Calidris alba, and Limosa limosa in addition to the others. And finally, the Ebro delta is home to all the species mentioned above.^[21]

Geology[link]

The Iberian Peninsula contains rocks of every geological period from the Ediacaran to the Recent, and almost every kind of rock is represented. World class mineral deposits can also be found there. The core of the Iberian Peninsula consists of a Hercynian cratonic block known as the Iberian Massif. On the northeast this is bounded by The Pyrenean fold belt, and on the southeast it is bounded by the Betic Foldchain. These twofold chains are part of the Alpine belt. To the west, the peninsula is delimited by the continental boundary formed by the magma poor opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The Hercynian Foldbelt is mostly buried by Mesozoic and Tertiary cover rocks to the east, but nevertheless outcrops through the Iberian Chain and the Catalonian Coastal Ranges.

Languages[link]

Most modern languages of Iberia descend from Vulgar Latin, except for Basque which is of unknown origin. Throughout history (and pre-history), many different languages have been spoken in the Iberian Peninsula contributing to the formation and differentiation of the contemporanean languages of Iberia, however most of them have become extinct or fallen into disuse. Basque is the only non-Indo-European surviving language in Iberia and Western Europe.

In modern times, Spanish (cf. 30 to 40 million speakers), Portuguese (cf. around 10 million speakers), Catalan (cf. around 9 million speakers), Galician (cf. around 3 million speakers) and Basque (cf. around half a million speakers) are the most widely spoken languages in the Iberian Peninsula. Out of these languages; only two, Spanish and Portuguese, have expanded beyond Iberia to the rest of world, thus becoming global languages.

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iberian Peninsula

• Arioso, Pāolā; Diego Meozzi. "Iberian Peninsula•Links". Stone Pages. http://www.stonepages.com/megalinks/01_megalithic_sites/iberian_peninsula/index.html. Retrieved 2008-12-05. 
• Flores, Carlos; Nicole Maca-Meyer; Ana M Gonzalez; Peter J Oefner; Peidong Shen; Jose A Perez; Antonio Rojas; Jose M Larruga; Peter A Underhill (2004). "Reduced genetic structure of the Iberian peninsula revealed by Y-chromosome analysis: implications for population demography" (pdf). European Journal of Human Genetics 12 (10): 855–863. DOI:10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201225. PMID 15280900. http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/EJHG_2004_v12_p855.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-05. 
• Loyd, Nick (2007). "IberiaNature: A guide to the environment, climate, wildlife, geography and nature of Spain". http://www.iberianature.com. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
• Silva, Luís Fraga de. "Ethnologic Map of Pre-Roman Iberia (circa 200 B.C.). NEW VERSION #10" (in English, Portuguese, Latin). Associação Campo Arqueológico de Tavira, Tavira, Portugal. http://www.arqueotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 

Coordinates: 40°18′N 3°43′W / 40.3°N 3.717°W / 40.3; -3.717lez:Пиреней зуростров

David Villa

Personal information
Full name	David Villa Sánchez[1]
Date of birth	(1981-12-03) 3 December 1981 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth	Langreo, Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	7
Youth career
1991–1999	Langreo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2001	Sporting Gijón B	65	(25)
2001–2003	Sporting Gijón	80	(38)
2003–2005	Zaragoza	73	(32)
2005–2010	Valencia	166	(108)
2010–	Barcelona	49	(23)
National team‡
2000–2003	Spain U21	7	(0)
2005–	Spain	82	(51)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2011

David Villa Sánchez (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ˈβiʎa]; born 3 December 1981), nicknamed El Guaje (Asturian: The Kid),^[3][4] is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona^[5][6] and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger.

Despite sustaining a serious injury as a child, he started his professional career with Sporting de Gijón. He moved to Real Zaragoza after two seasons, where he made his La Liga début, winning his first senior honours—the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. He joined Valencia CF in 2005 for a transfer fee of €12 million and was part of the Valencia team that won the Copa del Rey in the 2007–08 season. In 2010 he moved to FC Barcelona for €40 million where he won his first La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles.

Villa made his international début in 2005. He has since participated in three major tournaments, becoming an integral member of the Spain teams that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. He scored three goals at the 2006 World Cup, was the top scorer at Euro 2008 and earned the Silver Boot at the 2010 World Cup. He is the first Spanish player to ever reach 50 international goals and is Spain's all-time top goalscorer, having has also scored more World Cup goals than any other player in Spain's history in the process.^[7] The goals-to-games ratio he has achieved for the national team has not been matched by any player since Alfredo Di Stéfano.^[7][8]

Childhood and early career[link]

Villa was born in Tuilla, a small village in Langreo, Asturias, a region in northern Spain, the son of José Manuel Villa, a miner.^[9][10] When Villa was four, his chances of becoming a footballer were put in jeopardy when he suffered a fracture to the femur in his right leg, but made a complete recovery.^[11] Due to the injury, he and his father worked on strengthening his left leg and Villa ultimately became ambidextrous.^[12] He recalls his father being consistently supportive: "He would be there throwing me the ball over and over, making me kick it with my left leg when my right was in plaster after breaking it, I was four. I can barely remember a single training session when my dad wasn't there. I have never been alone on a football pitch."

