Uriel Antuña wants to return to European football, as at the age of 18 he had a brief experience that he could not consolidate. We present other cases of players who bequeathed to the Old Continent young people with the aim of transcending
Uriel Antuña has noted that he prefers to try his luck again in European football before becoming champion with Chivas, and does not even rule out America as a team in which he can land in the future, however, his second chance at the BBVA MX League is over and the numbers it records are far from commendable to attract the spotlight of the ‘Old Continent’.
For this reason, ESPN presents Mexican youth prospects who have crossed the Atlantic Ocean but returned with empty suitcases from their journey through other latitudes.
Uriel Antuna
Uriel Antuña was the first sale of the Santos Laguna of a Mexican soccer player, of the establishment, to European soccer. The City Football Group, owners of Manchester City, New York City, among others, set the skillful 18-year-old midfielder. It was considered like a prospect to moor in some of the equipment with which City Group had relations, was thus arrived at FC Groningen of the Eredivisie.
It added 19 encounter and five goals with the category Sub-21 and 22 parties with the picture of First Division. after two years, the owners of his federal rights lent it to LA Galaxy, where he excelled to attract the attention of Gerardo Martino, the coach of the Mexican National Team that took him to the Gold Cup and where he stood out for his skill.
In January 2020, Chivas paid $ 9,900,000 for his services, but is now looking for Antuña to return to European football.
Efraín Juárez
The 2005 U-17 World Cup right-back in Lima drew the attention of FC Barcelona out of this competition and set off for Catalonia to join La Masia, but his dream he was truncated because he was one year old and his only option was to play for the subsidiary or first team, so months later he left the Barça club to return to Mexico, as well. who could only participate in workouts.
Juárez made his professional debut in 2008 with Pumas, a club with which he remained until after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, as his good performances with the Tri caught the attention of Celtic Glasgow.
His beginnings in Scottish football looked promising, as he was an undisputed starter for coach Neil Lennon, but an injury sidelined him from internal competition and the coach asked him for patience until he had a new chance, which he did not to arrive.
Thanks to Javier Aguirre, then coach of Zaragoza, Juárez left ‘The Celts’ and left for the Iberian Peninsula to play on loan with the Aragonese club, however, he did not adapt to Spanish football.
In 2012 he ended his contract with Celtic and arrived in America with a letter in hand.
Pablo Barrera
Pablo Barrera was another departure for Pumas after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, thanks to his remarkable participation with the Tri during the fair, and English clubs such as Manchester United showed interest in his services, although he eventually signed with West Ham United for two seasons.
In his first campaign with the ‘Hammers’, Barrera barely played 742 minutes, spread over 14 duels, six as a starter, and failed to get the thumbs up of coach Avram Grant. A season later, he left for Real Zaragoza to meet with Javier Aguirre and Efraín Juárez.
With the ‘blanquillos’, Barrera played 20 duels, 12 of them as a starter and scored a goal, however, ended the loan and his European adventure came to an end in 2012, with the Blue Cross as the your next destination.
Ulysses Davila
At the age of 20, Ulysses Davila left Chivas to sign with Chelsea for the next five years, however, he never wore the ‘Blue’ jersey and became a vagabond on loan.
In the 2011-12 season, Davila participated in the Eredivisie with Vitesse, a club in which he was relegated to the bench and only added 115 minutes of league action, spread over two duels.
The following year, the Jaliscience midfielder wore the Sabadell shirt to LaLiga2, a team with which he scored 2,205 minutes after participating in 35 matches, 22 as a starter, and scoring four goals.
In a new challenge in the Spanish silver category, the midfielder was part of Córdoba who achieved promotion to Laliga in the 2013-14 campaign, and was even the author of the dramatic goal with the which team achieved promotion in the Play-Off match. In total, Davila participated in 37 games and moved the nets on seven occasions.
The later destiny of Davila Plascencia was in the Canary Islands with Tenerife, organization with which lost rate, with hardly 502 minutes divided in ten duels, and a goal.
The last stop before returning to Mexico was Vitoria Setubal in Portuguese football, a club with which he did not excel, as he barely participated in 14 duels in one and a half campaigns and saw no goal.
In the second half of the 2015-16 campaign he returned to the BBVA MX League with Santos Laguna, before embarking on the flight again in 2018 to be part of Indian football with Odisha and a year later with Wellington Phoenix in Australia.
Raúl Gudiño
In the 2014-15 season, the Guadalajara-born goalkeeper left Chivas Sub-20 for Porto B on loan for a year with an option to buy and took part in 16 duels.
A season later, the Blue Dragons were left with the services of the goalkeeper, who sheltered the door of the branch to 22 times before leaving on loan to Uniao Madeira.
On his return to Porto B, Gudiño completed the 2016-17 cycle with 26 starters-eight substitutes.
A campaign was later loaned to Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus, a team with which he played two 4-cup league games and one Champions League game, against Borussia Dortmund.
Since the 2018-19 season, Gudiño has been part of Chivas, a club in which he has also had ups and downs and alternates ownership with Antonio Rodríguez.
Jonathan Espericueta
The Regiomontano midfielder was part of the Mexican Under-17 team that won the World Cup in the specialty in 2011, however, his career has declined since then.
After not seeing action with Tigres from 2011 to 2013, Espericueta started in 2014 on loan to Villarreal B, a team with which he played seven duels, only one as a starter.
The following campaign, he only took part in 25 minutes, divided into two duels, and returned to a football cycle later in Tigres, without a helm in his football career.
Antonio Pedroza
Antoni ‘Rooney’ Pedroza, of Mexican father and English mother, made debut in 2007 with the extinct Jaguars of Chiapas and stayed in the discipline of the equipment until 2011, year in which the Premier League knocked on its door with 21 years of age.
In the 2011-12 campaign, Crystal Palace took over the services of Pedroza Whitham, who saw only 150 minutes of action spread over four duels and did not score. The following year, he returned to Mexican football with the Morelia Monarchs.
Antonio Briseño
With a previous step through Atlas, Tigres, FC Juárez and Veracruz, the U-17 world champion defender with Mexico at the 2011 World Cup left the BBVA MX League at the age of 23 to try his luck in Portuguese football with Feirense.
In his first season, the jaliscience played 15 matches, 10 as a starter and collaborated with two goals, while in the following year he strengthened in the title in 34 matches and was also present with two goals .
For the 2019-20 cycle, the defender, who was repeatedly part of the ideal eleven of the day in Portuguese football, heard the ‘song of the sirens’ and returned to Mexico to join Chivas, your current team.