Chico Flores Explained

Chico
Fullname:José Manuel Flores Moreno[1]
Birth Date:6 March 1987
Birth Place:Cádiz, Spain
Height:1.870NaN0
Position:Centre-back
Youthyears1:1995–2001
Youthclubs1:GE Avante
Youthyears2:2001–2004
Youthclubs2:CD Olímpico
Youthyears3:2004–2005
Youthclubs3:Cádiz
Years1:2005–2007
Years2:2007–2008
Caps2:3
Goals2:0
Years3:2007
Clubs3:Portuense (loan)
Caps3:19
Goals3:3
Years4:2008
Clubs4:Barcelona B (loan)
Caps4:13
Goals4:2
Years5:2008–2010
Caps5:47
Goals5:1
Years6:2010–2012
Caps6:15
Goals6:0
Years7:2011–2012
Clubs7:Mallorca (loan)
Caps7:33
Goals7:0
Years8:2012–2014
Caps8:57
Goals8:2
Years9:2014–2017
Caps9:60
Goals9:6
Years10:2017–2018
Caps10:29
Goals10:0
Years11:2018–2019
Caps11:8
Goals11:0
Years12:2019–2020
Caps12:18
Goals12:0
Totalcaps:302
Totalgoals:14
Nationalyears1:2008–2009
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0

José Manuel Flores Moreno (born 6 March 1987), commonly known as Chico, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Club career

Early years and Almería

Born in Cádiz, Andalusia, Chico started playing professionally with hometown club Cádiz CF, first with its reserves. In the 2006–07 season, with the main squad in the Segunda División, he appeared in three league games.

Chico served two loans in 2007–08, first at Racing Club Portuense then with FC Barcelona Atlètic, helping the Catalans to win promotion to Segunda División B after arriving at the request of manager Pep Guardiola.[2] At the end of the campaign, he signed with Cádiz neighbours UD Almería in La Liga.[3]

In 2009–10, Chico contributed 27 appearances as the team again retained their top-flight status as 13th. He also spent more than one month on the sidelines due to leg ailments.[4]

Genoa

Chico signed with Genoa CFC in late July 2010 after extensive negotiations, for five years and 4 million.[5] [6] He took part in less than half of the Serie A matches in his only season.[7]

On 22 July 2011, RCD Mallorca reached an agreement with the Italians to take Chico on a season-long loan, with the Balearic Islands club having an option to buy the player at the end of the campaign.[8] He totalled 2,884 minutes of action as either a right or centre-back, starting in all his appearances for an eighth-place finish.[9]

Swansea City

On 10 July 2012, Chico signed for Premier League side Swansea City for £2 million on a three-year contract, rejoining former Mallorca boss Michael Laudrup in the process.[10] He made his league debut on 18 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 away win against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.[11]

Chico was given a straight red card after 71 minutes of the 2–2 home draw with Sunderland on 1 September 2012, for a challenge on Louis Sahareferee Roger East decided it was too high and sent him off for dangerous play.[12] An injury prevented him from playing in his team's victory in the League Cup[13] and, on 6 April 2013, he agreed to an extension meant to keep him at the Liberty Stadium until June 2016.[14]

In January 2014, police were called to Swansea's training ground after Chico allegedly picked up a brick in a furious row with team-mate Garry Monk.[15] On 1 February, he was accused of diving in a game against West Ham United, where he went down under contact from Andy Carroll, who was subsequently sent off by Howard Webb.[16]

Lekhwiya

On 9 August 2014, Lekhwiya SC announced the signing of Chico who had arrived to Doha two days earlier for the pertinent medical. He reunited with former Swansea manager Michael Laudrup,[17] and scored in his Qatar Stars League debut for his new club, a 5–0 victory over Qatar SC in the first match of the season.[18]

Later career

In September 2017, free agent Chico returned to Spain and signed for Granada CF ahead of the second-division campaign.[19] On 28 June 2018 he moved abroad again, joining FC Rubin Kazan of the Russian Premier League on a two-year contract[20] but leaving in February 2019 by mutual consent.[21]

On 16 July 2019, Chico agreed to a one-year deal with CF Fuenlabrada, newly promoted to the second tier.[22] After retiring at age 33, he returned to Almería as youth team manager.[23]

International career

On 14 October 2008, Chico made his debut for the Spain under-21 team, playing the entire 3–1 extra time win over Switzerland for the 2009 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[24] He was called for the squad that appeared in the finals in Sweden, participating in the 0–0 group stage draw against Germany.[25]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2006–07[26] Segunda División300030
Portuense (loan)2007–08Segunda División B19320213
2008–09La Liga20130231
2009–10La Liga27010281
Total47140514
2010–11[27] Serie A15010160
2011–12La Liga33010340
2012–13Premier League26061321
2013–14Premier League31320100433
Total57381100754
Lekhwiya2014–15Qatar Stars League25400101355
2015–16Qatar Stars League1710071242
2016–17Qatar Stars League1810061242
Total60600233839
2017–18Segunda División29000290
2018–19Russian Premier League800080
Career total2711316133332017

Honours

Swansea City

2012–13[27]

Lekhwiya

2014–15, 2016–17[28] [29] [27]

2015, 2016[27]

2015[27]

