Diego Tristán

Diego Tristán Herrera (born 5 January 1976) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Tristán and the second or maternal family name is Herrera.

Diego Tristán
Tristán in 2016
Personal information
Full name Diego Tristán Herrera
Date of birth (1976-01-05) 5 January 1976[1]
Place of birth La Algaba, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Betis
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1998 Betis B 94 (33)
1998–1999 Mallorca B 39 (15)
1999–2000 Mallorca 35 (18)
2000–2006 Deportivo La Coruña 179 (77)
2006–2007 Mallorca 13 (0)
2007–2008 Livorno 21 (1)
2008–2009 West Ham United 14 (3)
2009–2010 Cádiz 29 (8)
Total 424 (155)
International career
2001–2003 Spain 15 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

At his peak, he was considered amongst the best players in his position in Europe, displaying a vast array of skills: dribbling, shot accuracy, aerial ability and off-the-ball movements. He was best known for his Deportivo de La Coruña spell, where he spent six years, often overshadowed by physical and personal problems.[2]

Over eight La Liga seasons, Tristán amassed totals of 227 matches and 95 goals. He appeared with the Spain national team at the 2002 World Cup.

Club career

Early years

Born in La Algaba, Province of Seville, Tristán came through the youth ranks of local Real Betis,[3] going on to finish his sporting development with the reserves of RCD Mallorca.[4]

After one season in the Segunda División he made his La Liga debut in 1999–2000, scoring against CD Numancia on 12 September 1999.[5][6] He ended his first top-flight campaign with 18 goals.[7]

Deportivo
Tristán with Deportivo in 2009

After nearly moving to league powerhouse Real Madrid in the summer of 2000, a deal barred by Lorenzo Sanz's exit from the club's presidency,[8] Tristán joined Deportivo de La Coruña. He formed a dreaded attacking partnership – on occasions, as Depor mainly operated in a 4–5–1 formation under Javier Irureta – with Dutchman Roy Makaay.[9][7]

As Makaay was first-choice in 2000–01, Tristán threatened to quit Deportivo when he found himself in and out of the side,[10] but became an undisputed starter the following season and responded, netting 21 league goals and taking home the Pichichi Trophy, which included a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over former club Mallorca.[11][7] He added six in that campaign's UEFA Champions League and five in the Copa del Rey, which his team won after beating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium,[12][13][14][15] for a total of 32 goals.[16]

Tristán injured his ankle on international duty in 2002,[17] losing again the starting berth to Makaay who even won the European Golden Boot for his performances. The former could not adapt to his secondary role,[18] but still scored 19 overall goals for the Galicians during that season.[7]

Even when Makaay left Deportivo for FC Bayern Munich, Tristán never regained his form and confidence: in the 2003–04 campaign he played just ten complete matches and was taken off in 20. He only produced 13 goals (eight in the league, two in the domestic cup and three in the Champions League, including one in a 8–3 away defeat to AS Monaco FC on 5 November 2003).[7]

Journeyman

In total, Tristán scored 111 goals in a Deportivo shirt,[19] leaving in July 2006 along with teammate Lionel Scaloni.[20] After being linked with several clubs in Spain and overseas, including Bolton Wanderers, he agreed to rejoin Mallorca after a six-year hiatus.[21] He left in June 2007, having featured rarely for the Gregorio Manzano-led side.[22][23]

Tristán signed a one-year contract with Serie A's A.S. Livorno Calcio in July 2007, as the Italians searched for a replacement for FC Shakhtar Donetsk-bound Cristiano Lucarelli.[24] He failed to impress during his stint in Tuscany, scoring only once during the campaign and eventually dropping down to the Serie B.[25]

On 29 September 2008, it was confirmed Tristán was undergoing a trial at West Ham United of the Premier League.[26] On 14 October he agreed to a deal,[27] making his debut on 8 December as a late substitute in the 0–2 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.[28] He scored his first goal for the club in the 2–1 home victory over Stoke City later that month, also coming from the bench.[29]

Cádiz

On 24 July 2009, Tristán joined second division club Cádiz CF after having been released by West Ham at the end of the season, thus returning to his native Andalusia after 14 years.[30] He regained some of his scoring form in his only season,[31] but his team was relegated after finishing in 19th position; although he himself grabbed a brace in the last league match, a 4–2 home win against Numancia on 19 June 2010, it eventually proved insufficient.[32]

International career

On 2 June 2001, courtesy of his stellar Deportivo performances, Tristán earned a debut for Spain, scoring in a 4–1 home win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Oviedo.[33] In the finals in South Korea and Japan he appeared sparingly for the quarter-finalists after picking up an injury,[17][2] and did not manage to find the net.

