At 16 he had football on his feet, the comparisons with Leo and Cristiano did not take long to come, but today he has been without a club since last year after a stint in football in Malta. Know its history.
“Be careful what you wish for, because it can come true”Oscar Wilde once outlined. Surely one of the greatest wishes of Diego Capel from the time he was a child it was to become a professional footballer and one of the good ones. In 2004, when he made his debut with the Sevilla began to fulfill it, comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo they did not take long to arrive, but what seemed like a dream ended up being a nightmare for the Spaniard.
Diego Capel’s irruption in football
Diego Capel was born on February 16, 1988 in Albox, a town of 11,000 inhabitants in the province of Almería, Spain. His first shots at number five were made at Olula FC, a club in the area, but he quickly caught the attention of locals and strangers for his great qualities with the ball. At the age of 12, Barcelona laid eyes on him and after convincing him and his family, he managed to take him to La Masía.
However, being away from his family was a problem and decided to leave the training categories of the Catalan team to return to Almería. What for many would have been to miss a unique opportunity for their football career, for Capel it was not like that. The flyer continued to grow close to his family and After a brief stint at CD Oriente, he would make a stop at Sevilla, a team that spent approximately 20,000 euros to have his services as just a youth.
The economic effort of the Andalusian team was soon profitable with its level in the lower divisions, since cAt just 16 years old, he was already playing for Sevilla’s B team, which played in the Second Division B (third category of Spain). Soon after, his professional debut came: On October 24, 2004, he jumped onto the playing field to replace a Sevilla legend like Antonio López, to play a Sevilla-Atlético Madrid match. In that match he had a couple of minutes on the green lawn that was enough for him to become the second youngest footballer to debut in the history of the Blanquirroja institution.
From then on, his projection as one of the most outstanding footballers of that moment did not stop growing: great performances that crowned him with titles in the first team, European champion with the Spanish Under-21 team, ties with powerful clubs from the old continent as Manchester United it is included He was compared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano RonaldoAt that time it was one of the sensations of the beautiful game.
Comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that were “turning off” Capel
Diego Capel seemed to be predestined to be a myth with the ball at his feet. To such an extent that in 2008 the Spanish media Sports stadium He misrepresented some statements by Renato Dirnei, a Brazilian footballer who was much loved in Seville, and turned them into a memorable cover: “Diego Capel, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi: THE SAME”.
However, little by little, it faded. The comparisons were devouring him, the comparisons with Messi and Cristiano – as often happens – did not play in his favor and as is common in the world of football, one day Capel was a kind of “God” and the other day he became the “worst of the humans”. Of course, it will never be known if it was a matter of level, media pressure or simply hastened their footballing walk. What is known is that little by little the Spanish midfielder was losing himself on the field of play.
In the 2010/11 season, he definitely lost his importance in the first team and lost his place in the starting eleven with the Argentine ex-Boca, Diego Perotti. With the hours counted in the Sevilla squad, Capel decided to pack his suitcases and go back to his best version in another team. Unfortunately, he never succeeded.
Diego Capel in search of his best version: an eye-catching tour of Europe
After deciding to emigrate from the Andalusian team, in 2011 Diego Capel ended up in the football of Portugal. The Sporting Lisbon It opened its doors to him and although it did not seem to be a step forward in his career, it did seem to be an ideal place to continue growing. In The Green Dragons He spent four seasons and his level went from highest to lowest. He did not achieve the expected regularity and his return to the forefront of the European elite seemed to be further and further away.
Then the “new Messi” arrived at the A league to defend the colors of the Genoa. In the entity of the Liguria region he also failed to establish himself, his level decreased considerably and he was only there for a season. After a new stumble, Capel went to try his luck in the Belgian league. Anderlecht was the next destination. At the belgian club He returned to play continental competitions and have a large number of minutes on the green grass. Nevertheless, It wasn’t enough for Capel and they weren’t enough of a reason to stay in the Jupiler League.
Capel’s return to Spain and an exotic later destination
After a season without a club, in 2018, Diego Capel ended up at Extremadura UD, which at that time had just been promoted to the second category of Spanish football and surprised with the signing of the midfielder. There he did not have a great individual level either, but he did collectively. With only 15 games played, but getting the team to stay in the second division. Therefore, he closed his stage at Extremadura only one year later after not renewing his contract.
Again, Capel had to spend several months without a team until in January 2020 he signed up to be a new player of the Birkirkara de Malta. In his new exotic destiny he was received like a king, he was once again happy footballingly and even some fans of the island club they claim to have seen the skilled left winger gallop like old times, and even celebrate a goal.
Anyway, fate struck him again. With only three games and one goal scored, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the entire world. That meant the pause of all leagues and sports in the world and Malta was not going to be an exception. In the end, the definitive cancellation of the Maltese league meant that his experience at Birkirkara ended earlier than expected and with hardly any enjoyment. Thus, His association with the Malta team ended and he was released again.
During this last transfer market, according to several Romanian media, Diego Capel sounded like a possible signing for Dinamo Bucharest. A team that belongs to a company run by two Spaniards. Now, Capel is without a team, but despite his long history throughout Europe, the eternal promise is not given. At 32 years old, like Peter Pan, Capel does not want to grow up and longs to be that blond boy who did magic with the ball again.
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