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Javi García
Javi García.jpg
García playing for Zenit in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1987-02-08) 8 February 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth Mula, Spain
Height 1.87 m
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club Benfica (assistant)
Youth career
1996–2004 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Real Madrid B 86 (10)
2004–2007 Real Madrid 3 (0)
2007–2008 Osasuna 25 (2)
2008–2009 Real Madrid 15 (0)
2009–2012 Benfica 74 (6)
2012–2014 Manchester City 53 (2)
2014–2017 Zenit Saint Petersburg 73 (6)
2017–2020 Betis 53 (1)
2020–2022 Boavista 39 (2)
Total 421 (29)
National team
2002 Spain U16 3 (1)
2003–2005 Spain U17 21 (4)
2005–2006 Spain U19 9 (2)
2007 Spain U20 5 (1)
2008–2009 Spain U21 9 (0)
2012–2013 Spain 2 (0)
Teams managed
2022– Benfica (assistant)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Runner-up 2003 Finland
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-up 2004 France
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Francisco Javier "Javi" García Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈθisko xaˈβjeɾ ˈxaβi ɣaɾˈθi.a feɾˈnandeθ]; born 8 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who is an assistant manager for Benfica. A defensive midfielder by nature, he could also appear as a central defender.

He started his career with Real Madrid, but represented mostly the reserve team, going on to have a three-year spell with Benfica in Portugal. In 2012 he signed with Manchester City, then spent a further three seasons in the Russian Premier League with Zenit Saint Petersburg where he appeared in 108 matches across all competitions. He returned to Spain with Betis in 2017 and retired at Boavista.

García represented Spain at various youth levels, including the victorious under-19s at the 2006 European Championship, and made his senior international debut in 2012.

Club career

Real Madrid

A product of Real Madrid's youth system, García was born in Mula, Region of Murcia, and played three La Liga matches for the first team while still a junior, making his debut at age 17 in a 5–0 home win against Levante on 28 November 2004. After that, he would spend the entire 2005–06 season with the reserves in Segunda División.

The summer of 2006 was a very busy one for García: first, he won the UEFA European Championship with the under-19s, impressing first-team head coach Fabio Capello who recalled him to training sessions. He played most of Real's pre-season games, including a starting line-up spot in both Ramón de Carranza Trophy fixtures, being deployed in central midfield alongside new purchase Emerson; however, he failed to appear for the main squad in official matches.

In August 2007, in the campaign of García's supposed definitive promotion to the first team, head coach Bernd Schuster would eventually prevent that golden opportunity – as fellow cantera players Rubén de la Red and Esteban Granero also left – and offers began to appear from clubs in the Premier League, including Liverpool, and domestic teams such as Atlético Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña. García would finally settle for Osasuna on 31 August, signing for four seasons for a €2.5 million transfer fee as the Navarre side was keen to replace injury-struck midfielder Javad Nekounam (out of action for several months); having first appeared in a 1–1 home draw to Sevilla, where he played one minute, he scored twice in his first six matches, in victories over Levante (4–1) and Villarreal (3–2).

García's contract included a buy-back clause that could see him return to Real Madrid for €4 million. On 29 April 2008, Osasuna officially reported that the former had exercised their purchase option, and the player returned to the Santiago Bernabéu for 2008–09; he made his first league appearance for Real in his second spell during the 7–1 thrashing of Sporting de Gijón on 24 September, coming on as a second-half substitute for Mahamadou Diarra.

Benfica

Javi Garcia and Tiago Pinto
García (left) challenging Rio Ave's Tiago Pinto in 2011

Deemed surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, García signed for Benfica in Portugal on 21 July 2009 on a five-year contract for a €7 million transfer fee. An undisputed starter throughout his first season he also scored three goals, most notably through a header in the last minute for the game's only goal against Associação Naval 1º de Maio at home, as the club clung onto the top position on 9 November and eventually won the Primeira Liga.

