Piti (footballer) explained

Piti
Full Name:Francisco Medina Luna
Birth Date:26 May 1981
Birth Place:Reus, Spain
Height:1.74 m
Position:Winger, forward
Currentclub:Lamia (technical director)
Youthclubs1:Atlético Segre
Years1:2001–2002
Caps1:17
Goals1:0
Years2:2002–2003
Years3:2003–2004
Caps3:36
Goals3:22
Years4:2004–2005
Caps4:27
Goals4:11
Years5:2005–2006
Caps5:3
Goals5:0
Years6:2005–2006
Clubs6:Ciudad Murcia (loan)
Caps6:30
Goals6:8
Years7:2006–2007
Caps7:21
Goals7:2
Years8:2007
Clubs8:Rayo Vallecano (loan)
Caps8:4
Goals8:0
Years9:2007–2013
Caps9:197
Goals9:52
Years10:2013–2016
Caps10:67
Goals10:8
Years11:2016
Caps11:15
Goals11:0
Years12:2017
Caps12:17
Goals12:5
Years13:2017–2018
Caps13:27
Goals13:5
Years14:2018–2019
Caps14:15
Goals14:0
Years15:2019
Caps15:10
Goals15:2
Years16:2019–2020
Caps16:6
Goals16:1
Years17:2020
Caps17:4
Goals17:0
Years18:2021
Caps18:9
Goals18:0
Totalcaps:505
Totalgoals:116
Nationalyears1:2003–2015
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:1

Francisco Medina Luna (born 26 May 1981), known as Piti, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a winger or a forward.

His name was mostly associated with Rayo Vallecano where he had three spells, and achieved La Liga totals of 148 games and 29 goals for that club, Zaragoza and Granada. He amassed 164 appearances and 34 goals in the Segunda División for Ciudad de Murcia, Hércules and Rayo, and spent several years of his later career in Cyprus, Greece and India.

Club career

Born in Reus, Tarragona, Catalonia, Piti was signed by Real Zaragoza in 2004 after playing almost exclusively in amateur football, notably scoring 22 goals for CF Reus Deportiu in the Tercera División.[1] During his spell in Aragon, however, he was mainly registered with the reserves – he appeared in three La Liga games, totalling 34 minutes[2] – also being loaned to Ciudad de Murcia of Segunda División for the 2005–06 season.[3]

Piti joined second-division club Hércules CF in the summer of 2006[4] but, in January of the following year, he moved to Rayo Vallecano of Segunda División B on loan. After featuring rarely for the Valencians in the first half of the 2007–08 campaign, he returned to Rayo[5] and helped the Madrid outskirts team to return to division two, scoring seven times in 21 matches.[6]

In the following second-tier seasons, Piti remained an important attacking player for Rayo Vallecano. In 2010–11 he contributed nine goals (second-best in the squad, tied with Óscar Trejo) as the side returned to the top flight after an eight-year absence.[7] [8]

Piti came of age in 2012–13 at the age of 31, scoring 18 goals from 35 appearances, only five through penalties as Rayo posted their best season in the top division.[9] [10] [11] Highlights included braces at Málaga CF (2–1) and Levante UD (3–2 win), and at home against Getafe CF (3–1).[12] [13] [14]

In the following years, Piti represented Granada CF and (again) Rayo, always in the main tier. On 3 January 2017 the 35-year-old moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol until 30 June.[15]

On 29 July 2017, PAS Lamia 1964 announced the signing of Piti.[16] On 16 July 2018 he joined Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. also of the Super League Greece for an undisclosed fee[17] but, six months later, returned to his previous team.[18]

In October 2020, following a short spell in the Indian Super League with Jamshedpur FC, Piti returned to his homeland to act as player and part-owner of amateurs CA Pinto.[19] He worked as Lamia's technical director after retiring,[20] leaving the position on 21 February 2022.[21]

Piti returned to Lamia in January 2023, in the same capacity.[22]

International career

Uncapped by Spain at any level, Piti represented the non-FIFA Catalonia side. On 24 May 2006, he scored in a 2–0 win against Costa Rica in Terrassa as the opponents prepared for the upcoming World Cup.[23]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zaragoza B2004–05[24] Segunda División B27112711
Zaragoza2004–05La Liga300030
Ciudad Murcia (loan)2005–06Segunda División30810318
Hércules2006–07Segunda División15232184
2007–08Segunda División602181
Total2125300265
Rayo Vallecano (loan)2006–07Segunda División B40003373
Rayo Vallecano2007–08Segunda División B2170040257
2008–09Segunda División37821399
2009–10Segunda División35761418
2010–11Segunda División34900349
2011–12La Liga35310363
2012–13La Liga3518003518
Total20152927321757
Granada2013–14La Liga26520285
2014–15La Liga33100331
2015–16La Liga720072
Total6682000688
Rayo Vallecano2015–16La Liga8080
2016–17Segunda División701080
Total1501000160
AEL Limassol2016–17[25] Cypriot First Division17531206
Total1753100206
Lamia2017–18Super League Greece27532307
2018–19Super League Greece10230132
Total3776200439
AEL2018–19Super League Greece15020170
Career total4369328873471104

