Antonio Hidalgo

Playing career

Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Hidalgo began starting professionally with Barcelona's reserves, then went on to represent Tenerife for five seasons. After being an important element during the team's 2001 promotion, he played ten games in the following campaign's La Liga.

Hidalgo moved to Málaga in the summer of 2005, appearing in 35 matches in his first year as the Andalusia side finished bottom and were relegated. On 15 June 2008, he scored two goals in a 2–1 victory over former club Tenerife, granting top-flight promotion after a two-year absence at the expense of Real Sociedad; he finished the season with 14 league goals, best in the squad.

Hidalgo stayed in the Segunda División, however, signing a two-year contract with Real Zaragoza. In late January 2009, he joined struggling Osasuna on loan until the end of the campaign, and appeared regularly although very rarely as a starter as the Navarrese eventually stayed in the top division.

Upon his return to Aragon, Hidalgo was deemed surplus to requirements. In the dying minutes of the August 2009 transfer window, he arranged a one-year deal with second-tier club Albacete with the option of an additional year; at the end of his only season, the 31-year-old was one of 14 players who were not given a contract extension, being released.

Hidalgo then had a spell at Tenerife, suffering relegation in his sole season before joining Sabadell of his native region in January 2012, shortly before turning 33. In March 2014, the captain extended his stay with the Arlequinats for another year. When his contract ended, he played for several weeks with Cornellà in the Segunda División B before retiring in November 2015, immediately becoming a youth team coach.