5 lesser-known La Liga records from the 21st century

Real Zaragoza v Malaga CF - La Liga
Fabrice Olinga (c) in action for Malaga CF - La Liga

We looked into La Liga recent history and found few names that you probably don't know about. Some of the best players in world have played in La Liga but there were some lesser-known names that made the history books.

Whether you like it or not, records are an important aspect of the football that helps judge a player’s true abilities. Speaking of records, it is incredible how analysts all over the world maintain a record of almost everything that players do on the field.

Let's take a trip down memory lane with the five records from the past seasons that will certainly surprise you.


#5 Youngest goalscorer

Fabrice Olinga (born on May 12, 1996) made history on 18 August 2012 when he became the youngest ever player to score in La Liga, grabbing the only goal as Malaga clinched a 1-0 victory at Celta Vigo.

At only 16 years and 98 days old, the Cameroon-born forward came on as a 58th-minute substitute to make his league debut and got the 84th-minute winner as the new season got underway.

On 20 January 2014, he cut ties with Málaga - after rejecting the offer for a revised and improved contract counselled by his agent Pini Zahavi - and joined Apollon Limassol from the Cypriot First Division.

He was selected by coach Volker Finke for his 2014 FIFA World Cup squad at the tender age of 18, being the competition's youngest player. However, he remained an unused substitute throughout as their tournament ended in a group stage exit.

Olinga, 21, currently plays for Royal Excel Mouscron in Belgium's top division, known as the Jupiler Pro League.

#4 Most matches without scoring

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David Cortes

David Cortes Caballero (born on August 29, 1979) never scored a goal in La Liga - having appeared in 273 matches, playing over 20,000 minutes of football in total.

In exactly ten seasons, he mainly played for Mallorca and Getafe (four years each).

Born in Llerena, Cortes made his professional debut with local side CF Extremadura in the second division. He then made the move to Mallorca, where he established himself as their first-choice during three full seasons - winning the 2003 Copa del Rey as part of the squad.

On 15 September 2014 at 35, he moved abroad for the first time in his professional career, joining Danish side AGF Aarhus for one season - retiring after helping them to win promotion back into the top division.

In 420 club appearances, he only netted one goal, which was during his spell for Extremadura in the early 1990s.

#3 Oldest goalscorer

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Donato in action

Donato Gama da Silva (born 30 December 1962), otherwise known as Donato, broke a 43-year-old record in 2002 - becoming the oldest goalscorer in Spanish top-flight history after scoring a header against Valencia to equalise for Deportivo during their 2-1 defeat.

In addition to this, he also held the record for the most matches played in a country's top division by a player who was born outside of Spain, with 466 in total over a 15-season span.

He also has 11 goals for Atletico Madrid in 163 appearances, where he won back to back Copa del Rey, before moving to Deprotivo in 1993.

Born in Brazil, he represented Spain at international level during Euro 1996 and is currently the manager of Viveiro CF, who play in one of the country's lower leagues.

#2 Twins to score the most goals

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Miguel Flaño and Javier Flaño

Javier Flano and Miguel Flano hold the record for most goals in La Liga of any twin pairing in across history. Born on August 19, 1984, they have racked up 313 appearances with 11 goals between the two of them.

Miguel netted 10 in 238 games, while Javier has only scored once in 75 appearances.

They both represented Spain up to under-23 level, they both racked up 21 appearances with 1 goals between them.

Javier plays at right-back while Miguel is a centre-back. The defensive pair both play for Osasuna, in Spain's second division - where Miguel is club captain.

#1 Most number of clubs

La Liga: Barcelona v Albacete
Carlos Aranda

Carlos Aranda (born 27th July, 1980) holds the record for the player who has featured for the most La Liga clubs in history. In eight separate seasons, he represented eight different clubs - scoring 29 goals in 169 matches.

Born in Málaga, Andalusia, the retired forward was a product of Real Madrid's youth system but never appeared in among the senior ranks with the first-team. He played, however, a small part in two UEFA Champions League-winning squads, appearing against Molde FK (1999–2000) and FC Lokomotiv Moscow (2001–02).

He played for Villarreal, Albacete, Sevilla, Numancia, Osasuna, Levante, Zaragoza and Granada in La Liga

He left Real for Numancia in 2002, where he netted eight and created three assists in 28 club appearances before opting for pastures new. His best goal tally was achieved at Osasuna, where he scored nine and created nine more over a two-year span.

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