Villa admitted that he came close to giving up football at the age of 14 after growing disillusioned and falling out with his coach. However, thanks to his parents' encouragement, he persisted in pursuing his dream, realising his talent could earn him a living.^[9] "In those days I was a nobody, not earning a penny and after being made to sit on the bench all season I just wanted to get away and play with my friends" he said. "But my dad always supported me and cheered me up until my career turned round."^[9][13] He went on to begin his footballing career at UP Langreo and when he turned 17 he joined the Mareo football school.^[12]

Club career[link]

Sporting de Gijón and Real Zaragoza[link]

Villa attracted interest from many Asturian teams, but one of the province's bigger teams, Real Oviedo, declared that he was too short and that they did not believe he had sufficient potential.^[14][15] He subsequently got his professional breakthrough at his local club Sporting de Gijón, following in the footsteps of his childhood idol Quini.^[12] Starting out at the team's youth ranks, he made his first-team début in the 2000–01 season. After scoring 25 goals in two seasons, he became a first team regular.^[15] Pepe Acebal, the Sporting Gijon manager at the time, said that Villa initially lacked the stamina to have a real impact and had to be given his chance bit by bit and that Villa's capacity for work was "unrivalled".^[14]

With his goal tally nearly reaching 40 goals after spending two full seasons in Gijón's main team,^[16] Villa ultimately got his chance in Spain's top-flight when Sporting were in financial difficulty and newly promoted Real Zaragoza signed him for approximately €3 million in the summer of 2003.^[13][15] The striker had no trouble adapting to playing at the higher level, netting 17 times in his first season at Zaragoza.^[17] His league début came during Zaragoza's first La Liga game since his arrival where the team were defeated 1–0 away from home at the hands of Galician side Deportivo de La Coruña^[18] while his first goal came two games later, an eighth minute goal against Real Murcia which put Zaragoza 2–0 up in a match which ended 3–0.^[19] 4 December 2003 saw him net his first brace (2 goals) in a 2–2 draw against Athletic Bilbao^[20] and on 25 April 2004, David Villa scored his first hat-trick in a tight 4–4 draw against Sevilla which saw Villa score all four of Zaragoza's goals, putting his team ahead on two occasions.^[21]

Zaragoza reached the 2004 Copa del Rey final where he played a big part in the team's victory, scoring a crucial goal to put the Aragonese outfit 2–1 up against Real Madrid in a match which eventually ended 3–2. Soon after he earned his first international call-up and cap which resulted in Zaragoza fans becoming so proud of his achievements, they invented the football chant "illa illa illa, Villa maravilla" which is a play on the words "Villa" and "maravilla" which is as "marvel" but can also mean "wonderful" or "great" in that context.^[12] After Zaragoza's triumph in the Copa del Rey, they were granted a place in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup; this was Villa's first time playing in a European competition.^[22]

In the team's opening group game against Utrecht, Villa netted a brace in the dying minutes of the game which subsequently ended 2–0 in Zaragoza's favour. In the round of 16, Zaragoza faced Austria Wien. The first leg ended 1–1, Villa scored in the second leg, however, the match ended 2–2 which saw the team from Vienna go through to the next stage on the away goals rule.^[23] Meanwhile, in La Liga, Villa excited Zaragoza fans on 23 September 2004 by putting the team 1–0 up against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, however, it was not to be as Barcelona came back to win the game 4–1.^[24] On 17 April 2005, Villa scored a brace which helped see off Sevilla in a 3–0 victory.^[25]

Valencia[link]

2005–06 season[link]

After his success at Zaragoza, the team was in need of money,^[13] as a result, Villa made his big move to one of Spanish football's heavyweights, as a new look Valencia under Quique Sánchez Flores parted with €12 million to secure his services in the summer of 2005.^[16] During his first game in a Valencia shirt, an Intertoto Cup match against Belgian outfit K.A.A. Gent, Villa scored the first goal in a game which Valencia won 2–0.^[26] He made his league début for Valencia coming on as a substitute against Real Betis in a 1–0 win on 27 August 2005.^[27] The next match would see his previous team, Real Zaragoza, leading 2–1 for the majority of the match, however, on the 81st minute, Villa came on as a late substitute for Rubén Baraja and scored the equalizer within the space of a minute, earning Valencia a point as the game ended 2–2.^[28]

On 21 September, Villa would once again save Valencia a vital point by netting a brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, actually giving his team the lead at one point after Víctor Valdés' clearance rebounded off Villa's back and into the net.^[29][30] On 23 October, Villa scored the winning goal against another Spanish giant, this time Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium^[31] and would once again score against Barcelona, on 12 February 2006, his one goal proving enough to secure all three points in a 1–0 victory.^[32] Villa scored a goal against Deportivo de La Coruña (at the Riazor on 4 February 2006), described as "superb" by ESPN and "his best" by Sid Lowe who went on to credit it even more pointing out he achieved it "on the turn".^[14] Hitting the ball from the half way line (50 yards out) it sailed over the keepers head and into the net.^[33]

