Gerardo García León

Gerardo García León (born 7 December 1974), known simply as Gerardo, is a Spanish retired footballer, and the manager of EDF Logroño women's team. A defender of wide range, he operated on the right flank.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García and the second or maternal family name is León.

Gerardo
Gerardo as a Córdoba player
Personal information
Full name Gerardo García León
Date of birth (1974-12-07) 7 December 1974
Place of birth Seville, Spain
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Right back
Club information
Current team
 Logroño (women)
Youth career
AD Loyola
Osasuna
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1995 Real Madrid B 55 (6)
1993–1994 Real Madrid C 7 (0)
1995–1996 Leganés 36 (4)
1996–1997 Lleida 28 (2)
1997–1998 Badajoz 38 (3)
1998–1999 Villarreal 45 (3)
2000–2001 Valencia 10 (0)
2000–2001 → Osasuna (loan) 10 (2)
2001–2006 Málaga 156 (5)
2006–2009 Real Sociedad 96 (3)
2009–2011 Córdoba 46 (0)
2011–2013 Logroñés 48 (4)
Total 575 (32)
National team
1991 Spain U16 6 (0)
1991 Spain U17 11 (1)
1991–1993 Spain U18 21 (7)
1992 Spain U19 6 (0)
1997 Spain U23 3 (0)
Teams managed
2019– Logroño (women)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

During his extensive professional career he played in ten different clubs, all in his country, after emerging through Real Madrid's youth system. He amassed La Liga totals of 240 games and nine goals mainly in representation of Málaga (five seasons), adding 279/19 in Segunda División.

Club career

Born in Seville, Andalusia, Gerardo was an unsuccessful Real Madrid graduate – he never appeared for the first team – and started playing professionally in Segunda División, with CD Leganés, UE Lleida and CD Badajoz. In 1998–99 he made his debut in La Liga, playing 34 matches for Villarreal CF who was relegated at the season's end.

Having started 1999–2000 in the second level, Gerardo was purchased by Valencia CF in January 2000, appearing scarcely for the Che during the campaign but being a starter in the UEFA Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.[1] He spent 2000–01 on loan to CA Osasuna, also in the top flight.

Gerardo had his most successfully period at Málaga CF, playing five seasons for a side that had four consecutive mid-table positions and also helping them win the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup. In 2005–06 the team finished last, with the player scoring twice (in two 1–2 defeats).

For 2006–07, Gerardo joined Real Sociedad, who would also be relegated at the end of the campaign. He retained his first-choice status in his second and third years.

Gerardo moved to Córdoba CF initially for one season, in the last hours of the August 2009 transfer window.[2] After only 12 second division games in his second season, the 36-year-old left after his contract was not re-renewed, and signed for SD Logroñés of Tercera División, retiring two years later.

After retiring, Gerardo founded the 'Gerardo García León Tiki-taka Football Academy' and also acted as youth coach for amateurs Comillas CF.[3] On 12 June 2019, he signed as head coach of Primera División (women) team EDF Logroño.[4]

Personal life

Gerardo's two older brothers, Eduardo (born 1969) and Moisés, and younger Manuel (1978), were also footballers. The second, a forward, played nearly 600 games as a professional.[5][6]

Honours

Club

Valencia

Málaga

International

Spain U16

Spain U17

References
  1. Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia; The Guardian, 24 May 2000
  2. "El Córdoba se refuerza con Juanjo, Alberto, Caballero y Gerardo" [Córdoba bolster with Juanjo, Alberto, Caballero and Gerardo] (in Spanish). Marca. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  3. Gerardo García León dirige al Comillas CF en categoría juvenil (Gerardo García León leads Comillas CF in youth category); Plaza Deportiva, 11 July 2015 (in Spanish)
  4. "El exjugador Gerardo García León dirigirá al EDF Logroño la próxima campaña" [Former player Gerardo García León will coach EDF Logroño the next season] (in Spanish). La Rioja. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  5. Dos hermanos, un sueño y los mismos colores (Two brothers, one dream and the same colours); Marca, 3 August 2012 (in Spanish)
  6. El adiós del trotamundos del fútbol (The globetrotter of football's goodbye); Marca, 3 June 2013 (in Spanish)
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