Isaías Sánchez
Isaías Sánchez Cortés | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 1987 Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Other names | Isaías |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Years active | 2006–2025 |
| Known for | Central midfielder, Adelaide United appearances record holder |
Isaías Sánchez Cortés (; born 9 February 1987), commonly referred to as Isaías, is a retired Spanish professional football player who operated primarily as a central midfielder.
The majority of his playing tenure was spent in Australia with Adelaide United, where he joined in 2013 and amassed 289 official appearances. During his time there, he was honored with the club's player of the season accolade on four occasions. Isaías played a pivotal role in the 2015–16 season, when the team secured a double, notably scoring in the Grand Final. Prior to his move Down Under, he featured in four La Liga matches representing Espanyol.
Early stages and Espanyol
Originating from Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Isaías progressed through the youth ranks at CF Badalona before launching his professional journey there in the Segunda División B. During this early phase, he balanced football with part-time plumbing work. In 2010, he transferred to RCD Espanyol, although much of his initial season was spent with their reserve side competing in the Tercera División.
Isaías debuted in the top flight on 10 April 2011, coming off the bench for 22 minutes in a goalless draw against Hércules CF. Subsequently, he was loaned out for two seasons to SD Ponferradina, where he accumulated 27 appearances and netted one goal in his second year, playing an instrumental role in their promotion to the Segunda División.
Adelaide United
In July 2013, Isaías committed to a two-year deal with Adelaide United FC. He earned the Player of the Year distinction during his inaugural A-League campaign. His first goal for Adelaide came on 24 January 2015, a remarkable 25-meter effort contributing to a dominant 7–0 triumph over Newcastle Jets FC. Isaías replicated his influence by scoring a decisive free kick in Adelaide’s 3–1 win against Western Sydney Wanderers FC during the 2016 A-League Grand Final.
On 23 September 2017, Isaías was appointed team captain following the departure of Eugene Galekovic to Melbourne City FC. He acquired Australian citizenship in January 2019 and left Adelaide United in May that year to explore opportunities abroad.
Later career
On 4 July 2019, newly promoted side Al-Wakrah SC confirmed Isaías’ signing for an undisclosed transfer fee. At age 34, he returned to Adelaide United on 23 August 2021, agreeing to a three-year contract.
Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Isaías extended his contract alongside teammate Javi López, both committing to conclude their playing careers while pursuing coaching qualifications within the club. On 18 April 2025, Isaías set a new record as Adelaide United’s all-time appearance leader across all competitions with 286 matches, surpassing Galekovic’s previous mark.
Both Isaías and López declared their retirement on 13 May 2025.
Style of play
Operating as a defensive midfielder for Adelaide United, Isaías alternates between defensive and attacking duties and often drops back into defensive positions, allowing the full-backs to push forward. He is known for dictating match rhythm, preserving possession, and initiating offensive plays from deep areas.
Adelaide’s manager, Josep Gombau, referred to Isaías as his "foot soldier," emphasizing his technical proficiency, pace, and measured aggression as vital qualities.
Career statistics
| Team | Season | League | Cup | Other Competitions | Overall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| Badalona | 2006–07 | Segunda División B | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | 32 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 22 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||||
| Aggregate | 84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 89 | 0 | |||
| Espanyol | 2010–11 | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Ponferradina (loan) | 2011–12 | Segunda División B | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| Aggregate | 55 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 69 | 1 | ||
| Adelaide United | 2013–14 | A-League | 27 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | ||
| Aggregate | 158 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 181 | 10 | ||
| Al-Wakrah | 2019–20 | Qatar Stars League | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| Aggregate | 37 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| Adelaide United | 2021-22 | A-League Men | 25 | 00 | 02 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 27 | 00 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | 00 | 03 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 28 | 00 | ||
| 2023-24 | 25 | 00 | 02 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 27 | 00 | ||
| 2024-25 | 22 | 00 | 04 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 26 | 00 | ||
| Aggregate | 97 | 00 | 11 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 108 | 00 | ||
| Career total | 435 | 11 | 52 | 1 | 11 | 00 | 498 | 12 | ||
Honours
Adelaide United
- A-League Men Championship: 2016
- A-League Premiership: 2015–16
- Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup): 2014, 2018
Individual Achievements
- Recipient of the Joe Marston Medal: 2016
- Selected for the A-Leagues All Stars Game squad: 2022
- Awarded the Aurelio Vidmar Club Champion four times: 2013–14 A-League, 2016–17 A-League, 2017–18 A-League, and 2018–19 A-League
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1987 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Spanish athletes
- 21st-century Australian athletes
- Spanish male footballers
- Australian male soccer players
- Footballers originating from Sabadell
- Australian naturalised soccer players
- Male association football midfielders
- La Liga competitors
- Segunda División competitors
- Segunda División B competitors
- Tercera División competitors
- CF Damm squad members
- CF Badalona squad members
- RCD Espanyol B squad members
- RCD Espanyol squad members
- SD Ponferradina squad members
- A-League Men participants
- A-League Men All-Star selections
- Adelaide United FC squad members
- Qatar Stars League participants
- Al-Wakrah SC squad members
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate soccer players in Australia
- Expatriate footballers in Qatar
- Spanish expatriates in Australia sports
- Spanish expatriates in Qatar sports
- A-League Men title-winning players
- A-League Men All-Stars