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Diego Orejuela

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Orejuela and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Diego Orejuela
Personal information
Full name Diego Orejuela Rodríguez[1]
Date of birth (1962-01-20)20 January 1962[1]
Place of birth La Luisiana, Spain
Date of death 20 June 2024(2024-06-20) (aged 62)
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1976–1979 Español
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1991 Español 245 (14)
1979–1980 → Figueres (loan) 29 (8)
1980–1981 → Sabadell (loan) 16 (1)
1981–1982 → Figueres (loan)
1982 → Lleida (loan) 5 (0)
1991–1993 Palamós 66 (7)
Total 361 (30)
International career
1978 Spain U18 3 (0)
1984 Spain U21 1 (0)
1984 Spain amateur 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Diego Orejuela Rodríguez (20 January 1962 – 20 June 2024) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He represented mainly Español in a 14-year career, making 303 competitive appearances and reaching the 1988 UEFA Cup final.[2]

Career

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Born in La Luisiana, Province of Seville,[3] Orejuela made his professional debut with RCD Español, being an undisputed starter since age 21 after serving four loans in the lower leagues, all in Catalonia, and remaining as such for the vast majority of his tenure. He scored two goals in the club's 1987–88 runner-up campaign in the UEFA Cup, against Inter Milan in the third round (1–0) and Club Brugge KV in the semi-finals (3–0 win following a 2–0 loss in Belgium), having also captained the team for a number of years.[4][5][6][7]

After a last weak season in La Liga in 1990–91 – just 12 games, only two complete – Orejuela retired in 1993 at the age of 31, playing two years with Español neighbours Palamós CF in the Segunda División.[3][5]

Personal life and death

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Orejuela's older brother, Jesús, was also a footballer; a striker, he represented in the top flight Espanyol (coinciding with Diego from 1982 to 1984), CA Osasuna and Real Zaragoza.[8] Their cousin Antonio was also involved in the sport at the professional level.[9]

Orejuela died in Barcelona on 20 June 2024 aged 62, from pancreatic cancer.[10][3]

Honours

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Español

Spain Under-21

References

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  1. ^ a b Diego Orejuela at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Fallece Diego Orejuela, el capitán del Espanyol en la UEFA del 88" [Death of Diego Orejuela, captain of Espanyol in the 88 UEFA]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 20 June 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c López, Marcos (20 June 2024). "Muere a los 62 años el histórico capitán del Espanyol Diego Orejuela" [Death of historic Espanyol captain Diego Orejuela at the age of 62]. El Periódico (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  4. ^ Sirvent, José María (10 December 1987). "La suerte y un precioso gol de Orejuela eliminaron al Inter en Sarriá" [Luck and a beautiful Orejuela goal ousted Inter at Sarriá]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Diego OREJUELA" (in Spanish). Hall of Fame Perico. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  6. ^ "32 años del Espanyol 3–0 Brugge" [32nd anniversary of Espanyol 3–0 Brugge] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b Molero, Iván (20 June 2024). "Fallece el gran capitán de la UEFA del 88: Diego Orejuela" [Death of the great captain of the 88 UEFA: Diego Orejuela]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  8. ^ Font, Sergi (20 June 2024). "Muere Diego Orejuela, centrocampista y capitán del Espanyol subcampeón de la UEFA en 1988" [Death of Diego Orejuela, midfielder and captain of Espanyol UEFA runners-up in 1988]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  9. ^ Guzmán Morán, Evaristo (3 April 2023). "Los Jardines «Juanlu» y «Orejuela» reconocen la trayectoria de los dos futbolistas profesionales colonos" [The "Juanlu" and "Orejuela" Gardens acknowledge the career of the two pioneering professional footballers] (in Spanish). Fuente Palmera Información. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  10. ^ Martin, Lu (23 June 2024). "El Espanyol, hoy, no debería llorar, bastante ha llorado por Diego Orejuela" [Espanyol, today, should not be crying, they have cried over Diego Orejuela enough as it is] (in Spanish). Relevo. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  11. ^ "England 2–0 Spain". UEFA. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
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