He scored his first hat-trick for Valencia against Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in La Liga on the 23 April 2006. Villa managed the hat-trick in just over five minutes (80th to the 85th minute) making it one of the quickest hat-tricks ever recorded. Valencia won that game 3–0.^[9] That season saw him score 25 goals in 35 league matches for Valencia,^[17][34] finishing one goal behind the league's top scorer Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. Villa's goal tally that year was the best that any Valencia player had ever achieved since Edmundo Suárez over 60 years beforehand.^{[35][dead link]}

2006–07 season[link]

Villa's form continued into the 2006–07 season, with the striker forming a partnership up front with former Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. Between them, Villa and Morientes netted 43 goals in all competitions.^[17] That year also saw Villa début in the UEFA Champions League; his first match was a qualifying match, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 first leg loss against Red Bull Salzburg. He went on to start the second leg and scored in a 3–0 win which saw Valencia qualify for the Champions League group stages.^[36] Crucial goals against Roma^[37] and Shakhtar Donetsk^[38] helped Valencia qualify for the knock out stages where they faced Inter Milan. Villa scored a free kick goal in the first leg away from home, while one of Inter's defenders complained that Villa had "made us look like idiots, all on his own".^[14][39] Valencia went through to the quarter finals where they faced Chelsea. Villa featured in both games but failed to make the score sheet. Valencia subsequently got knocked out by the London team 3–2 on aggregate.^[40] In October 2006 he was included among the 50 nominees for the Ballon d'Or (often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year Award).^[41]

A crucial goal against Espanyol^[42] and a brace against Sevilla^[43] helped him reach 16 goals that season and would see him come 6th in La Liga's top scorer list that season (scoring the same amount of goals as fellow international Raúl Tamudo)^[44] while he created more assists than anyone.^[14]

2007–08 season[link]

David Villa after scoring a penalty against Sevilla.

The 2007–08 season was not easy for Villa nor for his teammates. Early in the season, their manager, Quique Sánchez Flores, was fired and replaced by Ronald Koeman, who ended up being fired on the 22 April, after a run of poor results, even though he managed to win a trophy with Valencia, as the team beat Getafe CF in the Copa del Rey-final. Koeman got replaced by the highly rated UD Almería coach, Unai Emery, at the end of the season.^[45] Under Koeman, Villa managed to see the back of the net 18 times in his 26 appearances.^[12][17] He also won the first professional trophy of his Valencia spell, winning the Copa del Rey for the second time in his career, beating Barcelona 3–2 in the semi-finals and then Getafe CF 3–1 in the final.^[46] giving the team a place in the UEFA Cup.^[12] By the end of the season he signed a new six-year contract with Valencia, committing his future to the club until 2014.^[47]

That season, Villa once again saw himself playing Champions League football. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Schalke 04^[48] and went on to put Valencia 1–0 up against Chelsea, however, goals from Joe Cole and Didier Drogba saw Valencia lose 2–1.^[49] Valencia finished bottom of the group and were knocked out. On his 100th league appearance for Valencia, Villa scored a hat-trick against Levante; his 54th, 55th and 56th league goals for the club.^[50] Another two goals on the final day of the season against Atletico Madrid completed his tally of 18 goals that season.^[17]

2008–09 season[link]

After finishing as the top scorer at Euro 2008, Villa continued his form into the 2008–09 season where he scored the first goal in a 3–0 win against Mallorca in what was the opening game of the season.^[51] After failing to sign the player, Real Madrid manager at the time, Bernd Schuster, accused Villa of having "no ambition",^[13] Villa responded by saying "Footballing ambition Is not about your mouth, It is about your feet. You can accuse me of lots of things - of having a bad day, of missing chances, of many things- but I have always had ambition and always will have. I think I have proved that on the pitch with Zaragoza, Sporting, UD Langreo, and the national team."^[13] In October 2008, Kaká praised Villa, speaking to Canal+, he claimed that Villa is "the best Spanish footballer" adding that "The player with whom I would most like to play is David Villa of Valencia."^[52] On 2 December 2008, Villa came 7th in the Ballon d'Or 2008 rankings^[53] and on 12 January 2009, Villa was announced as the joint 9th best player of 2008 alongside international team mate and Barcelona player Andrés Iniesta, according to the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards.^[54]

Valencia finished second in their UEFA Cup group, however, Villa was not featured heavily and was often an unused sub or a late sub.^[56] He scored a late winner against Maritimo^[57] and was used in the Round of 32 against Dynamo Kyiv, however, he did not make the score sheet. The two legs resulted in a 3–3 aggregate score, Dynamo Kyiv went through as the away goal rule went in their favour.^[58]

