Juanfran (footballer, born 1976)

1.1. Club Career

Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Juanfran began his professional journey at his local club, Levante UD. After three seasons, his impressive performances caught the attention of Valencia CF, the local giants, who signed him for 1.00 M EUR. He made his La Liga debut on 31 August 1997 in a 2-1 away loss against RCD Mallorca. During his tenure with Valencia, he made 54 competitive appearances.

In 1999, Juanfran moved to RC Celta de Vigo for 4.00 M EUR prior to the 1999-2000 campaign. He quickly established himself as an undisputed starter for the Galician team, contributing significantly in both the UEFA Cup and the 2003-04 UEFA Champions League. Notably, he scored in a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge KV in the Champions League, which helped Celta progress to the knockout rounds. However, in 2003-04, Celta faced relegation to the Segunda División.

Following Celta's relegation in 2004, Juanfran transferred to Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K. for 3.50 M EUR. His time in Istanbul was brief, as the coach who brought him there, compatriot Vicente del Bosque, was dismissed midway through the season. This led to Juanfran falling out of favor with the new management, and he subsequently spent the 2005-06 season on loan to Dutch side AFC Ajax, with an option for a permanent transfer.

In 2006-07, Juanfran returned to Spain, joining Real Zaragoza for 1.50 M EUR. He became a key defensive asset, helping the team qualify for the UEFA Cup in his first year, alongside prominent players like Pablo Aimar, Andrés D'Alessandro, and Sergio Fernández González. However, the following season proved difficult both individually and collectively, resulting in Zaragoza's relegation to the second division after a five-year stint in the top flight.

On 30 July 2008, Juanfran signed a two-year deal with AEK Athens F.C. in Greece, earning approximately 1.00 M EUR per season. He was a regular player during his time in Greece. In late January 2010, he was loaned back to his first professional club, Levante UD, until the end of the second-tier campaign. Within weeks, he bought out his contract with AEK and signed permanently with Levante until June 2012, playing a crucial role in the club's return to the top flight after a two-year absence, appearing in 19 matches and scoring 5 goals during this period.

At 34 years old, Juanfran was the most frequently used player in his position during the 2010-11 season, making 23 appearances as Levante successfully maintained their top-flight status. He performed even better in the subsequent season, as Levante achieved a sixth-place finish, securing qualification for the Europa League for the first time in the club's history. On 20 September 2012, during Levante's European competition group stage debut, Juanfran scored the decisive goal at home against Helsingborgs IF, netting with his preferred left foot from the corner of the penalty area. After four more top-tier campaigns, which included suffering relegation in the final season, the 39-year-old Juanfran announced his retirement on 4 May 2016, ending a 23-year career.

Throughout his professional club career from 1994 to 2016, Juanfran made a total of 504 appearances, scoring 8 goals.

1.2. International Career

Juanfran earned 11 caps for Spain. His international debut came in a friendly match against Italy on 29 March 2000, following impressive displays for Celta. Due to his consistent performance, he was subsequently included in Spain's squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament, he appeared in three of Spain's five matches. Juanfran's final international appearance was in a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier against Northern Ireland in June 2003, where he played the full 90 minutes in a 0-0 away draw.

2.1. Managerial Statistics