Notes and References

  1. News: El 'Pirata' del Rayo por fin vio puerta. Rayo's 'Pirate' finally found the net. Diario AS. R.. Sierra. es. 24 March 2009. 10 November 2022.
  2. News: Piti, goleador del Rayo, jugó 3 partidos con el Real Zaragoza. Piti, Rayo scorer, played 3 matches with Real Zaragoza. Heraldo de Aragón. Paco. Giménez. es. 18 December 2016. 10 November 2022.
  3. News: Consiguen la cesión de Diego Milito por dos años. They get Diego Milito on a two-year loan. Diario AS. Quique. Iglesias. es. 31 August 2005. 10 November 2022.
  4. News: Hércules confirma el fichaje del delantero Piti. Hércules confirm signing of forward Piti. Marca. es. 13 July 2006. 3 June 2013.
  5. News: Piti se va al Rayo y Xisco regresará al Villarreal B. Piti goes to Rayo and Xisco returns to Villarreal B. Diario AS. Julián. Burgos. es. 1 May 2007. 3 June 2013.
  6. News: ¿Qué fue del once del ascenso rayista de la 2007–08?. What happened to the eleven Rayo men who promoted in 2007–08?. Diario AS. Maite. Martín. es. 13 June 2018. 10 November 2022.
  7. News: El delantero Álex Geijo acaba en la cuarta plaza de la clasificación de realizadores. Forward Álex Geijo finishes in fourth place in scoring charts. Ideal. es. 4 June 2011. 6 November 2020.
  8. Web site: El Rayo vuelve a la Liga. Rayo return to League. UEFA. Daniel. Huerta. es. 5 June 2011. 10 November 2022.
  9. Web site: Piti hace olvidar a Michu y recoge los galones de Míchel. Piti makes people forget about Michu and succeeds Míchel as captain. El Gol Digital. José María. Marro. es. 27 April 2013. 10 November 2022.
  10. News: Piti: "Jémez me dijo que si marcaba sólo tres goles me echaba". Piti: "Jémez told me that if i only scored three goals he would send me packing". Marca. es. 20 May 2013. 3 June 2013.
  11. News: Piti dice "adiós" al Rayo y cierra "un capítulo maravilloso" de su vida. Piti says "goodbye" to Rayo and closes "a wonderful chapter" in his life. La Información. es. 16 June 2013. 10 November 2022.
  12. Web site: Piti at the double to down Malaga. ESPN FC. 3 November 2012. 3 June 2013.
  13. Web site: Rayo build momentum. ESPN FC. 7 January 2013. 3 June 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130504211918/http://espnfc.com/en/report/348346/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=null. 4 May 2013.
  14. Web site: Rayo up to eighth after win. ESPN FC. 18 May 2013. 3 June 2013.
  15. News: Piti, nuevo jugador del AEL Limassol. Piti, new AEL Limassol player. Marca. Carlos. Álvarez Villacé. es. 3 January 2017. 5 January 2017.
  16. Web site: Πίτι και επίσημα στην Λαμία. Piti to Lamia officially. Gazzetta. el. 29 July 2017. 29 July 2017.
  17. Web site: Ανακοίνωσε Πίτι η ΑΕΛ. Piti announced at AEL. Sport FM. el. 16 July 2018. 3 March 2019.
  18. Web site: Και πάλι στη Λαμία ο Πίτι. Piti back to Lamia. Nova Sports. el. 25 January 2019. 10 November 2022.
  19. Web site: Piti, copropietario y jugador del Atlético Pinto a los 39 años. Piti, part-owner and player of Atlético Pinto at the age of 39. Telemadrid. es. 16 October 2020. 10 November 2022.
  20. Web site: Τεχνικός διευθυντής στην Λαμία ο Πίτι. Piti technical director at Lamia. Gazzetta. el. 29 September 2021. 1 November 2022.
  21. Web site: Λαμία: Το «αντίο» του Πίτι από τη θέση του τεχνικού διευθυντή. Lamia: Piti "goodbye" to technical director position. Gazzetta. el. 21 February 2022. 1 November 2022.
  22. Web site: Λαμία: Ο Πίτι επέστρεψε και ανέλαβε τη θέση του τεχνικού διευθυντή. Lamia: Piti returned and took over as technical director. Sport 24. Maria. Kouveli. el. 13 January 2023. 17 June 2023.
  23. Web site: Fútbol.– La selección catalana derrota a la de Costa Rica (2–0) con goles de Piti y Roger, de penalti. Football.– The Catalan national team defeat Costa Rica (2–0) with goals from Piti and Roger, from the penalty spot. Europa Press. es. 25 May 2006. 17 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Piti: Francisco Medina Luna. BDFutbol. 6 April 2015.
  25. Web site: Piti. Soccerway. 6 April 2015.