Iván Campo Ramos (born 21 February 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer. Originally a centre-back, he featured in a defensive midfield role in the later years of his career.

Iván Campo
Campo in 1996
Personal information
Full name Iván Campo Ramos
Date of birth (1974-02-21) 21 February 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Youth career
Logroñés
Alavés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Alavés 45 (2)
1995–1997 Valencia 25 (1)
1995–1996Valladolid (loan) 24 (2)
1997–1998 Mallorca 33 (1)
1998–2003 Real Madrid 60 (1)
2002–2003Bolton Wanderers (loan) 31 (2)
2003–2008 Bolton Wanderers 141 (11)
2008–2009 Ipswich Town 17 (1)
2009–2010 AEK Larnaca 8 (0)
Total 384 (21)
International career
1998–2000 Spain 4 (0)
2000–2006 Basque Country 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He played for Real Madrid and four other teams in his country, and is also remembered for his spell in England with Bolton Wanderers.

Campo represented Spain in the 1998 World Cup.

Club career

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Spain

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Born in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Campo started his career at Deportivo Alavés of Segunda División B. He stayed there for two and a half years, signing with Valencia CF who immediately loaned him for the rest of the season to Real Valladolid, which he helped narrowly avoid relegation from La Liga.[1]

Subsequently, Campo returned to Valencia only to be released, joining recently promoted team RCD Mallorca. In the Balearic Islands, he formed a formidable partnership with Marcelino Elena (later of Newcastle United), as they finished fifth in 1997–98.[1]

Campo signed with Real Madrid in the summer of 1998, and contributed to the 1999–2000 conquest of the UEFA Champions League, playing the full 90 minutes in the final against former club Valencia.[2] He often underachieved during his spell at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium due to pressure from the supporters and the press, which led to several situations of anxiety disorder.[3][4][5]

Bolton Wanderers

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After falling out of favor at Real, Campo was sent to Bolton Wanderers on a one-year loan in August 2002.[6] Following the 2002–03 campaign he was expected to return to the Spanish capital, but unexpectedly signed a three-year permanent deal with the English club, deciding he preferred living in Bolton.[7]

On 19 August 2006, in the first match of the new season, Campo scored a long-range drive which caught Tottenham Hotspur and England's Paul Robinson off-guard and flew into the bottom corner of the net.[8][9] In a post-match interview, his boss Sam Allardyce admitted Bolton's goal of the season competition may have already been decided[9] by the "wonder strike".[8]

Campo fitted in well with his side's style of play, but also topped the charts for most red and yellow cards received of any player in the Premier League in 2006–07.[10] In May 2008, he was not offered a new contract by manager Gary Megson and left the team.[11]

Shortly before the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, Campo wrote a letter to the Bolton faithful expressing his regret at not having been able to bid the club a proper farewell, and the letter appeared on a website run by Sky Sports presenter Guillem Balagué.[12] He eventually played in a testimonial match at the Reebok Stadium, in honour of teammate Jussi Jääskeläinen.[13]

Later years

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On 11 August 2008, Campo signed for Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship after passing a medical.[14] He scored his first goal against Barnsley in a 3–0 win,[15] but after only featuring in roughly a third of the league's matches, the 35-year-old was released by manager Roy Keane at the end of the season.[16]

Campo joined Cypriot Second Division side AEK Larnaca FC in December 2009. He retired in June of the following year, having appeared in 124 Spanish top-division games in seven years and 194 competitive matches for Bolton.[17]

International career

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Campo played four times with Spain, his debut coming on 25 March 1998 in a 4–0 friendly victory over Sweden, in Vigo.[18] He was picked for the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, with the national team exiting in the group stage.[19]

Other ventures

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Campo featured in a Spanish TV advert for a fruit drink. In the advert two men take off their shirts to reveal tattoos of Campo's head on their chests.[20]

An Indie band from Preston, England have named themselves Ivan Campo. They featured as part of an interview given by Charlie Webster for a BBC News report after the player signed for Ipswich.[21][22]

Honours

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Mallorca

Real Madrid

Bolton Wanderers

References

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  1. ^ a b Pérez de Guereñu, Aitor (21 February 2017). "Iván Campo, aquel central melenudo que jugó en el Alavés" [Iván Campo, that hairy stopper who played in Alavés] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". The Guardian. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  3. ^ Alcaide, Jesús (9 October 2001). "Iván Campo empieza la terapia" [Iván Campo starts therapy]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. ^ Carbajosa, Carlos E. (27 July 2002). "El ser o no ser de Iván Campo" [Iván Campo's to be or not to be]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Iván Campo: "Cuando tuve ansiedad tenía que dejarme llevar, eran todos contra mí"" [Iván Campo: "When I suffered from anxiety I had to let myself go, it was everybody against me"]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 April 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Bolton seal Campo deal". BBC Sport. 31 August 2002. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Campo signs for Bolton". BBC Sport. 18 July 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. ^ a b McKenzie, Andrew (19 August 2006). "Bolton 2–0 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b Instone, David (20 August 2006). "Bolton Wanderers 2 Tottenham 0: Campo sets Spurs off on wrong foot". The Independent. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  10. ^ "English Premier League – Player Discipline – 2006/2007". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  11. ^ "Campo goes as Bolton release trio". BBC Sport. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  12. ^ Fogarty, Paul (6 June 2019). "What Bolton wouldn't give to have Ivan Campo back". Bolton Wanderers News. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  13. ^ Iles, Marc (9 August 2009). "RESULT – Jussi Jaaskelainen testimonial: Wanderers 0 Hibs 0". The Bolton News. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Campo completes move to Ipswich". BBC Sport. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  15. ^ "Ipswich 3–0 Barnsley". BBC Sport. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  16. ^ "Seven players released by Ipswich". BBC Sport. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  17. ^ Stott, Matt (10 October 2012). "Former Ipswich Town defender Ivan Campo wants Bolton job". Green 'Un 24. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  18. ^ Galindo, Jesús (26 March 1998). "La selección va que chuta" [National team are a real craze]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  19. ^ Román, Rogelio (14 June 1998). "Clemente fue la sorpresa" [Clemente was the surprise]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  20. ^ "The Ivan Campo Appreciation Society: Exhibit B". Manny Road. 3 August 2008. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  21. ^ "The Ivan Campo Appreciation Society: Exhibit C". Manny Road. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  22. ^ "Campo settling in at Ipswich". BBC. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  23. ^ "Boro lift Carling Cup". BBC Sport. 29 February 2004. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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