Emiliano Velázquez

Emiliano Velázquez came through Danubio's own academy and made his senior debut in June 2012. Within two seasons he had already won the Uruguayan Primera División title, in 2013/14, and was named Best Defender and included in the Team of the Year for that campaign.

Atlético Madrid signed him that August, but he never made a first-team appearance for the club, instead spending four seasons out on loan: at Getafe, then at Braga, and finally at Rayo Vallecano. Rayo made the move permanent in 2018, and Velázquez became part of two promotion-winning squads there, helping the club reach La Liga in 2017/18 and again in 2020/21. He also won a single cap for Uruguay's senior side, a friendly against Saudi Arabia in October 2014, after coming through the youth ranks with appearances at U-17 and U-20 World Cups.

His career took him further afield after Rayo: a spell at Santos in Brazil, cut short by a mutual termination, then a short stint in Mexico with FC Juárez. He returned to Uruguay in 2023 to join Nacional, and in January 2025 went back to Danubio, the club where it all started, on a free transfer.

Just weeks into his second spell, Velázquez suffered a head injury in a match against Liverpool and had to play on wearing a protective mask.