Josemi facts for kids

José Miguel González Rey (born November 15, 1979), known as Josemi, is a Spanish former football player. He mostly played as a defender, either on the right side or in the middle.

Josemi played many games in Spain's top league, La Liga, for teams like Málaga, Villarreal, and Mallorca. He also played for Liverpool in England for a short time, where he won big trophies like the UEFA Champions League in 2005. Later, he played professionally in Greece and then in India's new football league, the Indian Super League.

Club Career

Starting Out in Spain

Josemi was born in Torremolinos, Spain. He began his football journey at a local amateur club called Torremolinos Club de Fútbol. In 1998, he joined Málaga CF, starting with their reserve team, Málaga B, in a lower league.

He played his first game for Málaga's main team in 2001. After that, he became a very important defender for the team. He helped Málaga win the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, which is a European competition. His strong play caught the eye of bigger clubs in Europe.

Playing for Liverpool

In 2004, Josemi became the very first player signed by Rafael Benítez when Benítez became the manager of Liverpool. Josemi moved to England for about £2 million. In his first season, he played 15 games in the Premier League. He was sent off (given a red card) in one game, which meant he couldn't play for a while. This allowed another player, Steve Finnan, to become the main right-back.

Josemi played in seven games during Liverpool's amazing Champions League winning season in 2004–05. Even though he played in some early matches, he didn't play much in the later knockout rounds. He also lost his regular spot in the team during the next season, which made it seem like he might leave Liverpool soon.

Back to Spain

In December 2005, Liverpool and Villarreal CF agreed to swap Josemi for another player, Jan Kromkamp. Josemi started well at Villarreal, playing in 22 league games in his first full season. However, he played only one game the next season, even though Villarreal finished second in La Liga.

In July 2008, Josemi joined RCD Mallorca. He scored his first goal as a professional player on November 23, 2008, in a 2–2 draw against his old team, Málaga. In his second year at Mallorca, he played 28 games. His team finished fifth in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League, another big European competition.

Later Adventures Abroad

In August 2010, when he was almost 31, Josemi left Spain again. He signed a three-year contract with Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. in Greece. After just one season, his team was moved down to a lower league because of some issues. So, he returned to Spain and joined FC Cartagena in the Segunda División (Spain's second division).

After two more seasons in Greece with Levadiakos F.C. and Skoda Xanthi F.C., Josemi was chosen in the draft for the new Indian Super League in 2014. He joined Atlético de Kolkata. He played his first game in the league's opening match, a 3–0 win. He became a key defender for his team and was even the captain in the final game, which Atlético Kolkata won! He also won the "Fittest Player of the Match" award in that final.

After his successful first season, Josemi signed a new contract with Atlético Kolkata for another year in June 2015. However, he got injured and was released from the team in November 2015.

On September 22, 2016, Josemi, at 36 years old, announced he was retiring from playing football. In February 2017, he returned to his former club, Málaga, to work as a match delegate, helping with game day operations.

Honours

Málaga

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002

Liverpool

• UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
• UEFA Super Cup: 2005
• Football League Cup: Runner-up 2004–05
• FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005

Atlético Kolkata

• Indian Super League: 2014

See also

In Spanish: Josemi González para niños