Francisco 'Fran' de Paula Pablo Cruz Torres (born 22 June 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central defender.

Fran Cruz
Personal information
Full name Francisco de Paula Pablo Cruz Torres[1]
Date of birth (1991-06-22) 22 June 1991 (age 33)[1]
Place of birth Córdoba, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
Córdoba
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2013 Córdoba B 125 (0)
2012–2015 Córdoba 30 (0)
2014–2015Alcorcón (loan) 12 (0)
2015–2016 Llagostera 16 (0)
2016 Rapid București 17 (1)
2016–2017 Mirandés 37 (1)
2017–2018 Lorca 36 (2)
2018–2019 Miedź Legnica 8 (0)
2018–2019 Miedź Legnica II 3 (0)
2019–2021 Extremadura 59 (3)
2022–2023 Cultural Leonesa 23 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:38, 22 June 2024 (UTC)

Career

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Born in Córdoba, Andalusia, Cruz finished his development with local Córdoba, making his senior debut with the reserves in 2008–09. His first competitive appearance with the first team took place on 6 January 2013, in a 0–0 away draw against Mirandés in the Segunda División.[2]

Cruz played 32 matches during the 2013–14 season, in a promotion to La Liga after a 42-year absence.[3] On 15 July 2014, he renewed his contract with the club for three seasons,[4] and was immediately loaned to Alcorcón also in the second division.[5]

In late August 2015, Cruz cut ties with Córdoba and moved to fellow second-tier team Llagostera.[6] He spent the following years in the same league, representing Mirandés, Lorca[7] and Extremadura,[8] aside from a six-month spell at Miedź Legnica in the Polish Ekstraklasa[9] and an even shorter stint with Romania's Rapid București.[10]

Personal life

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Cruz's younger brother, Bernardo, was also a footballer and a defender. Both were developed at Córdoba.[11]

Career statistics

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As of match played 13 May 2023[12][13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Córdoba 2012–13 Segunda División 1 0 0 0 1 0
2013–14 Segunda División 29 0 1 0 3[a] 0 33 0
2015–16 Segunda División 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 30 0 1 0 3 0 34 0
Alcorcón (loan) 2014–15 Segunda División 12 0 1 0 13 0
Llagostera 2015–16 Segunda División 16 0 2 0 18 0
Rapid București 2015–16 Liga II 17 1 0 0 17 1
Mirandés 2016–17 Segunda División 37 1 0 0 37 1
Lorca 2017–18 Segunda División 36 2 0 0 36 2
Miedź Legnica 2018–19 Ekstraklasa 8 0 2 0 10 0
Miedź Legnica II 2018–19 III liga 3 0 3 0
Extremadura 2018–19 Segunda División 4 0 0 0 4 0
2019–20 Segunda División 26 1 0 0 26 1
2020–21 Segunda División B 18 2 0 0 18 2
2021–22 Primera Federación 11 0 1 0 12 0
Total 59 3 1 0 0 0 60 3
Cultural Leonesa 2021–22 Primera Federación 12 0 0 0 12 0
2022–23 Primera Federación 11 0 0 0 11 0
Total 23 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
Career total 241 7 7 0 3 0 251 7
  1. ^ Appearances in La Liga play-offs

References

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  1. ^ a b c Fran Cruz at AS.com (in Spanish)  
  2. ^ Falta de acierto en Anduva (Lack of finishing in Anduva); Marca, 6 January 2013 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ "Los héroes del ascenso" [The promotion heroes] (in Spanish). ABC. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. ^ Renovación de Fran Cruz (Fran Cruz's renewal) Archived 22 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Córdoba CF, 15 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Fran Cruz y Arturo Rodríguez, cedidos a la AD Alcorcón (Fran Cruz and Arturo Rodríguez, loaned to AD Alcorcón) Archived 17 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Córdoba CF, 15 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Fran Cruz, nou jugador de la Unió Esportiva Llagostera-Costa Brava (Fran Cruz, new player of Unió Esportiva Llagostera-Costa Brava); UE Llagostera, 30 August 2015 (in Catalan)
  7. ^ Fran Cruz, nuevo fichaje para Curro Torres (Fran Cruz, new signing for Curro Torres); Lorca FC, 21 July 2017 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ "Fran Cruz, refuerzo para la defensa" [Fran Cruz, addition for the defence] (in Spanish). Extremadura UD. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. ^ Jurado, David (21 July 2018). "Fran Cruz, a Polonia" [Fran Cruz, to Poland] (in Spanish). Córdoba Deporte. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  10. ^ Anghel, Marius (10 February 2016). "Doctor Fran Cruz! FC Rapid a transferat un fundaș spaniol, fost coechipier cu Florin Andone" [Doctor Fran Cruz! FC Rapid signed Spanish defender, former Florin Andone teammate] (in Romanian). ProSport. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. ^ Gaitán, Francisco (28 June 2017). "El extraño caso de los hermanos Cruz" [The strange case of the Cruz brothers] (in Spanish). Diario Córdoba. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  12. ^ Fran Cruz at Soccerway
  13. ^ Fran Cruz at FBref.com  
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