Ildefons Lima
![]() Lima with Andorra in 2016 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ildefons Lima Solà | ||
Date of birth | (1979-12-10) 10 December 1979 (age 44) | ||
Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Youth career | |||
Damm | |||
FC Andorra | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1996–1999 | FC Andorra | 58 | (2) |
1999–2000 | Espanyol B | 1 | (0) |
2000–2001 | Sant Andreu | 25 | (2) |
2001–2002 | Ionikos | 0 | (0) |
2002 | Pachuca | 3 | (1) |
2002–2003 | Las Palmas | 25 | (2) |
2004 | Poli Ejido | 2 | (0) |
2004–2005 | Rayo Vallecano | 34 | (1) |
2005–2009 | Triestina | 80 | (1) |
2009–2011 | Bellinzona | 43 | (4) |
2011–2012 | Triestina | 17 | (2) |
2012–2014 | FC Andorra | 45 | (15) |
2014–2018 | Santa Coloma | 64 | (10) |
2018–2022 | Inter d'Escaldes | 53 | (5) |
2022–2023 | FC Andorra B | 13 | (0) |
Total | 463 | (45) | |
International career | |||
1997–2023 | Andorra | 137 | (11) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ildefons Lima Solà (born 10 December 1979) is an Andorran former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
He played club football in Spain, Greece, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland and Andorra. In a 26-year international career, the longest in men's football history, Lima set the records for most appearances and most goals for Andorra (137 and 11).[1]
Early life
Lima was born in Barcelona, Catalonia[2] to an Andalusian father and a Catalan mother.[3] His family moved to Andorra when he was two months old.[4]
Club career
Lima's first years as a senior were spent with FC Andorra, playing one season each in the Spanish third and fourth divisions. Subsequently, he played at both levels with RCD Espanyol B and UE Sant Andreu, splitting the following campaign abroad between Ionikos F.C. of Greece and C.F. Pachuca in Mexico.[5]
In the summer of 2002, Lima returned to Spain, remaining one and a half seasons at newly relegated UD Las Palmas in the Segunda División. He scored his only two goals as a professional in the country on 22 December 2002 and 14 June 2003, respectively against Levante UD (1–1) and CD Numancia (1–0 away win);[6][7] he appeared just three times in 2003–04, ended with relegation.[8] He moved in January 2004 to another team in that league, Polideportivo Ejido, and spent the following campaign with Rayo Vallecano in division three.[9]
Lima then played four years with US Triestina Calcio 1918 in Italy.[10] With the Trieste side, he was occasionally used as a forward at the request of elusive chairman Flaviano Tonellotto.[11] In 2009, aged nearly 30, he switched countries again, signing for AC Bellinzona of the Swiss Super League.[12]
After two seasons in Switzerland and one back at Triestina,[13] Lima signed again for FC Andorra, now of the Primera Catalana, instead of several offers to play in the principality's Primera Divisió.[14] On 12 June 2014, he joined the latter league's champion FC Santa Coloma.[15] He scored for them on 8 July in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League away to FC Banants, as they advanced on away goals;[16] he also claimed four national championships in a row.[17]
Having spent four years with Santa Coloma, Lima signed with Inter Club d'Escaldes in August 2018,[18] winning their first league in history in 2019–20 and repeating the feat the next two campaigns.[17] Following another spell of the same length, he returned to FC Andorra to play for the reserve team, with the club now owned by Gerard Piqué.[19]
International career
Lima made his debut for Andorra aged 17, in the country's second ever game on 22 June 1997, scoring in a 4–1 friendly defeat in Estonia. He went on to lead the national team's scoring charts, and also earned more than 130 caps.[20][21]
In June 2009, near the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Lima scored his first competitive goal for over eight years and six years overall, netting the last goal of a 5–1 away loss against Belarus. On 9 September 2014, in Andorra's first match of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualification phase, he netted a sixth-minute penalty to give the side a 1–0 lead over Wales, but in an eventual 1–2 home defeat.[22]
After Óscar Sonejee, Lima was the second Andorran to reach a century of caps, playing his 100th game on 1 June 2016, a 2–0 friendly loss to Estonia in Tallinn.[23] On 22 February 2017 he opened a 2–0 away win over San Marino in another exhibition game, ending an 86-game winless run.[24]
Lima surpassed Sonejee's national record of 106 internationals on 16 August 2017, when he played a friendly against Qatar in Burton-on-Trent.[25] In 2020, the Andorran Football Federation removed him from the team – against the wishes of coach Koldo Álvarez – when the player spoke out against football resuming in the principality without COVID-19 testing. FIFPro, the world's trade union for footballers, called for FIFA to intervene in his favour.[26]
On 3 June 2021, Lima became just the third European footballer (after Billy Meredith and Jari Litmanen) to be capped in four different decades when playing in a friendly defeat to Republic of Ireland.[27] On 16 June 2023, the 43-year-old became the oldest ever player to appear at a UEFA European Championship qualifying match.[28]
Lima retired from the national team after a Euro 2024 qualifier against Switzerland on 12 September 2023; he was substituted after 23 minutes to a standing ovation by both sets of supporters and replaced by Ricard Fernández, a player born two years into his international career. His 26-year spell for his country was the longest in men's football history.[29][19]
Personal life
Despite debuting for the Andorra national team when he was 17, Lima became a citizen of the country when he lived there for 20 years.[4] His older brother, Antoni, was also a footballer and a defender. He too spent most of his career in the lower leagues of Spain, and the pair shared teams at Ionikos.[30][31]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
