Kepa Blanco facts for kids
Kepa after winning the 2006 UEFA Cup with Sevilla
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kepa Blanco González | ||
| Date of birth | 13 January 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Marbella, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Sevilla | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2005 | Sevilla B | 88 | (36) |
| 2002–2007 | Sevilla | 37 | (9) |
| 2007 | → West Ham United (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2007–2010 | Getafe | 24 | (2) |
| 2010–2012 | Recreativo | 19 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Guadalajara | 18 | (4) |
| Total | 194 | (54) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | Spain U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Spain U21 | 8 | (2) |
| 2005 | Spain U23 | 4 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | San Pedro (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2016 | San Pedro | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kepa Blanco González (born on January 13, 1984), known simply as Kepa, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a player who mainly tried to score goals.
Kepa is best known for his time with Sevilla, a famous Spanish football club. He played in 58 games for them and scored 14 goals. During his time there, he helped Sevilla win three big titles, including two UEFA Cups. He also played in La Liga, Spain's top football league, for Getafe. In total, he played 61 matches and scored 11 goals in La Liga over six seasons.
Contents
Kepa's Football Journey
Starting at Sevilla
Kepa was born in Marbella, a city in Spain. He started his football career at Sevilla FC, joining their youth teams. He played two matches for Sevilla's main team in the 2004–05 season. In the next two seasons, he became an important attacking player for the club. He often came on as a substitute to help the team.
In the 2006–07 season, Kepa had a great start. He scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Levante UD in the first league match. He also scored three more goals in the UEFA Cup competition, which Sevilla went on to win.
Moving to West Ham United
Even after his strong start, Kepa didn't play as much as he hoped. So, on January 22, 2007, he moved to West Ham United in England's Premier League. This was a loan move until the end of the season. He made an amazing debut for West Ham just eight days later. He scored a goal against Liverpool in the 77th minute, only 70 seconds after coming onto the field! It was his very first touch of the ball in the game.
Time at Getafe and Other Clubs
In July 2007, Kepa signed a four-year contract with Getafe CF, another team in Spain's top league. In his first year with Getafe, he didn't play very often. He scored one goal in a 2–0 home win against Real Murcia CF. After this, he rarely played, even in cup competitions.
Later, on August 5, 2010, Kepa moved to Recreativo de Huelva, a team in Spain's second division. He played 19 games in his first year there. He was released from his contract in April 2012 after not playing any matches in the next season.
Retirement and Coaching
In 2014, after playing one season with CD Guadalajara in the second division, Kepa decided to retire from football. He was 30 years old. He played 19 games for Guadalajara, but the team was relegated to a lower league. After retiring, Kepa became an assistant coach for a local team called UD San Pedro in his home region.
Playing for Spain
Kepa also played for the Spain under-21 team. He scored two goals for them during the 2007 UEFA European Championship qualifiers. He scored in wins against Albania (3–0) and Slovakia (4–2). The team eventually lost in the play-offs to Italy.
Kepa's Achievements
Here are some of the titles Kepa won during his career:
Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2006–07 (This is Spain's main knockout cup competition)
- UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07 (A major European club competition)
Spain U23
- Mediterranean Games: 2005 (A multi-sport event for countries around the Mediterranean Sea)
See also
In Spanish: Kepa Blanco para niños
