Kepa Blanco Explained

Kepa
Fullname:Kepa Blanco González
Birth Date:13 January 1984
Birth Place:Marbella, Spain
Position:Striker
Youthyears1:2001–2002
Youthclubs1:Sevilla
Years1:2002–2005
Caps1:88
Goals1:36
Years2:2002–2007
Caps2:37
Goals2:9
Years3:2007
Clubs3:→ West Ham United (loan)
Caps3:8
Goals3:1
Years4:2007–2010
Caps4:24
Goals4:2
Years5:2010–2012
Caps5:19
Goals5:2
Years6:2012–2013
Caps6:18
Goals6:4
Totalcaps:194
Totalgoals:54
Nationalyears1:2003
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:1
Nationalyears2:2005–2006
Nationalcaps2:8
Nationalgoals2:2
Nationalyears3:2005
Nationalcaps3:4
Nationalgoals3:2
Manageryears1:2014–2015
Managerclubs1:San Pedro (assistant)
Manageryears2:2015–2016
Managerclubs2:San Pedro

Kepa Blanco González (born 13 January 1984), known simply as Kepa, is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker.

He was best known for his spell with Sevilla, for whom he appeared in 58 competitive games and scored 14 goals, winning four major titles including two UEFA Cups. In La Liga he also represented Getafe, achieving totals of 61 matches and 11 goals over six seasons.

Club career

Kepa was born in Marbella, Province of Málaga; his forename was of Basque origin, as his mother hailed from Biscay.[1] Brought up through the ranks of Sevilla FC, he played two La Liga matches with the first team in 2004–05, and established himself as an important attacking player with the Andalusian club in the following two seasons, but almost exclusively as a substitute.

In 2006–07, even after having scored a hat-trick against Levante UD in the league opener,[2] and another three goals in the victorious run in the UEFA Cup,[3] [4] [5] Kepa fell out of favour, and on 22 January 2007 he went on loan to West Ham United in the Premier League until the end of the campaign, with the option of a permanent transfer available.[6] On his debut for the Hammers, eight days later, he netted in the 77th minute after only being on for 70 seconds with his first touch of the game against Liverpool.[7]

Kepa signed a four-year deal with fellow top-flight club Getafe CF in July 2007, with Sevilla retaining the option of repurchasing the next season or the one after that.[8] He appeared sparingly for the UEFA Cup quarter-finalists in his first year, scoring in a 2–0 home win over Real Murcia after coming from the bench on 21 October but also being sent off for kicking an opponent;[9] from that moment onwards he was rarely featured, not even in the Copa del Rey (nine league matches over two full seasons).[10] [11]

On 5 August 2010, Kepa was sold to Recreativo de Huelva of the Segunda División as Adrián Colunga moved in the opposite direction.[12] He made only 19 appearances out of a possible 42 in his first year, being released from contract in April 2012 after no competitive minutes during the campaign whatsoever.[13]

In 2014, after one season in the second tier with CD Guadalajara, where he totalled 19 games and also suffered relegation,[14] and one year of inactivity, the 30-year-old Kepa retired from football, being appointed assistant coach at amateurs UD San Pedro in his native region shortly after.[15]

International career

Kepa scored twice for the Spain under-21 team in the 2007 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, in victories over Albania (3–0) and Slovakia (4–2).[16] [17] They eventually lost in the play-offs to Italy 2–1 on aggregate.[18]

Honours

Sevilla

2006–07

2005–06, 2006–07

Spain U23

2005[19]

Notes and References

  1. News: Macua prefiere cerrar con Del Nido la compra de Kepa antes de negociar con el jugador. Macua prefers to conclude the purchase of Kepa with Del Nido before negotiating with the player. El Correo. D.. S. Olabarri. es. 28 June 2007. 20 January 2018.
  2. Web site: FC Sevilla 4–0 Levante: Kepa hits three in rout. ESPN Soccernet. 29 August 2006. 4 May 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20120721195737/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=203767&cc=5739. 21 July 2012.
  3. News: El Sevilla inicia con éxito la defensa de la UEFA. Sevilla start UEFA defense successfully. El Mundo. Gabriel. Morales. es. 14 September 2006. 1 March 2014.
  4. News: Paseo del Sevilla ante el Atromitos. Sevilla walk in the park against Atromitos. El Mundo. es. 28 September 2006. 1 March 2014.
  5. Web site: El Sevilla, clasificado. Sevilla, qualified. UEFA. Daniel. Huerta. es. 29 November 2006. 1 March 2014.
  6. Web site: Kepa completes loan move from Sevilla. West Ham United F.C.. 22 January 2007. 23 January 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070929084227/http://www.whufc.com/articles/article.php?page_id=8697. 29 September 2007.
  7. Web site: West Ham 1–2 Liverpool. ESPN Soccernet. 30 January 2007. 4 May 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20120714125611/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/199328?cc=5739. 14 July 2012.
  8. Web site: Getafe to get hands on Kepa. UEFA. 6 July 2007. 18 May 2010.
  9. Web site: El Polaris vence a su bestia negra y el Murcia cae derrotado ante el Getafe. Polaris defeat nemesis and Murcia fall to Getafe. Reportero Digital. es. 22 October 2007. 12 October 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090041/http://www.reporterodigital.com/murcia/post.php/2007/10/22/el_polaris_vence_a_su_bestia_negra_y_el_. 24 September 2015.
  10. News: Kepa: "Es complicado entrenar cada semana y no ser convocado". Kepa: "It's hard to train every week and not get selected". Marca. es. 12 October 2009. 26 July 2023.
  11. News: El club facilita la salida a Kepa y Málaga puede ser su destino. Club allows Kepa to leave and he may end up at Málaga. Diario AS. es. 31 May 2010. 26 July 2023.
  12. Web site: Kepa Blanco nuevo delantero del Decano. Kepa Blanco new forward of the Dean. Recreativo Huelva. es. 5 August 2010. 29 January 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20120524143709/http://www.recreativohuelva.com/pag/noticias_detalle.asp?idnoticias=7219&seccion=Noticias. 24 May 2012.
  13. News: El delantero Kepa Blanco se desvincula del Recreativo. Forward Kepa Blanco cuts ties with Recreativo. Ideal. es. 18 April 2012. 11 May 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924032750/http://www.ideal.es/agencias/20120418/deportes/futbol/delantero-kepa-blanco-desvincula-recreativo_201204181219.html. 24 September 2015.
  14. News: El Guadalajara confirma las bajas de Toño, Badía, Azkorra y Kepa. Guadalajara confirm departures of Toño, Badía, Azkorra and Kepa. Marca. es. 11 June 2013. 20 February 2015.
  15. Web site: Kepa Blanco se incorpora al cuerpo técnico del San Pedro. Kepa Blanco adds to San Pedro's coaching staff. Marbella 24 Horas. es. 17 July 2014. 20 February 2015.
  16. News: La selección sub'21 de fútbol golea (0–3) a Albania. Under'21 national team rout (0–3) Albania. El Mundo. es. 1 September 2006. 10 May 2024.
  17. News: España sub'21 sufre para seguir viva en la Eurocopa. Spain under'21 suffer to remain alive in the Eurocup. El Mundo. es. 6 September 2006. 10 May 2024.
  18. Web site: La Sub'21 fuera del Europeo y de los Juegos al caer ante Italia 1–2. Under'21s miss out on Euro and Games after falling against Italy 1–2. Cadena SER. es. 10 October 2006. 10 May 2024.
  19. Web site: Mediterranean Games 2005 (Spain). RSSSF. Erik. Garin. 27 September 2016.

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