1. Early Life and Background
José Ángel Gómez Campaña's early life was deeply rooted in his hometown of Seville, Andalusia, where his football journey began at a young age.
1.1. Birth and Childhood
Campaña was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, on 31 May 1993. He is 70 in (179 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). His dominant foot is his right foot. His connection to football started very early, as he joined the youth system of his local club, Sevilla FC, at the age of seven in 2000.
1.2. Youth Career
After joining Sevilla FC's youth academy in 2000, Campaña progressed through the ranks. He made his senior debut at just 16 years old, playing for the reserves in the Segunda División B. His strong performances with the reserve team led to his promotion to the main squad for the 2011 pre-season by the newly appointed coach, Marcelino García Toral.
2. Club Career
Campaña's professional career has spanned several clubs across different European leagues, including Spain, England, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, showcasing his adaptability as a midfielder.
2.1. Sevilla
Campaña made his first team debut for Sevilla on 25 August 2011, playing for ten minutes as a substitute for Piotr Trochowski in a 1-1 home draw against Hannover 96 in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League (2-3 aggregate loss). Three days later, he made his first La Liga appearance, coming on as a substitute for Manu del Moral in a 2-1 home victory over Málaga CF. In his inaugural season (2011-12), Campaña featured in 18 official matches, contributing to Sevilla's ninth-place finish in the league. However, in March 2013, he suffered a fracture in his left foot, requiring surgery and sidelining him for the remainder of the 2012-13 La Liga season. Overall, he played 24 competitive matches for Sevilla's senior team.
2.2. Crystal Palace
On 13 July 2013, Premier League club Crystal Palace had a bid of 2.00 M EUR accepted by Sevilla for Campaña. Four days later, after successfully passing his medical examination, he signed a four-year contract with the English club. He made his debut for Crystal Palace on 24 August, in a 2-1 away defeat against Stoke City. During his time at Crystal Palace, he made six appearances in the Premier League.
2.3. 1. FC Nürnberg (loan)
On 31 January 2014, Campaña joined Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg on loan for the remainder of the 2013-14 Bundesliga season, with an option for a permanent transfer. He made his debut in the German league on 16 February, playing the entire second half in a 1-0 away victory over FC Augsburg. Campaña scored his first goal for Nürnberg on 23 March 2014, in a 2-5 home loss against Eintracht Frankfurt. He concluded the campaign with 591 minutes of action and five starts, but his team was unfortunately relegated. Following the loan spell, he returned to Crystal Palace.
2.4. Sampdoria
On 22 July 2014, Campaña transferred to Serie A club UC Sampdoria for an undisclosed fee. However, his tenure with Sampdoria was brief, as he did not make any appearances for the club.
2.5. FC Porto (loan)
On 1 September 2014, Campaña was loaned to Portuguese club FC Porto for a season-long deal. He was the seventh Spanish player brought in by manager Julen Lopetegui within three months. During his loan spell, he made two appearances for Porto's senior team in the Primeira Liga. He also played six matches and scored one goal for Porto's reserve team in the Segunda Liga.
2.6. AD Alcorcón (loan)
Campaña signed with AD Alcorcón on 17 July 2015, joining the Spanish second-division club on a one-year loan deal. Throughout the 2015-16 Segunda División season, he was a key player, making 35 appearances and scoring three goals for the team.
2.7. Levante UD
On 11 August 2016, Campaña agreed to a four-year contract with Levante UD, who had recently been relegated to the second tier of Spanish football. He quickly became a regular starter in his first season (2016-17), playing a crucial role as the Valencian club secured promotion back to La Liga as champions.
In April 2019, with one year remaining on his contract, Campaña extended his deal with Levante until 2023, reflecting his importance to the team. However, he faced significant injury problems during the 2020-21 La Liga season, missing the vast majority of matches. On 22 April 2023, he suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a match against UD Las Palmas. Despite his contract ending, Levante UD allowed him to continue using the club's facilities for his recovery. During his extensive spell at the Estadi Ciutat de València, Campaña accumulated a total of 208 appearances, scored 19 goals, and provided 30 assists.
2.8. UD Las Palmas
On 14 February 2024, Campaña signed with Las Palmas until the end of the top-flight campaign, with an option to extend his contract. He continues his career with the club in La Liga.
3. International Career
Campaña has proudly represented Spain at various international levels, from the youth categories to the senior national team, achieving significant success in the process.
3.1. Youth Teams
Campaña was a prominent figure in Spain's national youth teams. He played for the Spain U-16 team in 2009, making 3 appearances and scoring 2 goals. From 2009 to 2010, he represented the Spain U-17 squad, earning 12 caps. He was part of the team that finished as runner-up in the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In 2011, he played 2 matches for the Spain U-18 team.
His most notable achievements came with the Spain U-19 team, for which he made 14 appearances and scored 1 goal between 2011 and 2012. He participated in two UEFA European Under-19 Championship tournaments. In the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, held in Romania, he played three matches, including the final against the Czech Republic, which Spain won. In the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Estonia, Campaña played a crucial role in helping the national side retain their continental supremacy. He appeared in all five matches, starting in four, and served as captain in three of those games. Although he missed his penalty shootout attempt in the semi-finals against France (which Spain ultimately won 4-2 after a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes), his team went on to win the championship. He also represented the Spain U-20 team in 2013 (7 caps) and the Spain U-21 team from 2013 to 2014 (3 caps).
3.2. Senior Team
In October 2020, Campaña received his first call-up to the senior national team for matches against Portugal, Switzerland, and Germany. He earned his first senior cap against Portugal on 7 October 2020, playing the second half of a 0-0 friendly draw in Lisbon.
4. Honours
Campaña has achieved several team honors throughout his career.
Levante
- Segunda División: 2016-17
Spain U17
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship runner-up: 2010
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2011, 2012
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sevilla B | 2009-10 | Segunda División B | 22 | 0 | - | - | - | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2010-11 | 34 | 2 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 38 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 2 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 60 | 3 | ||||
| Sevilla | 2010-11 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011-12 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2012-13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 24 | 0 | |||
| Crystal Palace | 2013-14 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1. FC Nürnberg (loan) | 2013-14 | Bundesliga | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||
| Sampdoria | 2014-15 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| Porto (loan) | 2014-15 | Primeira Liga | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | ||
| Porto B (loan) | 2014-15 | Segunda Liga | 6 | 1 | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | |||
| Alcorcón (loan) | 2015-16 | Segunda División | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 3 | ||
| Levante | 2016-17 | Segunda División | 39 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2017-18 | La Liga | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 1 | |||
| 2018-19 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 39 | 3 | ||||
| 2019-20 | 37 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 2 | ||||
| 2020-21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2021-22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 2 | ||||
| 2022-23 | Segunda División | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 5 | |||
| Total | 192 | 17 | 11 | 0 | - | - | 203 | 17 | ||||
| Las Palmas | 2023-24 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | 8 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 335 | 22 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 358 | 23 | ||