FC Andorra | 1996–97 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
1997–98 | Segunda División B | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
1998–99 | Tercera División | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||
Total | 58 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 2 | ||
Espanyol B | 1999–2000 | Tercera División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
Sant Andreu | 2000–01 | Tercera División | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | |
Ionikos | 2001–02 | Super League Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Pachuca | 2002 | Liga MX | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | |
Las Palmas | 2002–03 | Segunda División | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | |
2003–04 | Segunda División | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
Total | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
Poli Ejido | 2003–04 | Segunda División | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
Rayo Vallecano | 2004–05 | Segunda División B | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | |
Triestina | 2005–06 | Serie B | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
2006–07 | Serie B | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | ||
2007–08 | Serie B | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||
2008–09 | Serie B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
Total | 80 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 1 | ||
Bellinzona | 2009–10 | Swiss Super League | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 4 | |
2010–11 | Swiss Super League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
Total | 43 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 4 | ||
Triestina | 2011–12 | Lega Pro Prima Divisione | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |
FC Andorra | 2012–13 | Primera Catalana | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 5 | |
2013–14 | Primera Catalana | 28 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 10 | ||
Total | 45 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 15 | ||
Santa Coloma | 2014–15 | Primera Divisió | 12 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 8 |
2015–16 | Primera Divisió | 17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 21 | 6 | ||
2016–17 | Primera Divisió | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
2017–18 | Primera Divisió | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 5 | |
2018–19 | Primera Divisió | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 64 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 84 | 19 | ||
Inter d'Escaldes | 2018–19 | Primera Divisió | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | — | 16 | 0 | |
2019–20 | Primera Divisió | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | — | 21 | 2 | ||
2020–21 | Primera Divisió | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | |
2021–22 | Primera Divisió | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
2022–23 | Primera Divisió | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 53 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 65 | 6 | ||
FC Andorra B | 2022–23 | Tercera Catalana | 13 | 0 | – | – | – | – | — | 13 | 0 | |
Career total | 463 | 45 | 21 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 504 | 55 |
International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Andorra[34][20] | 1997 | 2 | 1 |
1998 | 7 | 0 | |
1999 | 8 | 0 | |
2000 | 8 | 1 | |
2001 | 3 | 1 | |
2002 | 4 | 1 | |
2003 | 2 | 0 | |
2004 | 5 | 0 | |
2005 | 5 | 0 | |
2006 | 0 | 0 | |
2007 | 6 | 0 | |
2008 | 6 | 1 | |
2009 | 5 | 2 | |
2010 | 4 | 0 | |
2011 | 6 | 0 | |
2012 | 7 | 0 | |
2013 | 6 | 0 | |
2014 | 6 | 2 | |
2015 | 7 | 1 | |
2016 | 6 | 0 | |
2017 | 8 | 1 | |
2018 | 8 | 0 | |
2019 | 9 | 0 | |
2020 | 0 | 0 | |
2021 | 5 | 0 | |
2022 | 1 | 0 | |
2023 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 137 | 11 |
- Scores and results list Andorra's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lima goal.[34][20]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 June 1997 | Linnastaadion, Kuressaare, Estonia | ![]() | 1–3 | 1–4 | Friendly |
2 | 2 September 2000 | Communal d'Aixovall, Andorra La Vella, Andorra | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
3 | 25 April 2001 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–3 | |
4 | 27 March 2002 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
5 | 4 June 2008 | Comunal d'Aixovall, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–2 | |
6 | 11 February 2009 | S. Darius and S. Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania | ![]() | 1–2 | 1–3 | |
7 | 6 June 2009 | Neman Stadium, Grodno, Belarus | ![]() | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
8 | 9 September 2014 | Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
9 | 13 October 2014 | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–4 | ||
10 | 11 October 2015 | ![]() | 1–2 | 1–4 | ||
11 | 22 February 2017 | Olimpico di Serravalle, Serravalle, San Marino | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Honours
Santa Coloma
Inter d'Escaldes
- Primera Divisió: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22[17]
- Copa Constitució: 2020
- Andorran Supercup: 2020, 2021
See also
References