Hitting a consistent goal scoring form during mid season, he scored against Deportivo de la Coruña; however, he was sent off during the match after his second yellow card, received due to a foul on Daniel Aranzubia^[59] and as a result missed Valencia's next match against Real Valladolid, a game which Valencia lost 2–1 at home. Ready to return from suspension, Villa suffered from an inflammation in the joint in his left knee due to a partial dislocation and would be out for the next 15 days, missing games against Numancia, Recreativo de Huelva and Racing de Santander.^[60] When he finally returned from injury on 5 April 2009, he had no trouble recovering form, netting a brace in a match against Getafe, which Valencia won 4–1.^[61] On 12 April, Villa was set to return to El Molinón, the home ground of Sporting de Gijón where he started his career. He admitted that the encounter would be very emotional for him but went on to score the second Valencia goal in a 3–2 win and kept a pre-match promise by not celebrating the goal.^[62] His goal against Villarreal brought his tally to 26, he then scored another two against Athletic Bilbao finishing with 28 goals after the last game of the season, thus equalling records set by the Argentinian Mario Kempes and the Montenegrin Predrag Mijatović, who also scored 28 goals in a Valencia shirt in 1978 and 1996, respectively. Kempes reached his tally of 28 goals in 34 games while Mijatović achieved it in 40, ultimately seeing Villa beat their percentages, as he achieved the 28 goals in 33 games, recording a goal ratio of 0.84 goals per game. That season saw Villa's best season at Valencia as far as goal scoring is concerned.^[63]

With the season over Villa had marked his fourth year at Valencia, with only Eto'o scoring more goals than him in that period (six more).^[14] British columnist Sid Lowe points out that Eto'o achieved this "in a team that racked up 129 [goals] more than Villa's side" and noted that "most of that time he [Villa] has taken Valencia's corners and free-kicks – and however good a player is he can't head in his own crosses."^[14] Villa also ended the season as the third top scorer in La Liga with a total of 28 goals, just behind Samuel Eto'o (30) and Diego Forlán (32). After recording the best goal tally for a Valencia player in 60 years back in the 2005–06 season, he went three better in the 2008–09 season.^[63] The 28 league goals plus 3 more in other competitions that season, accumulated a total of 101 goals in 180 official games with the Valencian outfit.^[17]

2009–10 season[link]

After the shock exit from the Confederations Cup with the Spain team, Villa returned from his holidays on 27 July, amidst much media speculation linking him with top clubs such as Real Madrid,^[64] Barcelona,^[65] Liverpool,^[66] Chelsea,^[67] and Manchester United.^[68] Villa put to bed such rumours announcing his desire to remain at the Mestalla to fulfil his contract underlining that he "could not spend all summer refuting things, so I wanted to be quiet... I was told I should leave Valencia for the good of the club, soon after that everything changed and from that moment on I never saw myself out of here - before the Euros, the club told me what my asking price was, and I thought they were going to sell me, but when I returned from my vacations, Vicente Soriano said that he did not want me to leave Valencia. That removed all doubt for me. There is no train missed because all that I have achieved is because of Valencia and the Spanish national team." When questioned on whether or not he should apologise to Valencia fans, he simply replied, "I did not kill anyone, I do not think I have to ask for forgiveness."^[69]

On 20 August 2009, Villa scored in his first official match of the season, a 3–0 UEFA Europa League qualifer against Stabæk.^[70] He followed this up with two goals against Real Valladolid on 13 September, these were Villa's first league goals of the 2009–10 season.^[71] He scored twice more a week later against former club Sporting Gijón in a 2–2 draw at the Mestalla where he performed duties as the team's captain.^[72] After the match, Villa hinted towards being unhappy with Unai Emery's managerial decisions, stating "The approach for the second half was not right. We relaxed and ended up with the same result as last year. What has happened, has happened, but their goalkeeper was good, unlike our approach, which was not good",^[73] however, a day later he denied being critical of Emery pointing out that "When I talked about the approach, I was referring to the whole team, I spoke in the heat of the moment, I was annoyed at the way we lost two points and I said what I thought, but I have clarified everything that needed to be cleared up."^[74]

In 2009 he scored more goals than any other footballer, 43 goals in 54 games across all competitions for Spain and Valencia.^[7][17] The IFFHS listed him 4th in the "World's Top Goal Scorer 2009" rankings.^[75]

On 18 October, Villa was nominated for the Ballon D'Or,^[76] while nearly two weeks later, on 30 October, he was nominated for the FIFA World Player Of The Year.^[77] After going three league games without scoring, Villa contributed two goals towards Valencia's 4–1 victory against Villarreal on 17 January 2010, the first of his two goals became his 100th league goal with Valencia.^[17][78] Another brace came against Getafe on 22 February 2010, the second goal being "a superb chip" (as described by ESPN) over Jordi Codina.^[79] On 18 March, Valencia went to the Weserstadion to play Werder Bremen in the Europa League. Villa scored a hat-trick, his third goal being of note, which was fired in from eight yards out. The match ended 4–4 while Valencia proceeded to the next round on away goals.^[80] On 4 May 2010, Valencia played Xerez, Villa did not start but came on as a substitute 62 minutes into the match, which ended 3–1. Valencia still had two more games to play in the league, however, Villa did not feature, making the game against Xerez the last time he played for Valencia.^[17]

Barcelona[link]

2010–11 season[link]

David Villa during his presentation as a Barcelona player.

