Francisco Villarroya facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier Pérez Villarroya | ||
| Date of birth | 6 August 1966 | ||
| Place of birth | Zaragoza, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Zaragoza | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1984–1988 | Deportivo Aragón | 75 | (1) |
| 1984–1990 | Zaragoza | 100 | (6) |
| 1990–1994 | Real Madrid | 83 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Deportivo La Coruña | 42 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | Sporting Gijón | 51 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | Badajoz | 19 | (1) |
| Total | 370 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–1992 | Spain | 14 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francisco Javier Pérez Villarroya (born August 6, 1966) is a Spanish former professional football player. He was known for playing mostly as a left midfielder. He also sometimes played as a left-back. Villarroya played for several important clubs in Spain, including Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid, and Deportivo La Coruña. He also represented the Spanish national team.
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Playing for Clubs
Francisco Villarroya started his football journey in his hometown of Zaragoza. He made his first professional appearance for Real Zaragoza in the 1984–85 season. For his first three years, he mostly played for their reserve team, Deportivo Aragón.
Time at Real Zaragoza
From 1988 to 1990, Villarroya became a key player for Real Zaragoza's main team. He helped them finish high in the top Spanish league, La Liga. In the 1988–89 season, they finished fifth. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup, a big European competition. During these two seasons, he hardly missed any games.
Moving to Real Madrid
In the summer of 1990, Villarroya joined Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He stayed there for four years. Sometimes, he played as a left-back, even though he was mostly a midfielder. He was the first-choice player for this position before the famous Brazilian player Roberto Carlos joined the team.
After playing many games in his first two years at Real Madrid, his playing time became less in his last two years. This was after a new manager, Benito Floro, arrived.
Later Career Teams
After leaving Real Madrid, Villarroya moved to Deportivo de La Coruña. He played regularly there and helped the team win another Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup). This was a great achievement for the club.
He then played for Sporting de Gijón, which was also in the top league. However, his team was moved down to a lower league at the end of his second season there.
Villarroya finished his football career at the age of 32. He played one year for CD Badajoz in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division. Over 14 seasons, he played 276 games in the top league and scored nine goals.
Playing for Spain
Villarroya also had the honor of playing for the Spanish national team. He played 14 games for his country over a little more than two years.
World Cup Experience
He was part of the Spanish squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy. He played in all of Spain's games during the tournament. Spain reached the round of 16 before being knocked out.
His first game for Spain was on September 20, 1989. It was a friendly match against Poland in A Coruña, which Spain won 1–0. He played the entire game.
Family Connections
Francisco Villarroya's nephew, Ángel Lafita, also became a professional footballer. Ángel Lafita was also a midfielder, just like his uncle. He spent most of his career playing for Real Zaragoza and Deportivo La Coruña.
Trophies and Awards
Francisco Villarroya won several important trophies during his career:
Real Madrid
- Copa del Rey: 1992–93
- Supercopa de España: 1990
Deportivo
- Copa del Rey: 1994–95
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Javier Pérez Villarroya para niños
