After being instrumental in Oviedo's 1998–99 league campaign by playing 31 games and scoring four goals, César moved to Deportivo de La Coruña for approximately €7 million.
[1][2] With the Galicians he won one league, one Copa del Rey and two Supercopa de España trophies, but appeared sparingly during his seven-year stay (maximum 20 matches in 2002–03) mainly due to injuries.
Things did not improve at his new team where he only played five times all competitions comprised, also getting sent off in a 3–0 league home loss to Atlético Madrid;[4] on 31 January 2007, he cancelled his contract by mutual consent.
[6] He made his Premier League debut as an injury-time substitute for Nicolas Anelka on 28 April, in a 2–2 draw against Chelsea;[7] on 18 May, after failing to feature in any more matches, it was revealed that he would leave the club after the new manager Sammy Lee decided not to extend his contract,[8] and he subsequently returned to his homeland, signing with Hércules CF in Segunda División.
Despite showing early promise, his international career never fully took off, mostly because of injury troubles and the emergence of players like Carles Puyol and Pablo Ibáñez; he also found the net in his last match, a 4–0 friendly victory with Andorra in the week prior to the continental competition.