Cuco Martina

Rhu-endly Aurelio Jean-Carlo "Cuco" Martina (born 25 September 1989) is a professional footballer who plays primarily as a right back, but can also play as a centre back or defensive midfielder.[2]

Cuco Martina

Martina with Southampton in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Rhu-endly Aurelio Jean-Carlo Martina[1]
Date of birth	25 September 1989
Place of birth	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
	Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	RBC Roosendaal	68	(2)
2011–2013	RKC Waalwijk	43	(1)
2013–2014	Jong Twente	11	(0)
2013–2015	Twente	48	(1)
2015–2017	Southampton	24	(1)
2017–2020	Everton	21	(0)
2018–2019	→ Stoke City (loan)	17	(0)
2019	→ Feyenoord (loan)	11	(0)
National team^‡
2011–	Curaçao	46	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 July 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 June 2019

A youth player at Feyenoord, he began his senior career with RBC Roosendaal in the Eerste Divisie, followed by two seasons each at Eredivisie clubs RKC Waalwijk and FC Twente. In 2015, he joined Premier League club Southampton, and two years later Everton.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, he represents Curaçao at international level, for whom he is captain. First capped in 2011, he has won the 2017 Caribbean Cup, and he represented the team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2017 and 2019.

Early and personal life

Martina was born in Rotterdam.[2] He grew up in the south of the city with his mother, brothers and sister.[3] Martina did not know his father, and states his elder brother was instead like a father to him.[3] His brother Javier is also a footballer.[4] Derwin is not related to him, despite media reports to the contrary.[5]

Club career

Netherlands

Martina played youth football with Feyenoord.[3] He spent his early senior career with RBC Roosendaal in the Eerste Divisie.[2][6][7] In 2011, he joined RKC Waalwijk of the Eredivisie.[8] He played 59 official matches in two seasons in North Brabant, scoring to open a 2–0 home win over N.E.C. on 8 December 2012.[9]

On 30 July 2013, he joined FC Twente on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[10] Martina played 59 games across all competitions for the Enschede club, scoring once: an added-time equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with Feyenoord on 23 February 2014.[11]

Southampton

He signed a two-year contract with English club Southampton on 7 July 2015.[12] An unused substitute in the first leg,[13] Martina made his Southampton debut in their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg away to Vitesse Arnhem, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 win on 6 August.[14] Three days later, he made his league debut as a half-time substitute for fellow new signing Cédric Soares in a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United.[15] Martina became the first-ever Curaçao international to play for Southampton and the second to play in the Premier League after West Bromwich Albion's Shelton Martis in 2009.[4]

On 26 December 2015, on his first start, Martina scored his only goal for the Saints, a long-range strike to open a 4–0 win over Arsenal. He became the first Curaçaoan to score in the Premier League.[16] He was released by Southampton at the end of the 2016–17 season.[17]

Everton

Martina (furthest right) speaking with teammates against Manchester United in September 2017

On 17 July 2017, following his release from Southampton, Martina joined fellow Premier League side Everton on a three-year deal, reuniting with his former Saints manager Ronald Koeman.[18][19] Martina made his league debut for Everton on 12 August, when his club beat Stoke City 1–0 at Goodison Park.[20]

Martina joined Stoke, newly relegated to the EFL Championship, on a loan for the 2018–19 season.[21] He made his debut on 25 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win over Hull City.[22]

Martina's loan with Stoke was cancelled on 31 January 2019,[23] and he joined Feyenoord on loan for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[24]

On 25 June 2020 it was announced that Martina would leave the club when his contract expired on 30 June 2020.[25]

International career

Martina made his international debut for Curaçao on 9 August 2011, in their first match since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. He played the first half of the 1–0 friendly loss to the Dominican Republic at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristóbal, before being substituted for Kenny Kunst.[2][26] He has played in qualifying matches for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.[27] He served as national team captain.[28]

Martina was part of the Curaçao squad that won the 2017 Caribbean Cup in Martinique, defeating Jamaica 2–1 in the final.[29] He captained the team at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[30] On 10 September 2018 he scored his first international goal in a 10–0 home win over Grenada in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying.[31]