On 19 May 2010, FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Valencia, for the acquisition of Villa for the fee of €40 million.^[81][82] Villa signed on a four year contract with Barcelona, with the option for a fifth, worth a reported €7 million per season and thus, managed to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, Luis Enrique and Quini, both of whom, like Villa, started out at Sporting Gijón and ended up at Barcelona.^[83][84] On 21 May 2010, over 35,000 Barcelona supporters packed into Camp Nou to see Villa's presentation, where he revealed the kit Barcelona would use during the 2010–11 season. He was given his favourite number 7, a number which had been free at the club since Eiður Guðjohnsen left in 2009.^[85] He made his first appearance for the club in the second leg of the Supercopa de España, during the second half as a substitute for fellow Spain international, Pedro Rodríguez. His début appearance would also see him win his first piece of silver-ware with the Catalonian side, as Barcelona won 4–0 and 5–3 on aggregate due to a hat-trick by teammate Lionel Messi.^[86] His first goal came during the Joan Gamper Trophy (an annual friendly competition) against Milan. Barcelona won 3–1 on penalties after the match had ended 1–1 during normal time.^[87]

On 29 August 2010, Villa made his La Liga début with Barcelona against Racing de Santander, where he scored the third goal of the match to help seal a 3–0 victory.^[88] On 14 September 2010, Villa scored on his Champions League début with Barcelona in a 5–1 victory over Panathinaikos F.C.^[89]

Against Sevilla, on 31 October 2010, Barcelona won 5–0 against the Andalusian side, while Villa netted a brace. His first goal that match was voted "The Best Goal Of The Week (October 25–31)" by the readers of Goal.com.^[91] Villa's first "El Clásico" came on 29 November 2010 where he scored two goals as Barcelona won 5–0 at the Camp Nou.^[92] Talking about the match, he commented that, "It's been a very important win. We looked for the victory and we got it. And the result and the manner in which we achieved it, you cannot ask for more.".^[93] He then scored a goal against Real Sociedad, a match Barcelona won 5–0.^[94] He followed with a brace against RCD Espanyol helping Barcelona to a 5–1 win.^[95]

On 27 December 2010, Villa was named "Male Athlete of the Year" by the United States Sports Academy, as he edged fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal and previous winner Manny Pacquiao for the title.^[96]

On 28 May 2010, Villa scored the third goal — curling the ball into the net from 25-yards out — in Barcelona's 3–1 victory over Manchester United in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League Final.^[97] After the victory, Villa said that he would like to dedicate the victory "to all my family, my daughters and also Pepe Reina's, who are like my nieces."^[98]

2011–12 season[link]

Villa started the season with goals against C.D. Guadalajara and Club América in pre-season friendly matches.^[99][100] His first official match of the season was against Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España where Villa scored a "world-class" goal, helping Barcelona seal a 2–2 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium,^[101] while on 17 August 2011, Villa was sent off in the dying moments of the second leg (which Barcelona won 3–2) after an altercation with Mesut Özil.^[102] Against Osasuna on 17 September 2011, Villa contributed two goals and forced Rovérsio into scoring an own goal in Barcelona's 8–0 win over the team from Pamplona.^[103] He broke his tibia in a Club World Cup match in Yokohama against Al Sadd. Doctors say he is to be out of action for up to six months.^{[104][105][106]}

International career[link]

2006 World Cup[link]

An occasional member of the Under 21 team, Villa marked his international début under Luis Aragonés on 9 February 2005 in a 2006 World Cup Qualifier where Spain beat San Marino 5–0 at the Estadio del Mediterráneo while his first international goal came in the form of a late equaliser during a World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.^[107]

A successful season with Valencia saw him get called up as part of the 23-man squad to represent Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Spain's first match at the tournament and Villa's World Cup début resulted in a 4–0 win against Ukraine where Villa netted a brace,^[108] and also put his nation 1–0 up against France in the Round of 16, although Spain went on to lose the match 3–1.^[109] He and Fernando Torres finished as Spain's top scorers with three goals each.^[110]

Euro 2008[link]

By the end of 2006, Villa had become an integral part of Luis Aragonés' plans and ousted Raúl from the team.^[35] Proving vital in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008, he scored six goals,^[35] including a bicycle kick against Liechtenstein.^[112] He was subsequently called up for the tournament where he formed a striking relationship with Torres, with whom he would often celebrate his goals.^[111] He scored a hat-trick in Spain's 4–1 win over Russia, making him the first player to do so at a UEFA European Championship since Patrick Kluivert in 2000, and only the seventh overall.^[113] After the third goal, he went out of his way to meet Torres, who was on the bench at the time, to celebrate with him, "I had just scored a hat-trick and I knew people would be talking about me, but I wanted them to see that I had benefited from Torres's work, just as he sometimes benefits from mine."^[13][111] In the next match, he secured a 2–1 win against Sweden with a goal in the 92nd minute. Rested for the next match against Greece, he started once again in the quarter finals where Spain beat Italy 4–2 on penalties, Villa took the first penalty and scored.^[114]

