Gonzalo García (footballer, born 1983) explained

Gonzalo García
Fullname:Gonzalo Manuel García García
Birth Date:13 October 1983
Birth Place:Montevideo, Uruguay
Height:1.82 m
Position:Attacking midfielder
Currentclub:Arouca (manager)
Youthyears1:1989–1994
Youthclubs1:La Rinconada
Youthyears2:1994–1998
Youthclubs2:Defensor
Youthyears3:1998–2001
Youthclubs3:Compostela
Youthyears4:2001–2002
Youthclubs4:Real Madrid
Years1:2001–2003
Clubs1:Real Madrid C
Years2:2003
Clubs2:Alcorcón
Caps2:1
Goals2:0
Years3:2004
Clubs3:Mérida
Caps3:5
Goals3:0
Years4:2004–2005
Clubs4:Palencia
Caps4:19
Goals4:1
Years5:2005–2006
Clubs5:AGOVV
Caps5:35
Goals5:16
Years6:2006–2008
Clubs6:Heerenveen
Caps6:14
Goals6:1
Years7:2008
Clubs7:Heracles (loan)
Caps7:16
Goals7:3
Years8:2008–2011
Clubs8:Groningen
Caps8:49
Goals8:7
Years9:2010
Clubs9:VVV (loan)
Caps9:14
Goals9:3
Years10:2011–2012
Clubs10:AEK Larnaca
Caps10:23
Goals10:12
Years11:2012–2014
Clubs11:Maccabi Tel Aviv
Caps11:27
Goals11:4
Years12:2013–2014
Clubs12:Anorthosis (loan)
Caps12:19
Goals12:9
Years13:2014–2016
Clubs13:Anorthosis
Caps13:15
Goals13:1
Years14:2015–2016
Clubs14:Heracles (loan)
Caps14:8
Goals14:0
Years15:2016–2017
Clubs15:Compostela
Caps15:22
Goals15:7
Totalcaps:267
Totalgoals:64
Nationalyears1:2001
Nationalteam1:Spain U17
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:1
Nationalyears2:2002
Nationalteam2:Spain U19
Nationalcaps2:1
Nationalgoals2:0
Manageryears1:2017–2018
Managerclubs1:Esbjerg (assistant)
Manageryears2:2018–2019
Managerclubs2:Twente (assistant)
Manageryears3:2019–2020
Managerclubs3:Twente
Manageryears4:2021–2023
Managerclubs4:Istra 1961
Manageryears5:2024–
Managerclubs5:Arouca

Gonzalo Manuel García García (born 13 October 1983), sometimes known simply as Gonzalo García or Gonzalo, is a professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Portuguese club Arouca.

Born in Uruguay, Gonzalo moved to Spain at the age of 13 and joined Real Madrid as a teenager, but never made it past the third team or played any higher than Segunda División B in Spain, spending most of his career in the Dutch Eredivisie as well as in Cyprus and Israel.

Early life

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Gonzalo moved to Spain at the age of 13, to his grandparents' native Galicia. He was nicknamed after Uruguay and Inter Milan player Álvaro Recoba, who played in the same position.[1]

He would eventually represent the Spain national under-17 team, at the same time as Andrés Iniesta, José Antonio Reyes and Fernando Torres. His performances attracted suitors such as A.C. Milan – who sent Franco Baresi to his home in the village of Os Tilos, Teo – but his cash-strapped club SD Compostela had already accepted an offer of 50 million pesetas (€300,000) from Real Madrid, a record for the capital team's youth teams.[2]

Playing career

Gonzalo could never move past Real Madrid's third team as a senior. In his country of adoption he never played in higher than the third division, also representing AD Alcorcón, Mérida UD[3] and CF Palencia.

In 2005, Gonzalo moved to the Netherlands, first with AGOVV Apeldoorn, being one of the leading top scorers in the second level season under manager Stanley Menzo. He immediately switched to the Eredivisie after signing with SC Heerenveen, playing his first match in the competition on 10 February 2007 against Vitesse Arnhem[4] but appearing rarely over the course of two seasons, finishing 2007–08 on loan to Heracles Almelo and helping the club narrowly avoid relegation.

Subsequently, Gonzalo signed with FC Groningen, penning a four-year deal with the Euroborg club.[5] First-choice in his debut campaign – 28 matches, four goals – he was rarely played in 2009–10, being again loaned in the January transfer window, now to VVV-Venlo.[6]

In June 2011, Gonzalo moved to Cyprus with AEK Larnaca FC.[7] On the 14th, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, he scored a hat-trick in an 8–0 away routing of Floriana FC.[8]

In June 2012, Gonzalo signed with Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv FC. He settled rarely in the following years, but did spend two seasons with Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis Famagusta FC, the first on loan.

