Diego Ángel Capel Trinidad is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Maltese club Birkirkara F.C. as a left winger. He made his senior debut with Sevilla at 16, going on to appear in 173 competitive matches for the club during seven La Liga seasons and win six major trophies, including two UEFA Cups. In 2011, he signed for Sporting in Portugal. Capel earned 60 caps for Spain all youth categories comprised, representing the under-21s in two European Championships.
Club career
Sevilla
Groomed in Sevilla FC's youth system, Capel was born in Albox, Province of Almería, and he made his first professional appearance aged only 16, playing three minutes in a 2–1 home win over Atlético Madrid on 24 October 2004. In the following seasons he would alternate between the A and B-teams, playing four further games in 2005–06 with the main squad; on 1 December 2005 he appeared 18 minutes in the Andalusians' 3–1 win against Vitória de Guimarães also at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, in an eventually victorious campaign in the UEFA Cup. Capel became first-choice in the 2007–08 season due to the death of another left-footed winger, Antonio Puerta, in late August. He scored his first goal in La Liga against Barcelona on 9 February 2008, in a 1–1 home draw. The previous month, he had netted in a Copa del Rey tie, against the same opponent. In June 2008, Premier League clubTottenham Hotspur were linked with a £12.5 million bid for Capel. He admitted he would consider leaving Sevilla to "grow as a footballer", if the clubs could agree on a signing fee, but nothing came of it. Also at the end of the league campaign, Barcelona-based daily Sport further speculated that Real Madrid were considering Capel as a potential replacement for the recently departed Robinho, but no move ever materialized. In the 2009–10 campaign, Capel lost his position to Argentine Diego Perotti, but still managed to feature in 29 matches – one goal in a 5–1 win at Racing de Santander– as Sevilla edged RCD Mallorca for the fourth position, with the subsequent Champions League qualification; additionally, on 19 May 2010, he opened the score at the Camp Nou, in a 2–0 win against Atlético for the final of the domestic cup. Capel appeared again regularly for Sevilla in 2010–11, playing in 27 league games and starting in 17 as the team finished in fifth position.
Sporting
On 18 July 2011, Capel's uncle Carioca acknowledged negotiations between Sevilla and Sporting CP for the transfer of the player for €6 million and a five-year contract, although the fee agreed was eventually €3.5 million with a €30 million release clause. He made his debut for his new club on the 30th, playing the second half of a 0–3 friendly home loss to Valencia CF. Capel scored his first goal for Sporting on 2 October 2011, in a 1–0 Primeira Liga away win against Vitória de Guimarães. On the 24th, for the same competition, he netted twice in a 6–1 home success over Gil Vicente FC, in what was the Lions' ninth straight official win. On 19 April 2012, Capel scored his seventh official goal of the season, helping hosts Sporting come from behind to win it 2–1 against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-finals first leg.
Genoa and Anderlecht
On 18 August 2015, as his minutes at Sporting were dwindling dramatically, Capel signed for Genoa C.F.C. in Italy for a reported fee of €1.3 million, as the former retained 50% of his rights regarding any future transfer fee the latter received. The following 4 August 2016 he switched countries again, signing a two-year deal with the option for a third at R.S.C. Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division A; in the winter transfer window the former were looking to transfer him, and he was eventually released in August 2017 having made 25 competitive appearances and scored two goals.
Extremadura
On 4 August 2018, after more than a year without a club, 30-year-old Capel moved to Segunda División side Extremadura UD on a two-year contract. He was joined there by his former Sevilla teammate José Antonio Reyes, who died in a car crash in June 2019; the following month, he left the team from Almendralejo having played just 382 minutes.
