Iñigo Calderón
Spanish footballer (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Íñigo Calderón Zapatería (born 4 January 1982) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He is currently the head coach of Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee.
|
Calderón in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Íñigo Calderón Zapatería[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 4 January 1982[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Vitoria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Kitchee (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Alavés | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2002 | Alavés C | ||
| 2001–2004 | Alavés B | 71 | (1) |
| 2004–2007 | Alicante | 84 | (5) |
| 2007–2009 | Alavés | 52 | (1) |
| 2010–2016 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 198 | (18) |
| 2016–2017 | Anorthosis | 28 | (3) |
| 2017–2019 | Chennaiyin | 32 | (4) |
| Total | 465+ | (32+) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2024–2025 | Bristol Rovers | ||
| 2025– | Kitchee | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He played for Alicante and Alavés in Spain, joining Brighton & Hove Albion in 2010 and going on to remain several years with the club while appearing in 232 competitive games.[3]
Playing career
Spain
Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Basque Country,[4] Calderón started his professional career with Alicante in the Segunda División B, achieving two first-place finishes and one third during his three-year spell but seeing his team consecutively fail in the promotion play-offs.[5]
In 2007, he moved to Alavés (he had already represented its C and B sides early in his career),[6] playing two Segunda División seasons – often serving as team captain[7][8][9]– and suffering relegation in his second year.[10]
Brighton & Hove Albion
On 7 January 2010, after a spell on trial, Calderón signed with Football League One club Brighton & Hove Albion on a contract until the end of the campaign.[11][12] He made his debut nine days later in a 2–1 win at Walsall,[13] and scored his first goal for the Seagulls in another away fixture (also 2–1 victory), against Charlton Athletic on 23 February.[14]
Calderón's offer of a new contract at Brighton was withdrawn[15] after he agreed to join League One rivals Southampton in May 2010.[16] However, on 10 June, the player agreed to a new three-year deal, with manager Gus Poyet claiming "Calde is a quality player and was always our first-choice right-back...".[17]
In the 2010–11 season, Calderón scored eight goals, including a first-half strike in the 4–3 victory over Dagenham & Redbridge that helped Albion secure promotion to the Championship.[18][19][20] He subsequently signed a one-year extension, keeping him at the Falmer Stadium until 2014.[21]
Calderón netted his first goal of 2011–12 in the 2–0 home defeat of Bristol City – a thunderous drive from 25 yards.[22] He appeared predominantly as a right midfielder in 2014–15, scoring four times and being subsequently voted player of the season.[23][19]
Later career
On 9 July 2016, aged 34, free agent Calderón joined Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis Famagusta on a one-year contract.[24] On 19 July 2017, he switched to the Indian Super League with Chennaiyin.[25]
Coaching career
Beginnings
During the later years of his career, Calderón secured a UEFA Pro Licence, before returning to his former club Alavés as assistant manager to the reserves following his retirement.[26][27] He went back to Brighton & Hove Albion in June 2023, being named under-18 head coach.[28]
Bristol Rovers
On 26 December 2024, Calderón was appointed manager of League One side Bristol Rovers on a two-and-a-half year deal.[29] Having watched a 3–1 away defeat against Exeter City from the stands on the day of his appointment,[30] his first match in charge was a 3–0 loss at Stevenage, with his team ending the calendar year in 20th position;[31] 2025 saw an upturn in form however, with thirteen points from the first eight matches including vital wins over fellow strugglers Cambridge United, Peterborough United and Burton Albion, and the manager talked of the importance of helping erase the negative atmosphere that surrounded the club at the time of his appointment.[32]
Despite this, Calderón's side would pick up just one point in nine games across March and April 2025, having their relegation confirmed on 29 April after a point elsewhere for Burton Albion left the Rovers four points from safety with just one fixture remaining.[33] Subsequently, he confirmed that he would like to remain at the Memorial Stadium, admitting however that the situation was out of his control;[34] on 4 May, following a 4–1 final day away defeat to Blackpool, he left.[35]
Kitchee
On 4 July 2025, Calderón became head coach of Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee.[36] He won the national championship in his first season,[37] also reaching the final in the domestic League Cup.[38]
Personal life
Calderón has a master's degree in sport psychology. He is also a qualified teacher.[39]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Alavés B | 2000–01[40] | Segunda División B | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02[40] | Segunda División B | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2002–03[40] | Segunda División B | 35 | 1 | — | — | — | 35 | 1 | ||||
| 2003–04[40] | Segunda División B | 33 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 71 | 1 | — | — | — | 71 | 1 | |||||
| Alicante | 2004–05[40] | Segunda División B | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[40] | Segunda División B | 31 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 38 | 5 | ||
| 2006–07[40] | Segunda División B | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| Total | 84 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 10 | 0 | 99 | 6 | |||
| Alavés | 2007–08[40] | Segunda División | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09[40] | Segunda División | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Total | 52 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 55 | 1 | ||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2009–10[41] | League One | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | |
| 2010–11[42] | League One | 44 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 50 | 8 | |
| 2011–12[43] | Championship | 32 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13[44] | Championship | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[45] | Championship | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| 2014–15[46] | Championship | 35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 41 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16[47] | Championship | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 198 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 232 | 19 | ||
| Anorthosis | 2016–17[48] | Cypriot First Division | 28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 3 | ||
| Chennaiyin | 2017–18[48] | Indian Super League | 20 | 3 | — | — | — | 20 | 3 | |||
| 2018–19[48] | Indian Super League | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 4 | — | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||||
| Career total | 465 | 32 | 30 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 521 | 34 | ||
- Appearances in promotion play-offs
- Appearances in Football League Trophy
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Bristol Rovers |  |
26 December 2024 | 4 May 2025 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 23.08 | |
| Kitchee |  |
4 July 2025 | Present | 27 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 66.67 | |
| Career Total | 53 | 24 | 8 | 21 | 45.28 | ||||
Honours
Player
Brighton & Hove Albion
Chennaiyin
Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11 League One[52]
- Indian Super League Fittest Player: 2017–18[53]
Manager
Kitchee