García made 43 competitive appearances in 2011–12. His two goals of the campaign came against Sporting CP in the Lisbon derby 1–0 home win, and at Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League – in the latter, he netted off a corner kick in the 85th minute to make it 1–1, but ten-men Benfica eventually lost 2–1 and 3–1 on aggregate.

Manchester City

On 31 August 2012, García joined Manchester City for £15.8 million. He made his Premier League debut on 15 September in a 1–1 away draw to Stoke City, scoring with a header from a Carlos Tevez free-kick.

After picking up a thigh injury in the early minutes of the Champions League group stage fixture against Borussia Dortmund, García missed several weeks of action. He made his return against West Ham United, replacing Tevez in the 84th minute of a 0–0 draw at Upton Park. On 15 December, he started in a 3–1 victory at Newcastle United and scored his side's second goal.

Zenit Saint Petersburg

On 13 August 2014, Zenit Saint Petersburg announced the £13 million signing of García after he passed the medical and agreed to personal terms. He scored his first goal for his new team 18 days later, the only in an away win over Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League.

García played 24 matches in the 2014–15 season, scoring three times as the side won the fifth national championship in their history (fourth under the tournament's new denomination).

Betis

On 14 August 2017, the 30-year-old García returned to Spain after eight years to join Real Betis. He appeared in 64 total games for the team from the Estadio Benito Villamarín over three seasons, scoring once in a 3–1 away win against Alavés on 12 March 2018 and being sent off the following 10 February in a 3–0 loss at Leganés.

García signed a new two-year contract with the Andalusians on 5 July 2019.

Boavista

After mutually terminating his contract with Betis, García went back to Portugal's top flight by joining Boavista on a three-year deal on 19 August 2020. He scored his first goal for the team on 25 October in a 2–2 draw at Famalicão, in which he was sent off.

On 22 June 2022, the 35-year-old García retired. Remaining in Portugal, he immediately went back to Benfica and joined the staff of new manager Roger Schmidt.

International career

García represented the Spain national under-21 team at the 2009 UEFA European Championship, appearing against England (2–0 loss) in an eventual group stage exit. He earned his first cap for the full side on 26 May 2012, playing 22 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win over Serbia in St. Gallen.

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Madrid 2004–05 La Liga 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2005–06 La Liga 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
2006–07 La Liga 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0
Osasuna 2007–08 La Liga 25 2 0 0 25 2
Real Madrid 2008–09 La Liga 15 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 19 0
Benfica 2009–10 Primeira Liga 26 3 0 0 4 0 14 1 44 4
2010–11 Primeira Liga 24 2 3 1 4 4 13 1 44 8
2011–12 Primeira Liga 22 1 1 0 1 0 12 1 36 2
Total 72 6 4 1 9 4 39 3 124 14
Manchester City 2012–13 Premier League 24 2 4 0 0 0 5 0 33 2
2013–14 Premier League 29 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 47 0
Total 53 2 8 0 6 0 13 0 80 2
Zenit Saint Petersburg 2014–15 Russian Premier League 24 3 1 0 11 0 36 3
2015–16 Russian Premier League 26 2 6 1 6 0 38 3
2016–17 Russian Premier League 22 1 2 0 7 0 31 1
2017–18 Russian Premier League 1 0 2 0 3 0
Total 73 6 9 1 0 0 26 0 108 7
Betis 2017–18 La Liga 32 1 1 0 33 1
2018–19 La Liga 13 0 4 0 5 0 22 0
2019–20 La Liga 8 0 1 0 9 0
Total 53 1 6 0 0 0 5 0 64 1
Boavista 2020–21 Primeira Liga 21 1 2 0 0 0 23 1
2021–22 Primeira Liga 18 1 1 0 2 0 21 1
Total 39 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 44 2
Career total 333 19 30 2 18 4 88 3 469 27

Honours

Real Madrid B

Real Madrid

Benfica

  • Primeira Liga: 2009–10
  • Taça da Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12

Manchester City

Zenit Saint Petersburg

Spain U19

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006

See also

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