Corona (footballer) explained

Corona
Fullname:Miguel Ángel García Pérez-Roldán
Birth Date:12 February 1981
Birth Place:Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Height:1.750NaN0
Position:Attacking midfielder
Youthclubs1:Real Madrid
Years1:1999–2000
Years2:2000–2001
Caps2:30
Goals2:12
Years3:2001–2007
Caps3:62
Goals3:2
Years4:2004–2005
Clubs4:Poli Ejido (loan)
Caps4:31
Goals4:1
Years5:2006
Clubs5:Albacete (loan)
Caps5:13
Goals5:2
Years6:2006–2007
Clubs6:Almería (loan)
Caps6:40
Goals6:7
Years7:2007–2015
Caps7:245
Goals7:13
Years8:2015–2016
Caps8:29
Goals8:2
Years9:2016–2017
Caps9:20
Goals9:0
Totalcaps:470
Totalgoals:39
Nationalyears1:1997–1998
Nationalcaps1:17
Nationalgoals1:4
Nationalyears2:1997–1998
Nationalcaps2:10
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:1998–2000
Nationalcaps3:12
Nationalgoals3:2
Nationalyears4:2001
Nationalcaps4:1
Nationalgoals4:0
Nationalyears5:2000–2003
Nationalcaps5:15
Nationalgoals5:1

Miguel Ángel García Pérez-Roldán (born 12 February 1981), known as Corona, is a Spanish former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is the current director of football of Valencia CF.

After starting out at Real Madrid, he spent most of his career at Almería, appearing in 333 official matches and scoring 23 goals.[1] He also played professionally in Australia.

Club career

Real Madrid and Zaragoza

Corona was born in Talavera de la Reina, Province of Toledo.[2] A product of La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, he played for their C and B teams, the latter competing in the Segunda División B.[3]

Corona was signed by Real Zaragoza in January 2001, but only appeared in 33 top-division games for the Aragonese over four seasons, with loans in the Segunda División in between (one season with Polideportivo Ejido, six months with Albacete Balompié).[4]

Almería

Corona was loaned again in 2006–07, now to UD Almería, being instrumental in the Andalusia side's first-ever promotion to the top flight and reuniting with his former Zaragoza teammate Fernando Soriano. The move was made permanent for the following campaign,[5] and both players were instrumental as the team went on to finish eighth in their maiden season in that league.[6] [7]

Corona scored his first goal in the top division with a header, in a 2–1 away defeat against CA Osasuna on 9 March 2008, his only in the season.[8] He continued to be a regular in the subsequent years, often starting but rarely finishing a match.

On 19 January 2011, Corona scored one of Almería's most important goals, in a 3–2 win at Deportivo de La Coruña (4–2 on aggregate), with the club reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time ever.[9] On 9 April, through a counter-attack, he opened the score for the last-placed team at FC Barcelona – his second goal of the season – but the hosts eventually won 3–1,[10] and the visitors eventually suffered relegation after a four-year stay.[11]

In the following two seasons in division two, Corona was an undisputed starter for the Rojiblancos, totalling seven goals. However, he was sparingly used during the first half of 2013–14's top flight,[12] regaining his starting position in mid-March 2014 and thus becoming the third player with most appearances in the competition for the club.[13]

Brisbane Roar

Corona terminated his contract with Almería on 23 September 2015,[14] and signed for Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar FC the following week.[15] He left the former with competitive totals of 312 games and 23 goals, only behind José Ortiz.[16]

On 12 May 2016, Corona won the 'Gary Wilkins Medal' as the Roar's Player of the Year.[17]

Return to Almería

After cutting ties with Brisbane, Corona returned to Almería on 15 July 2016 after agreeing to a one-year deal.[18] [19] He was used mainly as a substitute during the second-tier campaign,[20] contributing 580 minutes as his team avoided relegation in the last matchday.

On 15 June 2017, the 36-year-old Corona announced his retirement and was immediately appointed Almería's director of football.[21] In January 2020, he joined Valencia CF in the same capacity.[22]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1999–2000Segunda División B103103
2000–01209209
Total30123012
2000–01La Liga200020
2001–02110102[23] 0140
2002–03Segunda División29210302
2003–04La Liga17030200
2005–06301040
Total6226020702
Poli Ejido (loan)2004–05Segunda División31110321
Albacete (loan)2005–06Segunda División13200132
Almería (loan)2006–07Segunda División40710417
Almería2007–08La Liga32120341
2008–0930111312
2009–1022120241
2010–1130271373
2011–12Segunda División41340453
2012–13334104[24] 0384
2013–14La Liga23131262
2014–1531020330
2015–16Segunda División300030
Total285202334031223
Brisbane Roar2015–16A-League29200292
Almería2016–17Segunda División20010210
Career total470393136050742

