Álvaro Domínguez

Atlético Madrid

Having been released from the academy of Real Madrid as a youngster, Domínguez was signed by local rivals Atlético Madrid when he was 12 years old. In the coming years he progressed through the various youth levels at Atlético before being handed his senior debut by manager Javier Aguirre on 22 October 2008, starting in place of the injured Tomáš Ujfaluši in a 1–1 Champions League draw with Premier League team Liverpool. Four days later, he made his La Liga debut in a 4–4 draw with Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Domínguez managed five senior appearances for the campaign but spent the majority of his first professional season with the Atlético Madrid B team in Segunda División B. The following year, following the appointment of Quique Sánchez Flores as new club manager, Domínguez became a mainstay in the Atlético Madrid team at left back where he displaced captain Antonio López from the starting XI. López later returned to the starting line-up when Sánchez Flores opted to convert Domínguez to the centre-back position. It was also the season in which Domínguez signed his first professional contract with los Colchoneros, penning a four-year deal until June 2013. He ultimately made 46 appearances for the season across all competitions and was part of the squads which ended as runners-up in the Copa del Rey and as champions in the UEFA Europa League, where he started in a 2–1 win over Fulham. Domínguez continued to be a fixture in the Atlético…

Youth

Domínguez represented Spain at various youth levels and in 2009 was called up to the Spain under-20 team for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was then named in Luis Milla's under-21 squad for the 2011 UEFA European Championship. He started in all of Spain's matches, partnering Sporting de Gijón's Alberto Botía in central defense, as the national team won the tournament in Denmark. The following year, Domínguez was included in the Spain squad for the 2012 Olympics alongside Atlético Madrid teammates Adrián López and Koke. Spain were eliminated early on however, after defeats to Japan and Honduras saw them knocked out of the tournament.

Senior

On 25 August 2011, following the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Domínguez was called up to the senior national team by coach Vicente del Bosque for matches against Chile and Liechtenstein. Domínguez failed to feature in either match but made his debut on 26 May the following year, playing 45 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win over Serbia ahead of the 2012 European Championship. He featured again four days later in Spain's 4–1 win over South Korea but ultimately missed out on a place in the final tournament squad.

In 2018, Domínguez worked in collaboration with the Spanish footballers' Association to publish a manual which aimed to help footballers better deal with their finances. In an interview with Marca, he revealed that he had once spent €15,000 in one night and that young players were not educated on how to manage their money.

Club

Álvaro Domínguez, a native of the town of El Cerrito from the center of Valle del Cauca, began his career with Deportivo Cali in 2000. In 2002, he played on loan with Deportivo Pasto and with Atlético Huila. Upon returning to Cali, Domínguez became an important player for his team. In 2005, he helped Cali to capture the Finalización title. In 2007, he joined Swiss side FC Sion, where he was recognized for his sacrifice, long-distance shots and vision of the game. While with Sion he made 122 league appearances and scored 21 goals. During this period Domínguez was a key player in helping Sion to two Swiss Cup titles. In 2011, he left Sion and joined Turkish club Samsunspor on loan. At the end of the season he returned to his native Colombia signing with his first club Deportivo Cali.

International

He played for Colombia at the 2007 Copa America against Paraguay, as well as in friendlies before the tournament.

Domínguez attended King's College in his native Madrid until he was 18-years old. As a result of the school's British curriculum, Domínguez learned to speak English fluently. Though an Atlético Madrid supporter from birth, Domínguez revealed in a 2010 interview with The Guardian that he is fan of Premier League team Chelsea, and that the club's captain John Terry was his idol.

Deportivo Cali

Copa Mustang (1): 2005-II Superliga Colombiana (1): 2014 Sion

Swiss Cup (1): 2010–11