Reaching their first semi-final in 24 years, Spain went on to face Russia for the second time during the tournament, however, during the early stages of the match, Villa sustained a thigh injury after taking a free kick and was replaced by Cesc Fàbregas. The injury meant that he could not participate in the final where Spain beat Germany 1–0 to claim their second win at the European Football Championships. Despite missing the final and the majority of the semi-final, Villa's 4 goals in the 4 games he played were enough for him to be top scorer of the tournament^[111] and was awarded the Golden Boot.^[115] He also made the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament alongside striking partner Torres.^[116]

2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup qualification[link]

Spain's first match during qualification for the 2010 World Cup was against Bosnia and Herzegovina where Villa scored the only goal of the game. He would go on to score four goals in Spain's next three games, including a last minute winner against Belgium. Another goal during a friendly match against Chile saw him end the year with 12 goals, breaking Raúl's record of 10 goals held since 1999.^[118] Villa began 2009 with a goal against England in a 2–0 friendly,^[119] with this goal, he broke another record and became the first Spanish international to have scored in 6 consecutive games, seeing off records set by Telmo Zarra and Ladislao Kubala.^[120] Speaking of the goal he said, "I am very happy with the goal. Truth is, I really want to see it on TV. The record is very nice. I would never have imagined in years that I would be able to obtain it. I am very proud and I hope I can continue breaking records".^[120]

David Villa (number 7) with the Spain team before a match against Austria.

On 1 June 2009, Vicente del Bosque named Villa in his 23 man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.^[121] In a friendly match before the tournament, Villa scored his second international hat-trick against Azerbaijan, nearly exactly a year after his hat-trick against Russia at Euro 2008.^[122] He débuted at the Confederations Cup with a goal, the last of the five goals in Spain's 5–0 victory over New Zealand,^[123] while in the next game he scored the decisive goal against a defensive Iraqi team.^[124] Against South Africa, he missed a penalty, but within a minute made up for the miss by putting Spain ahead, helping them equal the records of most consecutive wins and most consecutive matches undefeated before making way for Pablo Hernández.^[125] The goal was his last of the tournament but was enough to see him win the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe, he would also go on to make the team of the tournament.^[126]

Villa earned his 50th cap during a friendly against the Republic of Macedonia in a match where Spain won 3–2.^[127]

On 5 September 2009, Villa added two more goals to his goal tally for Spain, while assisting twice during the World Cup Qualifier against Belgium, in A Coruña. The match ended 5–0 to Spain where Villa also had a first-half penalty saved by the 30 year old A.S. Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet.^[128] He finished the year with his sixth international brace against Austria in the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, the setting where Spain were crowned European Champions the previous year. With these two goals, Villa equalled the record he set last year of most goals scored in one calendar year by a Spanish international.^[129] Spain's first match in 2010 came on March 3, against France at the Stade de France. Villa scored the opening goal in a game which Spain went on to win 2–0.^[130]

2010 World Cup[link]

In 2010, he came 1st in the IFFHS "2010's World Top Goalscorer at International Level" rankings,^[131] he was subsequently selected as a part of Vicente del Bosque's 23 man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[132] In a friendly against Saudi Arabia on May 29, 2010, Villa scored the first of Spain's goals as they won 3-2 at the Tivoli Neu - the stadium where he scored his hat-trick against Russia during Euro 2008.^[133] Failing to score in Spain's next match against Korea Republic, he opened the score sheet in Spain's next match against Poland, a match where Poland lost 6-0, recording their worst defeat in 50 years.^[134]

David Villa celebrating his goal against Portugal along with team-mates Fernando Llorente and Andrés Iniesta.

In Spain's first 2010 World Cup match, Villa was chosen as a lone striker, but could do nothing to prevent their shock defeat at the hands of Switzerland.^[135] Five days later, Spain defeated Honduras 2-0, where Villa scored both goals, but wasted his chance to complete a hat-trick when he was awarded a penalty kick - side-footing the ball just wide of the post.^[136] It was the first time in fourteen attempts Spain ever missed a penalty in a World Cup during the run of play.^[136] In the same game, Villa was shown to slap Emilio Izaguirre in the face after the Honduran player trod on him. Villa said he was "not proud" of the heat of the moment incident, but he escaped a ban.^[137] Villa helped secure Spain's place in the round of 16 after scoring the first goal in a 2-1 win over Chile, with a long-range shot into an empty net after Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo ran out of his area to prevent Torres from scoring.^[138] The goal would become his 6th goal in FIFA World Cup matches, becoming Spain's all time top scorer at the World Cup finals, ahead of Emilio Butragueño, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Morientes and Raúl González, all of whom have five.^[139]

Spain were up against Portugal in the round of 16, and Villa would prove to be vital once again, as Xavi backheeled an Andrés Iniesta pass to the on-rushing Villa who hit the back of the net on the rebound after having his first shot saved by Eduardo, proving enough to give Spain a place in the quarter-finals against Paraguay,^[138] where Villa scored a goal from a rebound after Pedro hit the post. Once again, Villa's goal proved to be the difference as the match finished 1-0, while Spain booked a game with Germany in the semi-finals,^[140] where Spain recorded yet another 1-0 victory with the only goal coming from Carles Puyol.

