Sietes
Quick Facts
Biography
José Manuel Suárez Rivas (born 18 February 1974), known as Sietes, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left back.
Over the course of ten seasons he appeared in 194 La Liga games, mainly for Racing de Santander. He started his 19-year senior career with Real Oviedo.
Club career
Sietes, who was born in Sietes, Asturias, receiving his nickname from his birthplace, started playing for local giants Real Oviedo, first appearing with the main squad on 27 March 1994 in a 0–0 away draw against Real Valladolid. With just nine La Liga games throughout the entire season, he did score two goals in back-to-back matches, 3–0 wins over Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid.
Signing with Valencia CF in the 1995–96 campaign, Sietes was used sparingly over two seasons and moved to Racing de Santander for 1997–98, where he would constantly battle top flight relegation (which would eventually befall in 2001, with the club returning in the immediate following season with 39 appearances from the player). After that his career was unassuming, with stints mainly in the second division, punctuated by a season with Watford in the English Championship (no games played).
After appearing in only five matches for CD Numancia in the 2007–08 campaign, with the Soria side returning to the top division after a three-year absence, Sietes moved to fourth-tier club CD Lealtad, in Villaviciosa, remaining with the club three seasons. On 31 August 2012, after having helped another team in his native region, Real Avilés, promote to the third division, the 38-year-old announced his retirement from the game.
International career
Sietes represented Spain at the 1996 Summer Olympics, appearing once for the quarterfinalists.
Honours
- Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Runner-up 1996
- Italia ya ganó un Europeo a España en el 1996 (Italy has already won European Championships against Spain in 1996); Orgullo Bianconero, 18 June 2013 (Spanish)