Quick Facts
Biography
Pedro Mario Álvarez Abrante (born 2 February 1982), commonly known as Mario, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Thai club Muangthong United F.C. as a central defender.
Club career
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Mario started his senior career with Atlético Madrid, but could only represent its C and B-teams. In the 2001 summer he signed for Real Valladolid, making his La Liga debut in the 2001–02 season, playing in 17 games and repeating the feat in the following campaign, still in the top flight.
In 2003–04, Mario was loaned to FC Barcelona, appearing only once for the Catalans officially, in an infamous 1–5 away defeat against Málaga CF on 3 December 2003. As Valladolid was relegated in June he returned to the Castile and León club for two further seasons, both spent in Segunda División.
Mario joined Recreativo de Huelva in 2006, being an important defensive element as the Andalusian side finished eighth in the top level, while scoring his fourth goal as a professional on 5 November 2006 in a last minute 2–1 home win over Gimnàstic de Tarragona.
For the 2007–08 season, Mario signed with Getafe CF, being an undisputed starter in his second year but appearing rarely in the following campaigns, due to constant injuries. His first appearance in 2010–11 – one of just three – only took place on 10 May 2011, in a 0–4 away loss against Real Madrid.
Mario also spent extended periods on the sidelines with his following team, Real Betis, with which he signed as a free agent in June 2011. He scored his first and only goal for the Verdiblancos on 24 February 2013 in a 3–0 home win over Málaga, but his team was eventually relegated and he left.
In late July 2013, Mario signed a two-year contract with Azerbaijan Premier League side Baku FC. After featuring regularly he moved back to Spain, penning a two-year deal with Real Zaragoza.
On 8 March 2016, after one-and-a-half seasons in the second level, Mario moved to the Thai Premier League with Muangthong United FC.
Honours
Club
- Muangthong United
- Thai Premier League: 2016
- Thai League Cup: 2016
- Thailand Champions Cup: 2017
Country
- Spain U16
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 1999