Villa started in the final against the Netherlands, where he had an opportunity to score from close range, but was impeded by John Heitinga who managed to block his shot. Villa would eventually make way for Torres after 106 minutes on the pitch. Spain became world champions as they went on to win the match 1-0, while Villa was awarded the Silver Shoe, with the Gold Shoe going to Thomas Müller, both players had five goals, however, Müller had more assists. Villa was subsequently named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

Euro 2012 qualifying[link]

Spain's first match of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying was against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Villa scored the second goal of the match which eventually ended 4-0. It was believed that this goal meant that he had equalled Raúl's record 44-goal tally, however, after many debates about whether he or Dariusz Dudka scored the first goal in Spain's 6-0 win over Poland, FIFA eventually decided that the goal was indeed an own goal by Dudka, meaning Villa's goal tally would remain at 43.^[141] On 12 October 2010, he finally equalled Raúl's record, scoring a penalty against Scotland and helping Spain see off the Scots in a 3-2 victory at Hampden Park.^[7]

On 25 March 2011, Villa scored two goals against the Czech Republic in a Euro 2012 qualifier, which ultimately handed Spain a 2-1 victory, while at the same time he managed to eclipse Raúl as Spain's all-time leading goalscorer.^[142] Speaking of the achievement, he stated that "The goals are dedicated to all the team-mates, all the coaches, all partners and friends I had during my career... But long ago I promised José, who is a friend of mine, that the goal which overtook Raul would be for him."^[143]

On 7 September 2011, Villa helped secure Spain's qualification for UEFA Euro 2012 by scoring two goals in Spain's 6-0 victory over Liechtenstein.^[144] In Spain's last Euro 2012 qualifying match, Villa scored his 50th international goal against Scotland in a 3-1 victory for Spain.^[145] That same match was also the first time Villa was able to wear the captain's armband while playing for the Spanish national team.^[146]

Succeeding Raúl as Spain's number 7[link]

The Spanish media has often compared Villa with Raúl, to the point where Villa was accused of taking the #7 jersey away from the then-Real Madrid player. In March 2009, Villa spoke out saying, "I have not taken anything away from anybody, I was simply playing well for my club and the national coach gave me an opportunity. Too much has been said about the number issue. I’m not looking to cause any controversy. In fact, Raúl and I were in the national squad together in the past. I haven’t forced anybody out." When questioned on whether the whole uproar created over Raúl's omission was affecting him personally, he said, "I’ve never liked it because I think it has been damaging for the both of us. We’ve always got on well together whenever we’ve met up for international duty, so I’m not concerned. I just work hard for myself. All I want is to be in the squad for every game, to have the Spain badge on my chest and to score as many goals as I can."^[147]

In February 2010, Bernd Schuster was asked if Raúl did not favour Villa moving to Real Madrid, to which he responded with "I have a cough", this caused many to believe that he was implying the rumour to be true.^[148] Villa firmly ridiculed that idea by saying "It is impossible that a player with as much class on and off the pitch as Raúl would speak poorly of me. I have always had a good relationship with Raúl, even though we have hardly met on international duty."^[149]

Speaking of Raúl's record with the Spanish national team as the nation's leading top scorer, Villa said, "I've got 25 goals but he's got 44 and is still playing. I'd be delighted to reach that tally as I'd help the national team achieve great victories and, in many years' time, I could see my name on a [scorers' list] that another young lad was trying to beat. That would be great."^[147] On March 25, 2011, two years after making that remark, Villa surpassed Raúl as Spain's all-time top scorer.^[142]

Personal life[link]

Villa in 2009.

In 2003 Villa married his childhood sweetheart Patricia González (who had also been a footballer in her teenage years).^[12] They had a daughter who they named Zaida.^[16] In 2009, his second daughter Olaya was born, named after the wife of Fernando Torres, who is a close friend of Patricia.^[150] His footballing idols are Luis Enrique and Quini.^[84] The names of both daughters are engraved on his personalised Adidas F50's,^[12] while one boot bears the Spanish flag, the other has the Asturian flag.^[151]

Villa frequently attends charity events.^[152] He is actively involved with the campaigns of the UNICEF charity.^[153]

Beginning in July 2008, a "David Villa Camp" is held annually, where children receive training from professional footballers. Villa also participates in a training session with the children.^[154]

Villa featured on the Spanish box art for video game FIFA 07.^[155]

Music[link]

In 2010 he sang alongside Grammy Award-nominated Spanish singer Ana Torroja on the song "Insurrection" by El Último de la Fila. The recording was made for the beneficiary project Voces X1FIN, to help raise money to build an art and education school in Mali. Villa commented that footballers "are an example for society and we have to be ready to get involved in these projects, where we can help people who need it."^[156]

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 25 December 2011.^{[157][158][159]}

International[link]

International statistics[link]

As of 7 October 2011.^[17][160]

Note: Each season is September - August

International goals[link]

As of 15 November 2011.^[17][160]

