Gerardo García León (born 7 December 1974), known simply as Gerardo, is a Spanish former professional footballer, currently a manager. He mainly played as a right-back.
 Gerardo with Córdoba in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gerardo García León | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 December 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Seville, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| AD Loyola | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Osasuna | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Real Madrid B | 55 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Real Madrid C | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Leganés | 36 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Lleida | 28 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Badajoz | 38 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Villarreal | 45 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Valencia | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | → Osasuna (loan) | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | Málaga | 156 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Real Sociedad | 96 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Córdoba | 46 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Logroñés | 48 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 575 | (32) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Spain U16 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Spain U17 | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Spain U18 | 21 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Spain U19 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Spain U23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2024 | Logroño (women) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
During his extensive professional career he played for ten different clubs, all in his country, after emerging through Real Madrid's youth system. He amassed La Liga totals of 240 games and nine goals mainly in representation of Málaga (five seasons), adding 280 matches and 19 goals in the Segunda División.
Playing career
editBorn in Seville, Andalusia, Gerardo was an unsuccessful Real Madrid graduate – he never appeared for the first team – and started playing professionally in the Segunda División, with CD Leganés, UE Lleida and CD Badajoz. He made his La Liga debut in 1998–99, playing 34 matches for Villarreal CF who were relegated at the season's end.[1]
Having started 1999–2000 in the second division, Gerardo was transferred to Valencia CF in January 2000,[2][1] featuring scarcely for the side during the campaign but being a starter in the 3–0 loss against Real Madrid in the final of the UEFA Champions League.[3] He spent 2000–01 on loan to CA Osasuna, also in the top flight.[4]
Gerardo experienced his most successful period at Málaga CF,[5] spending five seasons at a team that had four consecutive mid-table positions and also helping them win the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring in the final to help defeat his former employers Villarreal.[6][7] They finished last in 2005–06,[8] with the player scoring twice from penalties in two 2–1 defeats.[9][10]
For the 2006–07 season, Gerardo joined Real Sociedad on a two-year deal,[11] being again relegated at the end of the campaign. He retained his place in the starting XI in his second and third years, totalling exactly 100 appearances.[12]
Gerardo moved to Córdoba CF in the later hours of the August 2009 transfer window.[13] After only 12 second-tier games in the 2010–11 season, the 36-year-old left after his contract was not renewed and signed for SD Logroñés of Tercera División, retiring two years later.[14]
Coaching career
editAfter retiring, Gerardo founded the 'Gerardo García León Tiki-taka Football Academy' and also acted as youth coach for amateurs Comillas CF.[15] On 12 June 2019, he was appointed manager of Primera División (women) team EDF Logroño.[16]
Personal life
editHonours
editValencia
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000[3]
Málaga
Spain U16
Spain U17
- FIFA U-17 World Cup runner-up: 1991[19]
References
edit- 1 2 López de Munain, Alex (25 March 2017). "Gerardo García León, un trotamundos del fútbol español" [Gerardo García León, a globetrotter of Spanish football] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Burgos, Julián (9 April 2019). "Gerardo: "El Villarreal-Valencia bien podría haber sido la final"" [Gerardo: "Villarreal-Valencia could well have been the final"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". The Guardian. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ Saldise, Javier (11 February 2011). "El invierno de los fichajes" [Winter of signings]. Noticias de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "Gerardo: "Vengo a darlo todo por el Málaga"" [Gerardo: "I'm here to give my all for Málaga"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 10 July 2001. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ González Pons, Jaime (19 June 2015). "Un once para la historia: Gerardo García León" [Eleven for the ages: Gerardo García León] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Gerardo, visita ilustre con sabor a Intertoto" [Gerardo, distinguished visitor with an Intertoto flavour] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "Memoria de La Liga de Fútbol Profesional | Temporada 2005/2006" [Memory of the Professional Football League | 2005/2006 season] (PDF) (in Spanish). La Liga. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "El Espanyol gana por fin pero acaba pidiendo la hora ante el Málaga" [Espanyol win at last but end up hanging on for the final whistle against Málaga]. Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 11 September 2005. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "El Villarreal se aprovecha de un Málaga descendido" [Villarreal take advantage of relegated Málaga]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 3 May 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "La Real ficha por dos años al ex malaguista Gerardo García" [Real sign former Málaga man Gerardo García for two years]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 4 July 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Belastegui, Iñigo (21 April 2013). ""Aquel Real-Osasuna es uno de los partidos en los que peor lo he pasado"" ["That Real-Osasuna is one of the matches where I suffered the most"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "El Córdoba se refuerza con Juanjo, Alberto, Caballero y Gerardo" [Córdoba bolster with Juanjo, Alberto, Caballero and Gerardo]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 September 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ↑ "Gerardo García León: "Mi reto es conseguir el ascenso"" [Gerardo García León: "My challenge is to achieve promotion"]. El Diario (in Spanish). 2 September 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Fuster, Vicente (11 July 2015). "Gerardo García León dirige al Comillas CF en categoría juvenil" [Gerardo García León leads Comillas CF in youth category] (in Spanish). Plaza Deportiva. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ↑ "El exjugador Gerardo García León dirigirá al EDF Logroño la próxima campaña" [Former player Gerardo García León will coach EDF Logroño the next season] (in Spanish). La Rioja. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ↑ Labarga, Nacho (3 August 2012). "Dos hermanos, un sueño y los mismos colores" [Two brothers, one dream and the same colours]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ Labarga, Nacho (3 June 2013). "El adiós del trotamundos del fútbol" [The globetrotter of football's goodbye]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ "¿Qué fue de los finalistas del Mundial sub17 de España?" [What happened to the Spanish under17 World Cup finalists?] (in Spanish). Sports Illustrated. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2026.