Tristán scored on the last of his 15 caps,[31] a 3–0 friendly victory in Portugal on 6 September 2003.[34]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[35][36]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Betis B1995–96Segunda División B3811––3811
1996–97 Segunda División B3211––3211
1997–98 Segunda División B2411––2411
Total 943300009433
Mallorca B1998–99Segunda División3915––3915
Mallorca1999–2000La Liga3518001154623
Deportivo2000–01La Liga2919321124323
2001–02 La Liga3421651265232
2002–03 La Liga239861044119
2003–04 La Liga348321144814
2004–05 La Liga23922102611
2005–06 La Liga361130514412
Total 1797725175017254111
Mallorca2006–07La Liga13030–160
Livorno2007–08Serie A21110–221
West Ham United2008–09Premier League14330–173
Cádiz2009–10Segunda División29810–308
Career total 42415533176122518194

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year[37]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 200152
200260
200342
Total154
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tristán goal.[37]
List of international goals scored by Diego Tristán
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.2 June 2001Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo, Spain Bosnia and Herzegovina
4–1
4–1
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.1 September 2001Mestalla, Valencia, Spain Austria
1–0
4–0
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.2 April 2003Antonio Amilivia, León, Spain Armenia
1–0
3–0
UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
4.6 September 2003D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal Portugal
3–0
3–0
Friendly

Honours

Deportivo

Individual

References
  1. "Diego Tristán" (in Spanish). Eurosport. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. Hermida, Xosé (1 May 2005). "Tristán, pesadilla eterna" [Tristán, eternal nightmare]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. Ramírez, Álvaro (28 October 2011). "Tristán: "Las dos personas que más daño me han hecho son Lopera y Caparrós"" [Tristán: "The two persons that have hurt me the most are Lopera and Caparrós"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  4. Cruz, X. (12 January 1999). "El ariete Diego Tristán sufre una luxación en el hombro y no jugará ante el Osasuna" [Striker Diego Tristán suffers shoulder dislocation and will not play against Osasuna]. Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  5. Martín, Pedro (3 December 2004). "El Numancia, primer rival que cayó en Son Moix" [Numancia, first rivals to fall at Son Moix]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. "What became of… Diego Tristán". La Liga. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  7. Balado, Lois (5 January 2019). "Diego Tristán, el genio breve" [Diego Tristán, the brief genius]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. Alzamora, Miquel (18 July 2000). "La victoria de Florentino Pérez complica el fichaje de Tristán por el Madrid" [Florentino Pérez's win complicates signing of Tristán by Madrid]. Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  9. ""Makaay y yo no podemos seguir juntos un año más"" ["Makaay and myself cannot continue together another year"]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 June 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  10. Silva, Toni (24 April 2001). "Irureta saca la Biblia" [Irureta brings out the Bible]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  11. "Weekend review: Tristán treble lifts Deportivo". UEFA. 8 April 2002. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  12. "Tristán acude al rescate del Deportivo" [Tristán comes to Deportivo's rescue]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 29 November 2001. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  13. "Tristán entierra el sueño del Figueres" [Tristán buries dream of Figueres]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 24 January 2002. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  14. "Quince años del Centenariazo" [Fifteen years from the Centenariazo]. La Opinión A Coruña (in Spanish). 6 March 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  15. Velasco B., Ángel (14 December 2020). "La etapa más dura del Centenariazo del Dépor fue en Zorrilla" [The hardest stop of Dépor's Centenariazo was at Zorrilla] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  16. "Golden Shoe: Tristán moves up after treble". UEFA. 18 March 2002. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  17. Centeno, Alexandre (19 September 2002). "La verdadera lesión de Diego Tristán es un edema óseo" [Diego Tristán's real injury is a bone edema]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  18. "Tristán carga contra Irureta por su suplencia" [Tristán blasts Irureta for reserve status]. ABC (in Spanish). 5 November 2002. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  19. "Tristán vuelve a la Isla" [Tristán returns to the Island] (in Spanish). UEFA. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  20. "Deportivo's Tristán and Scaloni released from contracts". ESPN Soccernet. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  21. "Striker Tristán agrees a return to Real Mallorca". ESPN Soccernet. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  22. Jiménez, Juan (7 February 2007). ""Voy a intentar cambiar la opinión de Manzano"" ["I will try to change Manzano's mind"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  23. "Manzano espera que el de mañana sea un partido «muy abierto»" [Manzano expects tomorrow's to be an "up-for-grabs" match]. El Diario Montañés (in Spanish). 12 May 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  24. "Tristán to fill Lucarelli void". UEFA. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  25. D'Amato, Claudio (25 October 2022). "Diego Tristan, il bomber del Super Depor passato per Livorno" [Diego Tristan, Super Depor bomber who had a spell at Livorno] (in Italian). Goal. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  26. Caroe, Charlie (30 September 2008). "West Ham give trial to Diego Tristan". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  27. "Tristán deal completed". West Ham United F.C. 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  28. Warren, Dan (8 December 2008). "West Ham 0–2 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  29. Shea, Julian (28 December 2008). "West Ham 2–1 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  30. "Tristan joins Cádiz". FIFA. 24 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  31. "La AFE elige a Diego Tristán, ex del Cádiz CF" [ASF chooses Diego Tristán, former Cádiz CF man]. Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). 1 July 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  32. "El Cádiz golea, pero no se salva y vuelve a Segunda B" [Cádiz rout, but do not survive and return to Segunda B]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 June 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  33. "España goleó a Bosnia" [Spain thrashed Bosnia]. Última Hora (in Spanish). 3 June 2001. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  34. "España recupera el buen juego con una goleada en Portugal (0–3)" [Spain back to playing well with a goalfest in Portugal (0–3)]. El País (in Spanish). 7 September 2003. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  35. "Diego Tristán". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  36. "Diego Tristán". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  37. "Diego Tristán". European Football. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  38. "El Deportivo se impone al Espanyol (2–0) y gana su segunda Supercopa" [Deportivo best Espanyol (2–0) and win their second Supercup]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 August 2000. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  39. Bravo, Luis Javier; Sillipp, Bernhard; Torre, Raúl; Di Maggio, Roberto. "Spain – List of Topscorers ("Pichichi") 1929–2015". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
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