Full name Joan Capdevila Méndez
Date of birth 3 February 1978 (1978-02-03) (age 32)
Place of birth Tàrrega, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Left back
A product of RCD Espanyol's youth system, Capdevila made his debut for the Catalan side during 1998–99, in a 2–2 draw at Athletic Bilbao, and joined Atlético Madrid the following season.
After the Colchoneros relegation, however, he signed with Galician side Deportivo de La Coruña in the summer of 2000, and would be a regular fixture in the team as left-back, first competing with Enrique Romero, then as the undisputed first-choice. On 16 September 2006, he netted twice as Depor overcame Villarreal CF 2–0 at Riazor Stadium.[1]
In 2007–08, Capdevila joined Villarreal on a three-year deal,[2] and played in all the league games except two, for a side that finished runner-up, achieving direct UEFA Champions League qualification. He produced similar numbers in his second year, bettering his goal total in the process (five).
In the 2009–10 season, with no real competition for his position, Capdevila continued to figure prominently for Villarreal, only missing one league match. The defender added another five goals, but the club could not qualify for Europe this time, after finishing seventh. On 6 December 2009, he scored a brace in a 3–2 home win against Getafe CF, precisely the team that prevented the Valencian from reaching that achievement.
[edit] International career
Capdevila made his debut for Spain on 16 October 2002 against Paraguay in a 0–0 draw. He scored his first international goal in an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Sweden, on 17 November 2007, as Spain won 3–0. Previously, he made the nation's final squad for Euro 2004, but did not leave the bench.
On 6 February 2008, in Málaga, Capdevila scored the winning goal in Spain's 1–0 win against France in an international friendly. He was subsequently called up to Spain's squad for Euro 2008, where he featured in all the matches save one for the eventual champions. During the tournament he established himself as first-choice, his clearance in the dying seconds against Sweden being a crucial part of David Villa's late winner to make the score 2–1. Together with right-back Sergio Ramos and central defenders Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena, he helped keep clean sheets during all three matches of the knock-out stages and only conceded two goals in four matches.
During the first game of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup on 14 June 2009, Capdevilla set up Fernando Torres's third goal of his hat-trick, and also assisted for Cesc Fàbregas's second international goal, as Spain thrashed New Zealand 5–0. In fact, all five goals were created from the left wing, with Capdevila playing a crucial part in the Spanish attack.[3] In the second game against Iraq three days later, he assisted Villa's 55th-minute goal, as Spain defeated Iraq 1–0. He, Puyol, Villa and Torres were named in the team of the tournament, as Spain finished third.
On 20 May 2010, after appearing in all the matches during the qualifying stages, contributing with one goal in Spain's 4–0 home win against Armenia, Capdevila was selected by manager Vicente del Bosque to the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he played all the matches and minutes for the eventual champions.
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