Iván Zarandona


Iván Zarandona Esono is an Equatorial Guinean former footballer and a sports agent. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he also operated as a central defender.
He spent the better part of his career in Spain, representing Valladolid at the professional level.
Zarandona was a member of the Equatorial Guinea national team.

Club career

Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain, Zarandona played the vast majority of his career in the lower leagues of that country, having a second division stint with Real Valladolid in the 2004–05 season where he played in less than half of the games.
Rarely settling with a club, he also represented CF Extremadura, CD Ferriolense, RCD Mallorca B, Real Betis B, Caravaca CF, Rayo Vallecano, Zamora CF, Real Murcia Imperial, UD Los Palacios, UD Pájara Playas de Jandía, CD Leganés, Real Jaén, CD Lugo, SD Noja and Burgos CF. In the third level, he appeared in more than 300 official matches for several teams.

International career

Zarandona played for the Spanish under-18 team but, in June 2003, FIFA allowed the player to change his nationality. This rule originally applied only for under-21 players not yet capped for the senior sides, but FIFA also allowed overage ones to apply, until December 2004.
Zarandona started representing his "new nation", Equatorial Guinea, in October 2003, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification first round tie loss against Togo.

International goals

NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 June 2016Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin1–11–22017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Personal life

Zarandona's father is Basque, and his mother was from Equatorial Guinea. His older brother, Benjamín, successfully represented Valladolid, Real Betis and the Spanish under-21s, before switching too to Equatorial Guinea at senior level.

Club statistics