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DANIEL MALLO CASTRO 'DANI MALLO'
Squad Number 05/06: 25
Date of Birth: 25 January, 1979
Nationality: Spain
Contract: until 2006
Transfer: -
Previous Clubs: Deportivo B
Buy out Clause: ca. €64 million (10.000 million ptas)
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
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 DANI MALLO is still a promising young goalkeeper at the club as he has ever been since the mid-nineties. In those days the name of the then 17-year-old reached the newspapers as the youth system of the club didn’t produce much talent. But Dani Mallo was a talent and the fact that he was born and raised in La Coruña soon made him being considered the future number one of Deportivo.
But his Liga debut would only come at the age of 24 when his entrance during the 5-0 win against Recreativo on 4 May 2003 earned him a standing ovation from the Riazor crowd. In the years before he had played several Copa del Rey matches and even had made his Champions League debut, against Manchester United, before playing in the Spanish competition. He earned his first starting place in the Liga on the final day of the season 2002/2003, during the match against Espanyol in Riazor.
But until now the moment of writing, September 2005, Dani Mallo has only played three Liga matches at Deportivo because he spent the season 2003/2004 on loan at Elche. He joined the team from the Segunda División together with experienced Deportivo players Djorovic, ‘Toro’ Acuña and José Manuel. But these three players were criticized for their performances, while Dani Mallo only received praise from Javier Irureta and Elche.
His situation at Deportivo is difficult though. Dani Mallo is 26 now and faces the rivalry of Molina and Munúa at the club. Quitting Deportivo is not an option because he is determined to succeed at the club of his life. But spending another year on the bench would be wasteful for the goalkeeper, and a solution will have to be found.
The most success he had so far during his international career was for the Spanish youth teams. Dani Mallo could have been a world champion already. But the decision by Deportivo B coach, Carlos Ballesta, to leave him on the bench for two months cost him a place in the Spanish youth team, which would win the world title in April 1999 in Nigeria. It seems the best days of his career are yet to come.
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