Alberto Cifuentes
Spanish footballer
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Alberto Cifuentes Martínez (born 29 May 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, currently manager of Gibraltar Football League club St Joseph's.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alberto Cifuentes Martínez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 May 1979[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Albacete, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | St Joseph's (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Albacete | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Albacete B | ||
| 1998 | Albacete | 2 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Dos Hermanas | 24 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Mallorca B | 83 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Mallorca | 0 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Ciudad Murcia (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Rayo Vallecano | 70 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Salamanca | 55 | (0) |
| 2009–2013 | Murcia | 90 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | La Hoya Lorca | 37 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Piast Gliwice | 15 | (0) |
| 2015 | Piast Gliwice II | 5 | (0) |
| 2015–2020 | Cádiz | 201 | (0) |
| Total | 600 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021–2024 | Cádiz B | ||
| 2024–2025 | Villanovense | ||
| 2025 | Melilla | ||
| 2025– | St Joseph's | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Born in Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha, Cifuentes started playing as a senior with local Albacete Balompié's reserves. On 15 November 1998, after starter Julio Iglesias was sent off early into a home game against CP Mérida, he made his debut in the Segunda División with the first team, going on to concede twice in a 0–2 home loss.[2]
Cifuentes spent several years of his career in the Segunda División B, representing in the second tier, other than Albacete, Ciudad de Murcia, UD Salamanca, Real Murcia CF and Cádiz CF for a total of 293 appearances. In the 2004–05 season he was part of RCD Mallorca's La Liga roster, being only third choice behind Miguel Ángel Moyá and Sander Westerveld.[3]
Cifuentes moved abroad for the first time in summer 2014 at the age of 35, joining a host of compatriots – including manager Ángel Pérez García – at Polish club Piast Gliwice. He made his debut in top-flight football on 20 July of that year, starting in a 4–0 Ekstraklasa defeat at Lech Poznań.[4] He totalled 21 games during his spell, including five for the B side.[5]
In July 2015, Cifuentes returned to Spain after signing a contract with Cádiz CF.[6] He played 42 matches in his debut campaign, which ended in promotion from division three.[7]
Cifuentes rarely missed a game for the Andalusians the following seasons, notably winning the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the category in 2017–18.[8] He was again instrumental as they returned to the top flight in 2020 after 14 years, still under coach Álvaro Cervera.[9][10]
On 20 September 2020, aged 41, Cifuentes made his Spanish top-tier debut by starting in a 2–0 away win against SD Huesca, becoming the oldest player to do so in the process.[11] On 5 October, after 209 competitive games for Cádiz, he retired.[12]
Coaching career
On 14 February 2021, after a spell as Cádiz sporting director, Cifuentes replaced Juan Manuel Pavón at the helm of their reserves.[13] He left in July 2024[14] but continued to work in the Segunda Federación as head coach, with CF Villanovense[15] and UD Melilla.[16]
On 2 December 2025, Cifuentes was appointed manager of Gibraltar Football League club St Joseph's.[17]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Albacete | 1998–99 | Segunda División | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Dos Hermanas | 1999–2000 | Segunda División B | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| Mallorca B | 2000–01 | Segunda División B | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02 | Segunda División | 34 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2002–03 | Segunda División | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 83 | 0 | — | — | — | 83 | 0 | |||||
| Mallorca | 2000–01 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Ciudad Murcia (loan) | 2003–04 | Segunda División | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| Rayo Vallecano | 2005–06 | Segunda División B | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Segunda División B | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Total | 70 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 76 | 0 | |||
| Salamanca | 2007–08 | Segunda División | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| Total | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 55 | 0 | ||||
| Murcia | 2009–10 | Segunda División B | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Segunda División B | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 90 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 100 | 0 | |||
| La Hoya Lorca | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| Piast Gliwice | 2014–15 | Ekstraklasa | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Cádiz | 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | Segunda División | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Segunda División | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Segunda División | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Segunda División | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 201 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 209 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 595 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 624 | 0 | ||
Managerial statistics
- As of 21 February 2026
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Cádiz B |  |
14 February 2021 | 5 July 2024 | 114 | 39 | 35 | 40 | 132 | 142 | −10 | 34.21 | [19] |
| Villanovense | |
15 October 2024 | 23 May 2025 | 29 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 32 | 34 | −2 | 31.03 | [20] |
| Melilla | |
16 June 2025 | 27 October 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 22.22 | [21] |
| St Joseph's |  |
2 December 2025 | Present | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 4 | +32 | 80.00 | [22] |
| Total | 162 | 58 | 45 | 59 | 210 | 193 | +17 | 35.80 | — | |||