David Villa international goals
#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Goal	Result	Competition
2005–2006
1.	16 November 2005	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	Slovakia	1–1	1–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	1 March 2006	Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain	Côte d'Ivoire	1–1	3–2	International friendly
3.	13 June 2006	Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany	Ukraine	2–0	4–0	2006 FIFA World Cup
4.	13 June 2006	Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany	Ukraine	3–0	4–0	2006 FIFA World Cup
5.	27 June 2006	AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany	France	1–0	1–3	2006 FIFA World Cup
2006–2007
6.	2 September 2006	Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain	Liechtenstein	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
7.	2 September 2006	Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain	Liechtenstein	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
8.	6 September 2006	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	1–2	3–2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
9.	11 October 2006	Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain	Argentina	2–1	2–1	International friendly
10.	24 March 2007	Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain	Denmark	2–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
11.	6 June 2007	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–1	0–2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
12.	6 June 2007	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–2	0–2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
2007–2008
13.	26 March 2008	Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain	Italy	1–0	1–0	International friendly
14.	31 May 2008	Nuevo Colombino, Huelva, Spain	Peru	1–0	2–1	International friendly
15.	10 June 2008	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2008
16.	10 June 2008	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	2–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2008
17.	10 June 2008	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	3–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2008
18.	14 June 2008	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Sweden	1–2	1–2	UEFA Euro 2008
2008–2009
19.	6 September 2008	Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
20.	10 September 2008	Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain	Armenia	2–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.	10 September 2008	Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain	Armenia	3–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22.	11 October 2008	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	0–2	0–3	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.	15 October 2008	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–2	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
24.	19 November 2008	El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain	Chile	1–0	3–0	International friendly
25.	11 February 2009	Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla, Spain	England	1–0	2–0	International friendly
26.	9 June 2009	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	1–0	6–0	International friendly
27.	9 June 2009	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	2–0	6–0	International friendly
28.	9 June 2009	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	3–0	6–0	International friendly
29.	14 June 2009	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa	New Zealand	5–0	5–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
30.	17 June 2009	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	Iraq	1–0	1–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
31.	20 June 2009	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	South Africa	1–0	2–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009–2010
32.	5 September 2009	Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain	Belgium	2–0	5–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
33.	5 September 2009	Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain	Belgium	5–0	5–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
34.	18 November 2009	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–2	1–5	International friendly
35.	18 November 2009	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–3	1–5	International friendly
36.	3 March 2010	Stade de France, Paris, France	France	0–1	0–2	International friendly
37.	29 May 2010	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Saudi Arabia	1–1	3–2	International friendly
38.	21 June 2010	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Honduras	1–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup
39.	21 June 2010	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Honduras	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup
40.	25 June 2010	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa	Chile	0–1	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup
41.	29 June 2010	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Portugal	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup
42.	3 July 2010	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Paraguay	0–1	0–1	2010 FIFA World Cup
2010-2011
43.	3 September 2010	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–2	0–4	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
44.	12 October 2010	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	0–1	2–3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
45.	25 March 2011	Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain	Czech Republic	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
46.	25 March 2011	Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain	Czech Republic	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
47.	7 June 2011	Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela	Venezuela	0–1	0–3	International friendly
2011–2012
48.	6 September 2011	Estadio Las Gaunas, Logroño, Spain	Liechtenstein	5–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
49.	6 September 2011	Estadio Las Gaunas, Logroño, Spain	Liechtenstein	6–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
50.	11 October 2011	Estadio José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain	Scotland	3–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
51.	15 November 2011	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica	Costa Rica	2–2	2–2	International friendly

• Note: According to virtually all sources,^[who?] Villa's apparent 38th goal (against Poland) was actually an own goal by an opponent. Although FIFA credited the goal to Villa at the time, their own website now says his goal against Scotland was his 50th, not 51st.

Career totals[link]

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Real Zaragoza

• Copa del Rey: 1

2004

• Supercopa de España: 1

2004

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 1

2008

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1

2010–11

• UEFA Champions League: 1

2010–11

• Copa del Rey: 1

2012

• Supercopa de España: 2

2010, 2011

• UEFA Super Cup: 1

2011

• FIFA Club World Cup: 1

2011

Country[link]

Spain

• UEFA European Championship: 1

2008

• FIFA World Cup: 1

2010

Individual[link]

Awards

• Don Balón Award (Spanish Player of the Year): 2005-06
• Zarra Trophy: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
• UEFA Euro 2008 Golden Boot
• UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament^[116]
• Man of the Match Spain vs Russia, Spain vs Sweden Euro 2008
• 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe
• 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament.^[126]
• 2010 FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe
• 2010 FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
• Man of the Match Spain vs Honduras World Cup 2010
• Male Athlete of the Year: 2010
• FIFPro World XI: 2010
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2010

Achievements

• Valencia Top Scorer: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• La Liga's Top Assisting Player: 2006-07^[14]
• Spain all time top scorer: 51 goals
• Spain's all time top scorer in FIFA World Cup matches
• Most goals scored in one World Cup (by a Spanish international): 5
• Most goals scored in one calendar year (by a Spanish international): 12 (2008, 2009)^[118]
• Largest streak of games having scored (by a Spanish international): 6^[120]

Decorations[link]

• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011^[170]

Notes[link]

References[link]