- ^ Duret, Sébastien; Mamrud, Roberto. "Andorra – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ Mentruit, Inmaculada (8 October 2008). "Aventuras de un andorrano en la Serie B" [Adventures of an Andorran in Serie B]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ Doral, Alba (7 April 2019). "Ildefons Lima i el mapamundi" [Ildefons Lima and the world map]. Diari d'Andorra (in Catalan). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Fiebre Maldini: Ildefons Lima, orgullo de Andorra | Movistar+" [Fiebre Maldini: Ildefons Lima, pride of Andorra | Movistar+] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Moschovos, Kostas (10 October 2021). "Ιλντεφόνς Λίμα: Από το πέρασμα από τον Ιωνικό στο… Ανδόρρα – Αγγλία!" [Ildefons Lima: From Ionikos spell to… Andorra – England!] (in Greek). News 12. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Descarga evita otra derrota del Levante" [Descarga prevents another Levante loss]. Diario Córdoba (in Spanish). 23 December 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Las Palmas visitará el sábado al Numancia diez años después de ganar en Soria" [Las Palmas will visit Numancia Saturday ten years after winning in Soria]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 4 September 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Fuentes, Pablo (2 March 2023). "¿Qué fue del mítico exjugador de la UD Las Palmas y andorrano Ildefons Lima?" [What became of the legendary Andorran ex-UD Las Palmas player Ildefons Lima?]. La Provincia (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Pérez, Marc (15 December 2018). "Ildefons Lima: "Ser el representant de l'equip al camp és un motiu de molt orgull"" [Ildefons Lima: "To represent the team on the pitch is something to be very proud of"]. Ara (in Catalan). Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Rodio, Antonello (3 August 2005). "Arriva Lima, stopper della nazionale di Andorra" [Lima, Andorran national team stopper, arrives]. Il Piccolo (in Italian). Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Il calcio andorrano oltre la playstation" [Andorran football as well as playstation] (in Italian). Rovesciate. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "El defensa Ildefons Lima triomfa a l'equip suís de Bellinzona" [Defender Ildefons Lima triumphs in Switzerland's Bellinzona]. Diari d'Andorra (in Catalan). 9 December 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Triestina, "Nanu" Galderisi è il nuovo allenatore. Ufficiali il ritorno di Lima e l'acquisto di Galasso" [Triestina, "Nanu" Galderisi is the new manager. Return of Lima and acquisition of Galasso official] (in Italian). Sportest. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Lima accepta l'oferta esportiva de l'Andorra abans que la de la Lliga" [Lima accepts FC Andorra's sporting offer rather than that of the League]. El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Catalan). 29 August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ "L'FC Santa Coloma fitxa Ildefons Lima i Iban Parra" [FC Santa Coloma sign Ildefons Lima and Iban Parra] (in Catalan). Andorra Difusió. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Keeper Casals edges Santa Coloma past Banants". UEFA. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ a b c Stein, Leandro (13 September 2023). "Ildefons Lima encerra uma carreira de recorde: 26 anos com a seleção de Andorra" [Ildefons Lima wraps up record career: 26 years with the Andorra national team] (in Portuguese). Trivela. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ López-Egea, Miquel (24 August 2018). "Lima fitxa per l'Inter d'Escaldes buscant "nous objectius"" [Lima signs for Inter d'Escaldes searching for "new objectives"]. El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Catalan). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ a b Rindl, Joe (13 September 2023). "Ildefons Lima: Andorra captain ends international career after 26 years". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Mamrud, Roberto. "Ildefons Lima Solá – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ Ruiz, David (15 October 2015). "Ildefons Lima, el 'Panenka' pirenaico, es el defensa más goleador de la Eurocopa" [Ildefons Lima, the 'Panenka' of the Pyrenees, is the top-scoring defender in the European Championship]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Gareth Bale double rescues feeble Wales from embarrassment in Andorra". The Guardian. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ "Derrota ajustada de la Selecció a Tallinn en el centenari d'Ilde Lima" [National team's close defeat in Tallinn on Ilde Lima's centenary] (in Catalan). Andorran Football Federation. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Andorra has finally ended the longest-running losing streak in international football". Esquire. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ Blasco, Joan Josep (17 August 2017). "Ildefons Lima: l'home rècord" [Ildefons Lima: the record man]. El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Catalan). Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ Cole, Sean (17 November 2020). "Ildefons Lima: The national icon shunned by his country over coronavirus comments". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ Togher, Liam (17 February 2022). "Ildefons Lima: Andorra's four-decade international icon". Football Pink. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Ildefons Lima becomes oldest player in EURO qualifying history". UEFA. 15 June 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "After 26 years – making his debut in 1997, Andorra captain RETIRES". Football Post. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Andorra – El milagro contra Macedonia" [Andorra – The miracle against Macedonia] (in Spanish). Pablo Aro Geraldes. 3 February 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Blanco, Jordi (13 November 2014). "Ildefons Lima, un andorrano en Wembley" [Ildefons Lima, an Andorran in Wembley] (in Spanish). AM 14. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Ildefons Lima at Soccerway
- ^ Ildefons Lima at FootballDatabase.eu
- ^ a b "Ildefons Lima". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ Stein, Leandro (18 November 2019). "Andorra agora tem um recorde no futebol: com mais de 22 anos na seleção, Ildefons Lima estabeleceu a maior marca da história" [Andorra now has a record in football: with over 22 years in the national team, Ildefons Lima set greatest mark in history] (in Portuguese). Trivela. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Ildefons Lima at BDFutbol
- Ildefons Lima at National-Football-Teams.com
- Ildefons Lima – FIFA competition record (archived)
- National team data
- Official website (in Catalan)