Luis García
García in action for Eupen in 2017
Personal information
Full name Luis García Fernández
Date of birth (1981-02-06) 6 February 1981
Place of birth Oviedo, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Striker, winger
Youth career
1991–1996 Oviedo
1996 La Braña
1996–2000 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Real Madrid C 24 (14)
2001–2003 Real Madrid B 67 (32)
2003–2004 Murcia 38 (11)
2004–2005 Mallorca 37 (11)
2005–2011 Espanyol 220 (47)
2011–2014 Zaragoza 60 (8)
2012–2013 → UANL (loan) 28 (5)
2014–2019 Eupen 151 (27)
Total 625 (155)
International career
2007–2008 Spain 7 (0)
Managerial career
2019–2022 Damm (youth)
2022–2023 Internacional
2023 Espanyol
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luis García Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis ɣaɾˈθi.a feɾˈnandeθ]; born 6 February 1981) is a Spanish former professional footballer, currently a manager. Mainly a striker, he could also operate as a winger.

Over nine seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 329 matches and 73 goals, mainly with Espanyol with whom he won one Copa del Rey and reached the 2007 UEFA Cup final.[1] He also spent five in years in Belgium at the service of Eupen.

García earned seven caps for Spain in the late 2000s.

Club career

Real Madrid

García was born in Oviedo, Asturias. After representing three clubs as a youth he began his senior career with his last one, Real Madrid, first appearing with its C team then progressing in 2001 to Castilla in the Segunda División B.[2]

On 8 January 2003, García played his only official game for the main squad, as a late substitute for Esteban Cambiasso in the 3–3 draw away to Terrassa FC in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.[3]

Murcia

Released by Madrid in 2003, García joined Real Murcia, making his La Liga debut on 31 August and scoring a penalty in a 1–1 away draw against RC Celta de Vigo.[4] He finished his first season with 11 goals and appeared in all the matches, although the side would be relegated;[5] on 16 May 2004, he netted twice in a 2–1 fruitless home win over his former employers.[6]

Espanyol

The following season, García produced similar numbers at RCD Mallorca, who barely avoided relegation after ranking 17th[7] and, in summer 2005, signed a five-year contract with RCD Espanyol,[8] playing competitive 48 games in his debut campaign and adding 15 goals,[9] including a brace in the 2006 Spanish Cup final, a 4–1 defeat of Real Zaragoza.[10] In the ensuing summer, he extended his link until 2012.[11]

García running past Villarreal's Bruno Soriano in October 2008

García, forming a formidable attacking partnership at the Catalans with youth graduate Raúl Tamudo (the pair combined for 68 league goals from 2005 to 2008),[12] contributed five goals during their 2006–07 runner-up run in the UEFA Cup, including a hat-trick in a 23 November 2006 group stage 6–2 home win against S.V. Zulte Waregem.[13] However, in the May final, he missed his penalty shootout attempt in a final loss to fellow Spaniards Sevilla FC.[14]

García was an everpresent figure for Espanyol until the end of his tenure, never making less than 36 appearances and scoring an average of seven goals, 13 alone in 2007–08.[15][9] After the arrival in January 2010 of Argentine Dani Osvaldo, he operated almost exclusively as a winger.[16]

Zaragoza

On 31 August 2011 – the last day of the summer transfer window – the 30-year-old García moved to Zaragoza on a three-year deal.[17] On 18 September, he scored twice against his former team and also missed a penalty kick in a 2–1 home victory.[18] He would, however, only manage two in the other 33 fixtures of the season he appeared in (2,297 minutes of action),[19] with the Aragonese again narrowly avoiding top-flight relegation.[20]

García arrived to Monterrey on 5 July 2012 accompanied by his agent, to kickstart negotiations with Liga MX side Tigres UANL.[21] On 15 September, he scored twice against Cruz Azul for a 2–0 win at the Estadio Universitario[22] and, in two games in March of the following year, contributed one goal each in 2–1 wins over San Luis F.C.[23] and Puebla FC.[24]

