Antonio de la Cruz facts for kids
de la Cruz (standing, third to left) playing for Barcelona in 1975
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jesús Antonio de la Cruz Gallego | ||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | León, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.71 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Júpiter Leonés | |||
| Valladolid | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1966–1970 | Valladolid | 87 | (0) |
| 1970–1972 | Granada | 64 | (0) |
| 1972–1979 | Barcelona | 183 | (6) |
| Total | 334 | (6) | |
| National team | |||
| 1971 | Spain U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1972–1978 | Spain | 6 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1987–1988 | Sabadell | ||
| 1995–1996 | Barcelona C | ||
| 1998–1999 | Yokohama F. Marinos | ||
| 2003 | Barcelona (interim) | ||
|
|||
Jesús Antonio de la Cruz Gallego (born May 7, 1947) is a Spanish former football player and coach. He played as a defender.
He played in 247 games in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league. He scored six goals for Granada and Barcelona. With Barcelona, he won three important titles, including the 1979 Cup Winners' Cup.
De la Cruz also played for the Spanish national team in the 1970s. He even represented his country in the 1978 World Cup.
Playing for Football Clubs
Antonio de la Cruz was born in León, Spain. He started his professional football career with Real Valladolid. This team played in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second-highest league.
Even though his team was moved down to a lower league in the 1969–70 season, he quickly moved up to La Liga. He joined Granada and played his first top-league game on September 13, 1970. It was a 1–1 draw against Elche.
In March 1972, de la Cruz signed with Barcelona, another top team. He played over 230 official matches for Barcelona at their home stadium, the Camp Nou. He scored his first goal for them on January 7, 1973, in a 2–0 win against Real Zaragoza.
On May 16, 1979, when he was 32 years old, he played in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. This big game was held in Basel. Barcelona won 4–3 against Fortuna Düsseldorf after extra time, and de la Cruz came on as a substitute in the second half.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Antonio de la Cruz became a coach. He had two short coaching periods with Sabadell in Catalonia. During one of these times, in the 1987–88 season, the team was moved down from the top league.
In January 2003, he was named interim manager for Barcelona. This happened after the previous coach, Louis van Gaal, was let go, and before Radomir Antić was appointed. De la Cruz was in charge for one league match, which Barcelona lost 3–0 to Atlético Madrid.
Playing for Spain
De la Cruz played six games for the Spanish national team over six years. His first game was on April 12, 1972. It was a friendly match against Greece that ended in a 0–0 draw.
The coach, László Kubala, chose de la Cruz to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He played in one game, a 2–1 loss against Austria. Spain did not make it past the first group stage in that tournament.
Awards and Trophies
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1973–74
- Copa del Rey: 1977–78
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1978–79
See also
In Spanish: Toño de la Cruz para niños
