Ángel Lafita

Zaragoza and Deportivo

A product of hometown Real Zaragoza's youth system, Lafita was born in Zaragoza, being promoted from their reserves after stellar performances during the 2004–05 season and making his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 28 August 2005 in a 0–0 draw at Atlético Madrid. He went on to become an important element in 2006–07, helping the Aragonese to a berth in the UEFA Cup after contributing 28 games and one goal, in a 2–0 away win against Racing de Santander on 10 December 2006. Lafita was loaned to Deportivo de La Coruña in August 2007, with an option to buy at the end of the campaign. After helping the Galician side to reach the UEFA Intertoto Cup (with the subsequent UEFA Cup qualification), scoring three consecutive goals in February–March 2008, the clause was activated in July for €2 million. After being troubled with physical problems at the start of 2008–09, Lafita returned to Depor in late October 2008. He netted four times in his first seven games, including a brace against Real Betis in a 3–0 away victory on 2 November. In July 2009, Zaragoza paid the sum requested to rebuy the player but Deportivo did not compel, claiming both clubs had agreed on a higher fee (€3.5 million). Lafita still played the first match of the new season, a 3–2 loss at Real Madrid but, in September, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional deemed him a Zaragoza player. Lafita started throughout most of the 2010–11 campaign, but also spent one month on the…

Football ran in Lafita's family: his uncle, Francisco Villarroya, played professionally for Real Madrid, Deportivo and Zaragoza, also being a Spanish international. His father Juan appeared with Zaragoza's first team in the late 70s/early 80s, also representing CD Castellón, and younger brother Ignacio played with Zaragoza B as well as neighbours SD Huesca.