Francisco García Gómez (14 February 1938 – 21 August 2024), commonly known as Paquito, was a Spanish football midfielder and manager.

Paquito
Personal information
Full name Francisco García Gómez
Date of birth (1938-02-14)14 February 1938
Place of birth Oviedo, Spain
Date of death 21 August 2024(2024-08-21) (aged 86)
Place of death Valencia, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Ovetense
Cibeles
Oviedo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1963 Oviedo 115 (5)
1957–1958 → Juvencia (loan)
1958–1959La Felguera (loan)
1963–1972 Valencia 212 (26)
1972–1973 Mestalla 31 (1)
International career
1961 Spain B 1 (0)
1962–1967 Spain 9 (0)
Managerial career
Benimar
1973–1974 Gandía
1974–1975 Alzira
1975–1976 Atlético Madrileño
1977–1978 Valladolid
1978–1980 Castellón
1980–1982 Valladolid
1982 Hércules
1983–1984 Valencia
1985–1986 Cádiz
1987–1988 Figueres
1989–1990 Las Palmas
1992–1993 Racing Santander
1994–1995 Rayo Vallecano
1995–1996 Osasuna
1996–1997 Rayo Vallecano
1999 Villarreal
1999–2000 Villarreal
2001–2002 Onda
2002 Villarreal
2004 Villarreal
Medal record
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1964 Spain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

edit

Paquito was born in Oviedo, Asturias. Over the course of 14 seasons, he played 327 La Liga games as a midfielder in representation of Real Oviedo and Valencia CF, scoring 31 goals. In the 1970–71 campaign, he appeared in 27 matches (all starts) and netted three times as the latter team won their fourth national championship, the first in 24 years.[1]

Paquito earned nine caps for Spain during nearly five years, his debut coming on 1 November 1962 in a 6–0 home win against Romania for the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifiers. He was part of Spain's squad that won the 1964 European Nations' Cup.[1]

Coaching career

edit

Paquito coached for more than 30 years,[2] his first job with the professionals being in the 1977–78 season with Real Valladolid (Segunda División, seventh position). He achieved three promotions to the top flight, with Racing de Santander (1993), Rayo Vallecano (1995) and Villarreal CF (2000).[3]

With the latter club, Paquito also worked in directorial capacities, as an assistant manager, youth academy director and head coach of farm team CD Onda.[4][5]

Death

edit

García died in Valencia on 21 August 2024, at the age of 86.[6]

Honours

edit

Valencia

Spain

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Paquito, el centrocampista asturiano que dijo no a Italia (Paquito, the Asturian midfielder who said no to Italy); Marca, 10 February 2017 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ El abuelo de la Liga (The League's grandfather); El Periódico Mediterráneo, 19 March 2004 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Iglesias, Hector (4 March 2009). "El año que Jiménez ayudó a Caparrós" [The year Jiménez helped Caparrós]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. ^ Paquito pone fin a 15 años de trabajo en el Villarreal (Paquito puts an end to 15 years of work at Villarreal); Super Deporte, 2 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ García Gómez, «Paquito», Francisco Archived 26 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine; at Vivir Asturias (in Spanish)
  6. ^ EFE (21 August 2024). "Fallece con 86 años Paquito García, leyenda del Villarreal". Cadena SER (in European Spanish). Retrieved 21 August 2024.
edit