Vanesa Gimbert


Vanesa Gimbert Acosta is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. She played for clubs including Levante, Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol (women)|Espanyol] and Athletic [Bilbao (women)|Athletic Bilbao] in Spain's Primera División, retiring in 2022 aged 42.

Career

Born in the Basque Country and raised partly in Andalusia, she previously played for RCD Espanyol, Levante UD, CFF Estudiantes, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. She won four league titles with Levante and Rayo and five Copas de la Reina between her spells at those two clubs and Espanyol.

In 2016, 36-year-old Gimbert won the league title with Athletic, then agreed to remain with the club for another year. Five years later she was still playing regularly, including scoring both goals in a victory over Santa Teresa and agreed a further one-year contract in the summer of 2021. She retired one year later after nine years in Bilbao alongside teammate Erika Vázquez, who by coincidence was one of the opponents 22 years earlier when Gimbert won the first trophy of her career, the Copa de la Reina de Fútbol">Copa de la Reina de Fútbol">Copa de la Reina de Fútbol when Levante defeated Lagunak (women)|Lagunak]. Her statistics with Athletic included being its oldest debutant, longest run of consecutive matches and oldest player.
Gimbert was a member of the football team">women's soccer">football team from a young age, taking part at 17 in the 1997 European Championship. She was the team's captain in the UEFA [Women's Euro 2009 qualifying|2009 European Championship qualifying].

International goals

Honours

Club

; Levante
; Rayo Vallecano
; Espanyol
  • Copa de la Reina: 2012
; Athletic Bilbao