Eupen

In July 2014, García signed a two-year contract with Belgian Second Division team K.A.S. Eupen, joining a host of compatriots including manager Tintín Márquez.[25] He became captain of the Kehrwegstadion club, and signed for two more years after their promotion in June 2016.[26]

García was a key player over three Pro League seasons until his retirement in April 2019.[27] The previous 28 October, he scored to open a 2–1 home win over R.S.C. Anderlecht.[28]

International career

After a remarkable 2006–07 with Espanyol, García got his first callup for Spain, under manager Luis Aragonés, appearing in an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Latvia in Riga on 2 June 2007.[29][30]

Coaching career

Immediately after retiring, García began working as a coach, being in charge of CF Damm's youths. In August 2022, after Real Madrid acquired RSC Internacional FC who became their third team, he was appointed manager.[31]

García moved straight to the top tier on 3 April 2023, taking over another club he represented as a player, Espanyol.[32] On his debut five days later, the team lost 2–1 at home to Athletic Bilbao.[33] They were relegated as 19th, thus returning to Segunda División after two years.[34] They started the following season strongly, winning four of their first five matches; however, after just three wins in the following nine fixtures,[35] he was dismissed.[36]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[37][38][39]
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Madrid C 2001–02 Tercera División 2414–––2414
Real Madrid B 2001–02 Segunda División B 3415––6[lower-alpha 1]04015
2002–03 3317–––3317
Total 67320000607332
Murcia 2003–04 La Liga 381110––3911
Mallorca 2004–05 La Liga 371120––3911
Espanyol 2005–06 La Liga 36104382–4815
2006–07 361021135205316
2007–08 371342––4115
2008–09 37540––415
2009–10 36320––383
2010–11 37631––407
2011–12 1000––10
Total 220471972172026261
Zaragoza 2011–12 La Liga 34420––364
2012–13 –––––
2013–14 Segunda División 26400––264
Total 608200000628
Tigres (loan) 2012–13 Liga MX 285002[lower-alpha 2]0–305
Eupen 2014–15 Belgian Second Division 34420–6[lower-alpha 3]2426
2015–16 30620––326
2016–17 Belgian First Division A 28342–9[lower-alpha 4]4419
2017–18 29620–31347
2018–19 30800–50358
Total 151271020023718436
Career total 625155349237317713178
  1. ↑ Appearances in promotion play-offs
  2. ↑ Appearances in the North American Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearances in the Belgian Second Division promotion play-offs
  4. ↑ Appearances in the Belgian First Division A 'Europa League' play-offs

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[40]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 200760
200810
Total70

Managerial statistics

As of 3 November 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Internacional Spain 15 July 2022 4 April 2023 27 19 4 4 68 25 +43 070.37 [41]
Espanyol Spain 4 April 2023 5 November 2023 26 10 7 9 45 41 +4 038.46 [42]
Total 53 29 11 13 113 66 +47 054.72 —