Honours

Spain

1997[25]

Individual

2015–16[17]

Notes and References

  1. News: Los 38 jugadores 'centenarios' de la UD Almería. UD Almería's 38 'centurion' players. Diario de Almería. Paco. Gregorio. es. 8 December 2022. 15 June 2023.
  2. News: Corona: "La salvación está en casa". Corona: "Survival lies at home". Marca. es. 26 March 2015. 15 June 2023.
  3. Web site: Corona, el capitán del Almería que no pudo debutar con el Real Madrid. Corona, the captain of Almería who could not make debut with Real Madrid. Liga BBVA. es. 29 April 2015. 2 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160603081550/https://www.ligabbva.com/revista-libero/145227/corona-el-capitan-del-almeria-que-no-pudo-debutar-con-el-real-madrid/. 3 June 2016.
  4. News: Miguel Ángel García 'Corona': "Me fui con dolor, podía jugar en el Zaragoza, mi nivel daba para eso". Miguel Ángel García 'Corona': "I left hurting, I could play in Zaragoza, I was good enough for that". El Periódico de Aragón. S.. Valero. es. 15 February 2016. 14 June 2023.
  5. Web site: Corona staying at Almería. UEFA. 10 July 2007. 14 June 2023.
  6. News: Soriano busca su cuarto ascenso y Corona, el tercero. Soriano in search of a fourth promotion and Corona, a third. Marca. Txabi. Ferrero. es. 19 June 2013. 2 May 2016.
  7. News: Corona y Fernando Soriano, dos capitanes para buscar el ascenso. Corona and Fernando Soriano, two captains in search of promotion. Ideal. es. 17 June 2015. 2 May 2016.
  8. Web site: Osasuna 2–1 Almeria. ESPN Soccernet. 9 March 2008. 4 August 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20130103050054/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/226401?cc=5739. 3 January 2013.
  9. News: El Almería se niega a despertar del sueño. Almería refuse to awake from dream. Marca. Jaime. Rincón. es. 19 January 2011. 12 April 2011.
  10. Web site: Barca come back to avoid upset. ESPN Soccernet. 9 April 2011. 12 April 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121024153536/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/302077?cc=5739. 24 October 2012.
  11. News: El Almería, el menos canterano de Primera. Almería, least youth system-friendly in Primera. Ideal. José Gabriel. Gutiérrez. es. 30 May 2011. 15 June 2023.
  12. News: Corona no quiso marcharse en enero. Corona did not want to leave in January. Marca. Txabi. Ferrero. es. 5 February 2014. 16 April 2014.
  13. News: Corona entra en el podio de la historia del Almería. Corona steps into Almería's historical podium. Marca. Txabi. Ferrero. es. 17 February 2014. 16 April 2014.
  14. Web site: El Almería y Corona llegan a un acuerdo para rescindir el contrato a petición del jugador. Almería and Corona reach agreement to terminate the contract at the request of the player. UD Almería. es. 23 September 2015. 14 June 2023.
  15. Web site: Brisbane Roar bring Spanish midfielder Corona to the A-League. ABC. 30 September 2015. 2 May 2016.
  16. News: Se marcha 'El Mago'. 'The Wizard' leaves. Marca. Txabi. Ferrero. es. 23 September 2015. 23 September 2015.
  17. Web site: Corona takes top honour at Roar Awards Night. Brisbane Roar. 12 May 2016. 4 January 2019.
  18. News: Corona quits Brisbane Roar with a year to run on his contract. The Courier-Mail. Marco. Monteverde. 15 July 2016. 15 July 2016.
  19. Web site: Corona regresa a la UD Almería para reforzar el centro del campo. Corona returns to UD Almería to bolster midfield. UD Almería. es. 15 July 2016. 15 July 2016.
  20. News: Corona y Diamanka, cuñas de la misma madera. Corona and Diamanka, cut from same cloth. Heraldo de Aragón. Paco. Giménez. es. 6 April 2017. 26 July 2017.
  21. Web site: Corona es el nuevo director deportivo del Almería, e Ibán Andrés el secretario técnico. Corona is the new sporting director of Almería, and Ibán Andrés is the technical secretary. UD Almería. es. 15 June 2017. 16 June 2017.
  22. News: Corona afronta su cuarto verano en el Valencia CF. Corona looking at his fourth summer at Valencia CF. Super Deporte. Rafa. Jarque. es. 12 June 2023. 14 June 2023.
  23. Appearances in UEFA Cup
  24. Appearances in Segunda División play-offs
  25. Web site: España repite gesta. Spain do it again. UEFA. es. 5 November 2019.