2016[27]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Barclays Premier League squad numbers 2013/14. Premier League. 16 August 2013. 17 August 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130821225359/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2013-14/aug/premier-league-squad-numbers-seasons-2013-14.html. 21 August 2013.
  2. News: La relación amor-odio del gaditano Chico Flores con parte de la afición del Cádiz. The love-hate relationship of Cádiz-born Chico Flores with part of Cádiz's faithful. Ideal. José Ignacio. Cejudo. es. 5 January 2018. 9 August 2019.
  3. News: El Almería culmina el fichaje del gaditano Chico. Almería complete of signing of Cádiz-born Chico. Mundo Deportivo. es. 18 July 2008. 9 August 2019.
  4. http://www.ud-almeria.es/noticias/2010-03-16/central-gaditano-chico-estara-20100316.html El central gaditano Chico estará de baja varias semanas (Cádiz-born centre-back Chico will miss several weeks)
  5. http://www.marca.com/2010/07/21/futbol/equipos/almeria/1279724465.html El marcaje a Xavi lleva a Chico al Genoa (Marking Xavi takes Chico to Genoa)
  6. Web site: Chico deja el Almería por el Genoa. Chico leaves Almería for Genoa. UEFA. es. 22 July 2010. 25 February 2014.
  7. Web site: Genoa: Chico torna in Spagna. Genoa: Chico returns to Spain. Calcio Mercato. it. 18 July 2011. 9 August 2019.
  8. http://www.rcdmallorca.es/principal_new.php?nombreModulo=noticiasDetalle&idnoticia=30406&idseccion=1&idmenu=3&idsubmenu=20 Acuerdo por 'Chico' (Agreement for 'Chico')
  9. Web site: Puntuaciones del Mallorca 2011/2012. Mallorca grades 2011/2012. Vavel. Sergio. Vázquez Jodar. es. 18 May 2012. 9 August 2018.
  10. Web site: Swansea City complete signing of defender Jose Manuel Flores. BBC Sport. 10 July 2012. 10 July 2012.
  11. Web site: Michu magic inspires Swansea rout. ESPN Soccernet. 18 August 2012. 20 August 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120821202517/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/345831?cc=5739. 21 August 2012.
  12. Web site: Swansea City 2–2 Sunderland. ESPN Soccernet. 2 September 2012. 10 September 2012.
  13. Web site: Swansea City's Chico Flores ruled out of League Cup final. BBC Sport. 21 February 2013. 18 March 2019.
  14. Web site: Chico Flores signs one-year extension with Swansea City. BBC Sport. 6 April 2013. 10 July 2013.
  15. News: Police called to Swansea after row between Garry Monk and Chico Flores. The Guardian. 21 January 2014. 9 October 2020.
  16. News: Comment: Arsene Wenger, David Moyes and Jose Mourinho all say they want retrospective bans for diving and simulation, so why is nothing done about it?. The Independent. Sam. Wallace. 10 February 2014. 9 October 2020.
  17. http://lekhwiyaclub.qa/site/news/3590-%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D8%B6%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%88-%D9%81%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B3.html Chico Flores signs deal with Lekhwiya
  18. News: 5-star Lekhwiya hammer Qatar SC. Gulf Times. Anil. John. 22 August 2014. 10 November 2020.
  19. Web site: Former Swansea City defender Chico Flores lands new club in Spain. Talksport. 28 September 2018. 20 February 2019.
  20. Web site: http://www.rubin-kazan.ru/ru/news_items/7949-hose-manuel-chiko-flores-v-rubine. ru:Хосе Мануэль Чико Флорес – в "Рубине". Jose Manuel Chico Flores – to Rubin. Rubin Kazan. ru. 28 June 2018. 8 July 2018.
  21. Web site: http://www.rubin-kazan.ru/ru/news_items/8635-chiko-flores-pokidaet-rubin. ru:Чико Флорес покидает «Рубин». Chico Flores leaves Rubin. Rubin Kazan. ru. 15 February 2019. 15 February 2019.
  22. Web site: Chico Flores ficha por el CF Fuenlabrada. Chico Flores signs for CF Fuenlabrada. CF Fuenlabrada. es. 16 July 2019. 17 July 2019.
  23. News: "Estoy feliz de que el Almería volviera a contar conmigo". "I am happy that Almería thought of me once again". Diario de Almería. Francisco. G. Luque. es. 27 July 2021. 14 December 2023.
  24. Web site: Crónica del España-Suiza, 3–1. Spain-Switzerland match report, 3–1. Europa Press. es. 15 October 2008. 22 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160624111148/http://www.europapress.es/deportes/futbol-00162/eurocopa/noticia-futbol-sub-21-cronica-espana-suiza-20081015002724.html. 24 June 2016.
  25. Web site: Chico (UD Almería) jugó de titular con la selección española sub-21. Chico (UD Almería) started for Spanish under-21 national team. Join Futbol. es. 16 June 2009. 25 February 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140228183137/http://www.joinfutbol.com/es/chico_ud_almeria_jugo_de_titular_con_la_seleccion_espanola_sub_21__20292.php. 28 February 2014.
  26. Web site: Chico: José Manuel Flores Moreno. BDFutbol. 4 April 2015.
  27. Web site: Chico Flores. Soccerway. 4 April 2015.
  28. Web site: 59 points out of a possible 75 in 25 games settled the title for the Champions Lekhwiya. Qatar Stars League. 12 April 2015. 9 August 2019.
  29. News: El Lekhwiya de Chico Flores conquista la liga de Qatar. Chico Flores' Lekhwiya conquer Qatari league. Diario AS. Quique. Rubio. es. 6 April 2017. 9 August 2019.