Gonzalo returned to Dutch football on 4 August 2015, after agreeing to a contract at Heracles.[1] He retired at the age of 34, following a spell with former youth club Compostela.[9]

Coaching career

García started working as a manager immediately after retiring, acting as assistant at Esbjerg fB of the Danish 1st Division.[10] On 16 May 2019, after one year in the same capacity at FC Twente, he was appointed their head coach.[11] His contract was not renewed after it expired following the 2019–20 season.[12]

On 16 June 2021, García was appointed head coach of Croatian Prva HNL side NK Istra 1961.[13] After achieving 9th place in his first season, he finished 5th in 2022–23, missing out on Europe by one place; his team won against GNK Dinamo Zagreb, HNK Hajduk Split and local rivals HNK Rijeka.[14] He then allowed his contract to expire, and was replaced by Mislav Karoglan.[15]

In May 2024, García was introduced as the head coach of Portuguese club Arouca, with a contract for one season and an option to extend for another.[16]

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
Twente1 July 201930 June 2020
Istra 19611 July 2021Present
Total

Honours

Player

Maccabi Tel Aviv

2012–13[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: El gallego Gonzalo García "Recoba" retorna al fútbol holandés. Galicia's own Gonzalo García "Recoba" returns to Dutch football. La Voz de Galicia. Fran. Balado. es. 4 August 2015. 18 August 2019.
  2. News: El día que Baresi vino en busca de un joven talento a Santiago. The day Baresi came to Santiago searching for a young talent. La Voz de Galicia. Fran. Balado. es. 3 July 2011. 13 December 2016.
  3. News: El Mérida refuerza su juego de ataque con Arenaza y Recoba. Mérida bolster their attacking game with Arenazaz and Recoba. El Periódico Extremadura. es. 31 January 2004. 29 July 2022.
  4. Web site: Missen kansen breekt Heerenveen op. Missed chances do Heerenveen in. SC Heerenveen. nl. 10 February 2007. 14 November 2017.
  5. Web site: FC Groningen haalt Gonzalo Garcia-Garcia binnen. 2020-12-02. www.soccernews.nl.
  6. Web site: Gonzalo García volgt Honda op bij VVV-Venlo. Gonzalo García succeeds Honda at VVV-Venlo. Voetbal International. nl. 9 January 2010. 18 August 2019.
  7. News: Más talento gallego para Chipre. More Galician talent for Cyprus. La Voz de Galicia. Fran. Balado. Iván. Antelo. es. 27 June 2011. 18 August 2019.
  8. Web site: Floriana 0–8 AEK Larnaca. UEFA. 14 July 2011. 15 July 2011.
  9. Web site: Gonzalo García 'Recoba' ya es jugador de la SD Compostela. Gonzalo García 'Recoba' is already a SD Compostela player. SD Compostela. es. 11 November 2016. 4 June 2019.
  10. Web site: Efter opsigelse fra sportsdirektør: Esbjerg mister også den anden assistent. After sporting director dismissal: Esbjerg also lose the other assistant. Tipsbladet. Anders. Dehn. da. 1 June 2018. 18 August 2019.
  11. News: FC Twente kiest voor assistent García García als nieuwe trainer. FC Twente choose assistant García García as new manager. Algemeen Dagblad. nl. 16 May 2019. 18 August 2019.
  12. Web site: FC Twente niet verder met Garcia als hoofdcoach . Algemeen Dagblad . 1 September 2020 . nl . 7 May 2020.
  13. PRESS: Gonzalo Garcia novi je trener Istre 1961 . PRESS: Gonzalo Garcia is the new coach of Istra 1961 . NK Istra 1961 . 16 June 2021 . 18 July 2021 . hr.
  14. News: Gonzalo García: "Dar el salto al Real Madrid fue como entrar en un mundo totalmente nuevo". Gonzalo García: "Taking the leap to Real Madrid was like entering a totally new world". Marca. Carlos. Martín. es. 7 June 2023. 12 June 2023.
  15. Web site: Istra 1961, Mislav Karoglan nuevo entrenador. Sucede en el cargo a Gonzalo García. Istra 1961, Mislav Karoglan new manager. Succeeds Gonzalo García in the role. Todo Mercado Web. es. 11 June 2023. 12 June 2023.
  16. Web site: Gonzalo García é o sucessor de Daniel Sousa no comando do Arouca . Gonzalo García is the successor of Daniel Sousa as the head coach of Arouca. . O Jogo . pt . 21 May 2024 . 27 May 2024.
  17. News: La cruzada de Recoba. Recoba's crusade. La Voz de Galicia. Pablo. Gómez. es. 27 April 2013. 18 August 2019.