Honours

Espanyol

References

  1. ↑ "LUÍS GARCÍA" (in Spanish). Hall of Fame Perico. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Gaudioso, Sonia (5 March 2012). "Un delantero de altura" [A forward of stature]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Llamas, Fernando (8 January 2003). "El Madrid desprecia un triunfo cantado" [Madrid snub guaranteed win]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "El Murcia sale indemne de Balaídos" [Murcia leave Balaídos unscathed]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 31 August 2003. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Inversiones nada rentables" [Investments not to remember]. La Opinión de Murcia (in Spanish). 30 October 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "Murcia 2–1 Real Madrid". ESPN Soccernet. 16 May 2004. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Adrover, Sebastià (17 March 2008). "Sin piedad de ´su´ Mallorca" [No mercy on 'his' Mallorca]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Espanyol beckon for Luis García". UEFA. 23 August 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  9. 1 2 Ballesteros, Mozart (3 April 2023). "Luis García, logros y carrera del nuevo entrenador del Espanyol" [Luis García, achievements and career of Espanyol's new manager] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 Astruells, Andrés (13 April 2006). "¡Increíble Espanyol!" [Incredible Espanyol!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "Luís García extends at Espanyol". UEFA. 15 August 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  12. ↑ Paniagua, Raúl (16 August 2007). "Luis García y Tamudo dirigen el triunfo del Espanyol en Montjuïc frente al Olympiacos (3–2)" [Luis García and Tamudo lead Espanyol win at Montjuïc against Olympiacos (3–2)]. El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "García thrives in Espanyol rout". UEFA. 23 November 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  14. ↑ Haslam, Andrew (17 May 2007). "García pride in beaten Espanyol". UEFA. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  15. ↑ Molero, Iván (25 January 2017). "Piatti es el jugador más decisivo del Espanyol en el siglo XXI" [Piatti is Espanyol's most decisive player in the XXI century]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "El Espanyol quiere mantenerse en Europa tras el regreso de Osvaldo" [Espanyol want to remain in Europe after Osvaldo's return]. Público (in Spanish). 9 January 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  17. ↑ "Oficial, Luis García ficha por el Zaragoza" [Official, Luis García signs for Zaragoza] (in Spanish). Goal. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  18. ↑ "Garcia haunts former side". ESPN Soccernet. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  19. ↑ Valero, S. (29 October 2011). "La mayor sequía" [The biggest drought]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  20. ↑ Domínguez, Guillermo (14 May 2012). "Manolo Jiménez, el hombre del milagro" [Manolo Jiménez, the miracleman]. Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  21. ↑ "Llegará Luis García para negociar con Tigres" [Luis García will arrive to negotiate with Tigres] (in Spanish). Tigres UANL. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  22. ↑ "Luis García lleva a Tigres a la victoria" [Luis García leads Tigres to win]. Marca (in Spanish). 16 September 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "San Luis 1–2 Tigres: El superlíder no para y ganó con fiesta en el Alfonso Lastras" [San Luis 1–2 Tigres: Unstoppable superleaders won at the Alfonso Lastras in party climate] (in Spanish). Univision Deportes. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "El español García anota un gol en triunfo de Tigres que recupera el liderato" [Spaniard García scores once in win of Tigres who are leaders again]. La Información (in Spanish). 31 March 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "Eupen: Luis Garcia, ex-joueur de «La Roja», a signé!" [Eupen: Luis Garcia, ex "La Roja" player, has signed!]. L'Avenir (in French). 19 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Le capitaine Luis Garcia deux ans de plus à Eupen" [Two more years at Eupen for captain Luis García] (in French). RTBF. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  27. ↑ "Les 5 saisons de Luis Garcia à l'AS Eupen en 11 moments clés" [Luis García's 5 seasons at AS Eupen in 11 key moments] (in French). Sud Info. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  28. ↑ Mertens, Didier (29 October 2018). "Luis Garcia a pétrifié les Mauves" [Luis García petrified the Mauves]. L'Avenir (in French). Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "Luis García sustituye al lesionado Torres y Soldado se acerca a la titularidad" [Luis García replaces the injured Torres and Soldado is poised to start]. Diario Sur (in Spanish). 30 May 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  30. ↑ "Solid Spain continue to climb". UEFA. 2 June 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  31. ↑ Forjanes, Carlos (17 August 2022). "El Real Madrid C toma cuerpo" [Real Madrid C shape up]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Luis García becomes new RCD Espanyol coach". RCD Espanyol. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Luis García comienza con derrota ante el Athletic de los Williams" [Luis García starts with a defeat to the Williams brothers' Athletic] (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  34. ↑ "Official: Espanyol relegated to second division after Valencia draw". Sport. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  35. ↑ "Espanyol to sack Luis Garcia after disappointing start to season, replacement already lined up". One Football. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  36. ↑ "Luis García departs RCD Espanyol". RCD Espanyol. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  37. ↑ "Luis García". Worldfootball. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  38. ↑ Luis García at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  39. ↑ Luis García at BDFutbol
  40. ↑ "Luis García". European Football. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  41. ↑ "RSC Internacional FC" (in Spanish). Resultados Fútbol. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  42. ↑ "Matches Luis García, 2022–23 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
    "Matches Luis García, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  43. ↑ Atkin, John (17 May 2007). "Palop lauds perfect performance". UEFA. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
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