David Gallego facts for kids
Gallego coaching Espanyol in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Gallego Rodríguez | ||
| Date of birth | 26 January 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Súria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.65 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | APOEL (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Súria | |||
| Manresa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987–1991 | Manresa | ||
| 1991–1993 | Hospitalet | 28 | (3) |
| 1993–1994 | Manlleu | 33 | (5) |
| 1994–1995 | Levante | 42 | (7) |
| 1995–1996 | Sant Andreu | 17 | (5) |
| 1996–1997 | Córdoba | 55 | (9) |
| 1997–1999 | Terrassa | 69 | (26) |
| 1999–2001 | Hércules | 55 | (11) |
| 2001–2002 | Córdoba | 42 | (4) |
| 2002–2003 | Recreativo | 10 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Terrassa | 55 | (6) |
| 2005–2006 | Badalona | 12 | (1) |
| 2006–2009 | Manresa | ||
| Total | 418 | (77) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2010 | Sant Feliu Sasserra | ||
| 2010–2013 | Súria | ||
| 2013–2016 | Espanyol (youth) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Espanyol B | ||
| 2018 | Espanyol | ||
| 2018–2019 | Espanyol B | ||
| 2019 | Espanyol | ||
| 2020–2022 | Sporting Gijón | ||
| 2022–2023 | Ponferradina | ||
| 2023–2024 | Anorthosis | ||
| 2024-2024 | APOEL | ||
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David Gallego Rodríguez (born on January 26, 1972) is a Spanish football manager and a former player. He used to play as a midfielder. Currently, he is the manager of Cypriot First Division club APOEL.
As a player, he played 10 games in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league, for Recreativo. He also played 97 games in Segunda División, the second-highest league, for Córdoba and Terrassa, scoring 10 goals. Most of his playing career was spent in Segunda División B, which is the third tier of Spanish football.
After retiring as a player, Gallego became a manager. He had two short periods managing Espanyol in the top league. He also managed Sporting Gijón and Ponferradina in the second division.
Playing Career: David Gallego's Football Journey
David Gallego was born in Súria, a town in Catalonia, Spain. He started his senior football career playing for CE Manresa. In 1991, he joined CE L'Hospitalet, a team in Segunda División B.
Over the next few years, he played for several other teams in the same league. These included AEC Manlleu, Levante UD, UE Sant Andreu, Córdoba CF, Terrassa FC, and Hércules CF. During the 1997–98 season, he scored his highest number of goals in one season, with 19 goals for Terrassa.
In January 2001, Gallego went back to play for Córdoba, which was now in the Segunda División. He played his first professional game on January 14, which was a 0–0 draw against Albacete Balompié. A week later, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–0 win against Sporting de Gijón.
In the summer of 2002, Gallego joined La Liga club Recreativo de Huelva. He made his debut in Spain's top league on September 1, coming on as a substitute in a game they lost 3–2 against Málaga CF.
After Recreativo was relegated from La Liga in 2003, Gallego returned to Terrassa. Later, he played in lower leagues for CF Badalona and Manresa. He retired from playing football in 2009, when he was 37 years old.
Managerial Career: From Player to Coach
Right after he stopped playing, David Gallego started working as a football manager. His first managing job was with CE Sant Feliu Sasserra on January 23, 2010.
In July of the same year, he went back to his old club, CE Súria. With Súria, he helped the team get promoted to Segona Catalana in 2013.
On June 25, 2013, Gallego became the manager of RCD Espanyol's youth teams. He was in charge of their Juvenil (youth) squad. Then, on June 16, 2016, he was put in charge of Espanyol's reserve team, which played in the third division.
Gallego was chosen to manage the main Espanyol team on April 20, 2018. This happened after the previous manager, Quique Sánchez Flores, left the team. His time as manager started very well with a 2–0 win against their rivals, Girona FC. He won four out of five games and drew one, with his team scoring ten goals and only letting in two. This great run included wins against strong teams like Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. On May 30, he went back to managing the reserve team.
On June 6, 2019, Gallego took over as manager of the main Espanyol team again, signing a two-year contract. However, his time with the team ended on October 7, 2019, after a difficult period of results.
Gallego then became the manager of Sporting de Gijón in the second division on July 21, 2020. His time there ended on February 22, 2022, after the team had only won three of their last 17 matches.
On November 20, 2022, Gallego took over as manager of SD Ponferradina, also in the second division. His time with the team ended on April 10, 2023, when the team was close to the relegation zone with seven games left in the season.
On June 14, 2023, Gallego started his first job managing a team outside of Spain. He became the manager of Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