At the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Martina was again captain and played every game up to a 1–0 loss to hosts the United States in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia.[32]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 20 April 2019[33]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
RBC Roosendaal	2008–09	Eerste Divisie	14	0	0	0	—		—		14	0
	2009–10	Eerste Divisie	23	1	1	0	—		—		24	1
	2010–11	Eerste Divisie	32	1	0	0	—		—		32	1
	Total		69	2	1	0	—		—		70	2
RKC Waalwijk	2011–12	Eredivisie	23	0	0	0	—		—		23	0
	2012–13	Eredivisie	34	1	2	0	—		—		36	1
	Total		57	1	2	0	—		—		59	1
Jong FC Twente	2013–14	Eerste Divisie	11	0	0	0	—		—		11	0
FC Twente	2013–14	Eredivisie	16	1	1	0	—		0	0	17	1
	2014–15	Eredivisie	32	0	5	0	—		2[lower-alpha 1]	0	39	0
	Total		48	1	6	0	—		2	0	56	1
Southampton	2015–16[34]	Premier League	15	1	1	0	0	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	18	1
	2016–17[35]	Premier League	9	0	2	0	2	0	5[lower-alpha 1]	0	18	0
	Total		24	1	3	0	2	0	7	0	36	1
Everton	2017–18[36]	Premier League	21	0	1	0	0	0	6[lower-alpha 1]	0	28	0
	2018–19[37]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2019–20[38]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	Total		21	0	1	0	0	0	6	0	28	0
Stoke City (loan)	2018–19[37]	Championship	17	0	0	0	1	0	—		18	0
Feyenoord (loan)	2018–19[37]	Eredivisie	11	0	0	0	—		—		11	0
Career total			256	5	13	0	3	0	15	0	289	5

1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League

International

Statistics accurate as of matches played on 30 June 2019.[2]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Curaçao
	2011	9	0
	2012	0	0
	2013	2	0
	2014	6	0
	2015	7	0
	2016	4	0
	2017	7	0
	2018	5	1
	2019	7	0
Total		46	1

International goals

As of 10 September 2018. Scores and results list Curaçao's goal tally first.[33]

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 September 2018	Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curaçao	Grenada	2–0	10–0	2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification

Honours

Southampton[7]

• EFL Cup runner-up: 2016–17

Curaçao[7]

• Caribbean Cup: 2017
• King’s Cup: 2019

Individual

• CONCACAF Best XI: 2018[39]

References

1. "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
2. "Cuco Martina". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
3. "Cuco Martina heet eigenlijk Rhu-endly" (in Dutch). Twente Insite. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
4. "In Profile: Cuco Martina". Southampton F.C. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
5. "Derwin Martina: York City release defender after playing one game for reserve team". BBC Sport. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
6. "Profile" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
7. Cuco Martina at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
8. Ummels, Jody (27 June 2011). "Overzicht van de Brabantse voetbaltransfers" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
9. "Degelijk RKC Waalwijk verslaat dramatisch NEC: 2–0" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
10. "Cuco Martina naar FC Twente" (in Dutch). FC Twente. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
11. "FEYENOORD PEGGED BACK IN INJURY TIME". Feyenoord. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
12. "Cuco Martina: Southampton sign FC Twente defender". BBC Sport. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
13. Williams, Adam (30 July 2015). "Southampton 3–0 Vitesse". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
14. Jennings, Patrick (6 August 2015). "Vitesse 0–2 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
15. Davis, Matt (9 August 2015). "Newcastle 2–2 Southampton". Retrieved 9 August 2015.
16. "Martina: An unbelievable feeling". Southampton F.C. 26 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
17. "Saints release four players". Southampton FC. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
18. "Blues Swoop For Martina". Everton Official Site. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
19. "Cuco Martina: Everton sign out-of-contract Southampton defender". BBC Sport. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
20. "Everton 1–0 Stoke City". BBC Sport. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
21. "Cuco Martina: Stoke City sign Everton defender on a season-long loan deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
22. "Stoke City 2–0 Hull City". BBC Sport. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
23. "Martina returns to Everton". Stoke City. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
24. "Martina Makes Feyenoord Loan Switch". Everton. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
25. "Everton Announces Players To Leave Club". www.evertonfc.com.
26. "Zoet houdt weer de nul, Martina met Curaçao onderuit" (in Dutch). RKC Waalwijk. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
27. Cuco Martina – FIFA competition record
28. Connor O'Neill (24 August 2016). "Who is Everton target Cuco Martina? Everything you need to know". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
29. Williams, Sean (26 June 2017). "Boyz edged 1–2 by Curacao in Caribbean Cup final". Retrieved 26 August 2017.
30. "Curaçao 2 – 0 Jamaica". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
31. "The Nations League 2018: Curaçao Beats Grenada 10-0". D Real FM. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
32. "USA scrape past world No 79 Curacao and into Gold Cup semi-finals". The Guardian. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
33. Cuco Martina at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
34. "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
35. "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
36. "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
37. "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
38. "Games played by Cuco Martina in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
39. "Mexico leads way in Concacaf Men's Best XI". www.concacaf.com. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.

External links

• Profile at the Everton F.C. website
• Cuco Martina at Soccerbase