Javier Pinillos facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier Pinillos Fernández | ||
| Date of birth | 26 October 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Santander, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Racing Santander | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1990 | Racing B | ||
| 1990–1997 | Racing Santander | 24 | (0) |
| 1995–1996 | → Logroñés (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Burgos | 23 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Jerez | 9 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Zamora | 36 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Ponferradina | 33 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Gimnástica | 35 | (0) |
| 2002–2007 | Bezana | ||
| Total | 179 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015 | Racing Santander | ||
| 2020–2021 | Bengaluru (assistant) | ||
| 2023– | East Bengal (goalkeeper coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Javi Pinillos, whose full name is Francisco Javier Pinillos Fernández, is a former Spanish football player. He was born on October 26, 1969. Javi played as a goalkeeper, which means he was the player who protected the goal. He spent many years playing for different teams in Spain.
Contents
Javi's Football Journey
Starting Out in Santander
Javi Pinillos was born in Santander, a city in Cantabria, Spain. He started his football journey at a young age. He joined the youth team of his local club, Racing de Santander.
In 1990, Javi made his first appearance for Racing Santander's main team. He played in seven games that season. His team managed to get promoted back to the Segunda División, which is the second-highest football league in Spain.
Playing as a Professional
Javi played his first professional match on December 15, 1991. He was the starting goalkeeper in a game against Palamós CF in the second division. His team lost that game 1–0.
The next season, Javi played in five more games. Racing Santander achieved another promotion, this time moving up to La Liga. La Liga is the top professional football league in Spain.
Time in La Liga
Javi Pinillos made his La Liga debut on March 19, 1994. He came into the game as a substitute in the first half. This match was a 1–1 draw at home against FC Barcelona.
Eight days later, he played the entire game in a 2–0 loss against Real Zaragoza. During his time at Racing Santander, Javi was the backup goalkeeper to the famous player José María Ceballos.
Moving to Other Teams
In the summer of 1995, Javi was loaned to CD Logroñés. This team played in the second division. He returned to Racing Santander the next year. However, he became the third-choice goalkeeper and did not play in any more matches for them.
After leaving Racing Santander, Javi continued his career in lower football leagues. He played for several teams, including Burgos CF, Jerez CF, Zamora CF, SD Ponferradina, Gimnástica de Torrelavega, and CD Bezana. He retired from playing football in 2007 while with CD Bezana.
Coaching Career
Becoming a Coach
In 2013, Javi Pinillos returned to his first club, Racing Santander. This time, he joined as a goalkeeper coach. His job was to train the team's goalkeepers.
On March 3, 2015, Javi was appointed as the manager of Racing Santander's main team. This happened after the previous manager, Paco Fernández, left the club.
Coaching in India
In July 2018, Javi Pinillos became the goalkeeper coach for Bengaluru FC. This team plays in the Indian Super League, which is India's top football league.
On January 30, 2020, he was promoted to assistant manager for Bengaluru FC. As of 2023, he is working as a goalkeeper coach for East Bengal FC, another team in the Indian Super League.
See also
In Spanish: Javi Pinillos para niños
