Profiles - Jairo
JAIRO ALVAREZ GUTIERREZ
Date of Birth: 21 March, 1986
Place of Birth: Avilés,Asturias
Nationality: Spain (International with the U15, 16 & 17 squad)
Contract: 2007 - 2010 (option to extend it for two additional years)
Transfer: 300,000 Euros (2007- 300,000 Euros more if the deal is extended in 2010)
Career: Lorca (2008-2009, loan), Alavés (Jan 2008-June 2008, loan) Deportivo B (July 2007-Dec 2007), Sporting Gijón (2003-2007), Real Oviedo (1999-2003)
Buy-out Clause: ??
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Position: Midfielder (centre)
Jairo is an Asturian and talented playmaker that Deportivo signed in 2007 and that never succeeded at the Galician club. In order to close the move, the club took advantage of the rivalry between Real Oviedo and Sporting Gijón. He was an authentic promise after he debuted at Segunda División when he was only 16. Later, three serious injuries blocked his progress, but Jairo was able to find the regularly during the season 2006/2007, performance that allowed his arrival to Deportivo. There was no chance for him at Lotina’s squad, that’s why he firstly played with Depor B and later was loaned to Alavés and Lorca. Right now he’s living his last year of contract.
The story of JAIRO ALVAREZ GUTIERREZ has been full of ups and downs. He was considered as a diamond that has been unlucky with the injuries. The Asturian made his debut at Real Oviedo during the season 1999-2000. He started playing in the category known as Cadetes and his numbers were very impressive: 20 goals scored in 20 matches. He was 13 at that time. Jairo has been described as a multifunctional playmaker that covers the centre of the field, but that can also perform on both wings. The Asturian is very good passing the ball and his specialty are the assists. He also possesses the ability to shot from long-range and is very good in set-pieces.
After his impressive debut at Cadetes, the Avilés-born player repeated the same performance during the following season (2000-2001); this time scoring 15 goals in 22 matches. Then, he was called to the U-15 team in Asturias and Oviedo's fans were proud of him. Suddenly, the boy was making his debut with the first squad when he was just 16. Oviedo was playing at Segunda División and everybody was hoping for a brighter future. But the luck changed for Jairo in a stroke of a pen, during a training session with Spain's U-16 squad, he suffered a serious injury on the knee, a problem that sidelined him during one year. He went through surgery while Oviedo suffered internal problems that caused its direct relegation to Tercera División. After Jairo surpassed his injury, he refused to play with Oviedo and pushed for an exit; then a loan deal was signed with Sporting Gijón, a club that's the nemesis of Real Oviedo.
This transfer caused a lot of polemic in Oviedo, nobody understood why this promising boy decided to sign for the heated rival, that's why the fans of this club started to hate him. He passed from been the future start of the squad to be a villain, all of that in just a few months. But Jairo's career at Sporting Gijón was also full of obstacles. He suffered a new knee injury that left him out of action during one more year. He finally debuted at Sporting B during the season 2004-2005, the squad was playing at Tercera División and Jairo was able to perform during twenty matches and scoring two goals. But Jairo’s problems weren’t over yet; he suffered a third knee injury and missed completely the season 2005/2006. He was finally able to return during the 2006/2007 campaign, this time he did an impressive job and played eighteen games with the first squad (in Segunda). He was able to score two times. Enough skills to convince Depor's scouts and also president Lendoiro.
Encouraged by Lotina's desire of having a new playmaker, Deportivo decided to sign him; the club took advantage of the 'natural' confrontation between Oviedo and Sporting for it. According to the deal signed with Oviedo, Sporting was forced to pay €600,000 in order to keep him, but they didn't fulfill the option, and at the same time the player was ending his contract with Oviedo (June of 2007). However, Oviedo started a legal battle due to some clauses in the contract, that's why Deportivo decided to reach an agreement with them. In the end, Jairo signed with Depor a three-year-contract with the option to extend it for two additional years. Deportivo agreed the same terms negotiated in the previous contract between Sporting and Oviedo. This mean that Deportivo will have to pay €300,000 in the year 2010 to Real Oviedo, a payment that could be made before if Jairo is transferred previously to this deadline. If the contract with Jairo is finally extended to five years, Depor will have to pay other €300,000 in the year 2012. No matter the arrangement, Oviedo continued with the legal battle against Jairo, and in June of 2009 a judge determined that the player had to pay €600,000 to them.
There was a fact that helped Jairo in his adaptation process to Deportivo: his friendship with several first team’s members. In fact, for the season 2007/2008 he was the fourth ex-Sporting player at Depor’s squad -the others were Pablo Amo, Pablo Alvarez and Manu. An advantage that Jairo explained during his presentation at the club "I know Manu. I also met Pablo Alvarez and Adrián (ex-Oviedo), surely my adaptation will be easier with them at the squad. I already talked with Pablo (Amo) and he gave good references of the team and the city." Jairo was also dreaming to be the substitute of Valerón at Depor’s team "It's not because I'm signing for Depor, but Valerón has always been a great reference for me. He plays on my position and he’s a giant in the world of football. It's an honour to be able to play alongside him, and I am not afraid because I could be replacing him. I like the players that can perform like him, Zidane or Riquelme."
But things didn’t work out for the Asturian during the season 2007/2008, Lotina approved his arrival, but the Basque coach changed his mind and later Jairo was discarded during the pre-season. Lotina told the player there’s was no room for him, but the boy didn’t listen and pushed to stay. But by October of 2007 he was tired of been out of the first team’s lists, that’s why he accepted to move down to Deportivo B, a thing that was possible since he was initially inscribed as a Fabril’s member in la liga. Fabril’s coach Tito Ramallo used him in several positions (left winger, right winger and playmaker) and the true is that Jairo never felt comfortable on the pitch, he played 12 games with Fabril between October and December and only scored one goal, his performance was always poor. Despite the situation, he was still considered as a promising player, reason why during the winter window clubs like Neue Grasshopper Fussball AG (Switzerland) and Apollon Kalamarias FC (Greece) were interested in a loan deal. In January of 2008 Depor’s officials decided that the best thing was to loan him out to Deportivo Alavés, a Segunda club where Jairo would meet team mate Adrián.
At Alavés, Jairo’s game improved a little bit, he played ten games with the squad (233 minutes) and scored one goal. The performance of the Asturian playmaker wasn’t so impressive, but Alavés was happy with him after the squad achieved the permanence at Segunda A, that’s why it was rumoured they would try to negotiate a new loan deal with Deportivo. But their interest faded away, at the last day of the summer market the player was loaned to Lorca Deportiva FC (Segunda B). This time Jairo had a solid performance. He was one of the leaders at the team and helped to achieve the second place in group two, though later it failed to achieve the promotion to Segunda A. The Aviles-born playmaker scored 2 goals in 33 appearances with the squad.
But his destine at Deportivo didn’t change, Lotina was still thinking that there was no room for him at the first squad and the club searched for his exit, the cancellation of his contract was negotiated (he ends his contract in June of 2010), but no agreement was reached, then Depor’s official decided to leave him inscribed as a Fabril’s member. Currently he’s trapped at the club and will probably never wear the Blanquiazul shirt, just another promise that doesn’t find the path to glory.