José Zahínos facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Ignacio Zahínos Sánchez | ||
| Date of birth | 1 December 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Parla Escuela | |||
| Parla | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| ?–1999 | Yuncos | ||
| 1999–2003 | Atlético Madrid B | 40 | (5) |
| 2000–2007 | Atlético Madrid | 20 | (1) |
| 2001 | → Universidad LP (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2001–2002 | → Jaén (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | → Elche (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2007 | → Albacete (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Recreativo | 11 | (0) |
| Total | 117 | (10) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Ignacio Zahínos Sánchez (born on December 1, 1977) is a former Spanish footballer. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder, which means he helped protect the team's defense. He could also play as a central defender, a player who stops opponents from scoring.
José Zahínos's career was often affected by injuries. Because of this, he played fewer games than many other professional footballers.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
José Zahínos was born in Madrid, Spain. His football journey started with a team called CD Yuncos in the local leagues.
Joining Atlético Madrid
In 1999, after a successful tryout, José joined Atlético Madrid's reserve team. Reserve teams are where younger players or those needing more practice play. He even played two games for Atlético Madrid's main team in the Segunda División (Spain's second-highest football league) during the 2000–01 season.
Challenges and Loan Spells
José Zahínos did not play very often for Atlético Madrid's main team. This was mainly because of several injuries he faced. To get more playing time, he was loaned out to other teams in the second division four times. This happened until June 2007.
He played his first game in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league, on May 29, 2005. He came into the game for the last 16 minutes. His only goal in La Liga happened on October 30, 2005. He scored the first goal in a game that ended in a 1–1 tie. Both of these games were played at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Atlético Madrid's home ground at the time.
Moving to Recreativo
For the 2007–08 season, José Zahínos signed a two-year contract with Recreativo de Huelva. This was another team in La Liga. However, his season was cut short because of a serious knee injury. This injury happened in April 2008 during a game against CA Osasuna. Because of this injury, he missed the entire next season (2008–09).
Retirement and Coaching
José Zahínos decided to retire from playing football shortly after, when he was 31 years old. After retiring, he began working as a coach. He started coaching young players in Atlético Madrid's youth system, helping the next generation of footballers.
See also
In Spanish: José Ignacio Zahínos para niños
