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) | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Spain U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Spain U21 | 8 | (2) |
| 2005 | Spain U23 | 4 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2014–2015 | San Pedro (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2016 | San Pedro | ||
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Kepa Blanco González (born January 13, 1984), known simply as Kepa, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means his main job was to score goals for his team.
Kepa is best known for his time playing with Sevilla. He played in 58 official games for them and scored 14 goals. During his time at Sevilla, he helped the team win four major titles. These included two UEFA Cups, which are big European football competitions. He also played in La Liga, Spain's top football league, for Getafe. In total, he played 61 matches and scored 11 goals over six seasons in La Liga.
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Kepa's Football Journey
Kepa was born in Marbella, a city in Spain. His first name, Kepa, comes from the Basque region of Spain, where his mother was from. He grew up playing football and joined the youth teams of Sevilla FC.
Starting at Sevilla
Kepa played his first 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. However, he usually came on as a substitute rather than starting the games.
In the 2006–07 season, Kepa had some great moments. He scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Levante UD at the start of the league season. He also scored three more goals during Sevilla's successful journey in the UEFA Cup, which they won.
Loan to West Ham United
Despite his goals, Kepa found himself playing less often. So, on January 22, 2007, he moved to West Ham United in England. This was a loan deal until the end of the season. He had the chance to join them permanently later.
Kepa made a fantastic start for West Ham. In his very first game for the team, just eight days after joining, he scored a goal. He had only been on the field for 70 seconds and it was his first touch of the ball! This goal came against Liverpool.
Time at Getafe
In July 2007, Kepa signed a four-year contract with another top Spanish club, Getafe CF. Sevilla kept the option to buy him back in the future. In his first year at Getafe, he did not play very often. He scored a goal in a 2–0 home win against Real Murcia on October 21, coming on from the bench. However, he was also sent off in that game for kicking an opponent. After this, he played even less, even in cup competitions.
Later Career and Retirement
On August 5, 2010, Kepa moved to Recreativo de Huelva, a team in Spain's second division (Segunda División). In his first year there, he played in 19 out of 42 possible games. He was released from his contract in April 2012 after not playing any official games during the 2011–12 season.
After playing one season in the second division with CD Guadalajara, where he played 19 games and the team was relegated, Kepa took a year off from football. In 2014, at 30 years old, Kepa retired from playing. Soon after, he became an assistant coach for an amateur team called UD San Pedro in his home region.
International Games
Kepa also played for Spain's national youth teams.
Spain Under-21 Team
He scored two goals for the Spain under-21 team. These goals came during the qualifying matches for the 2007 UEFA European Championship. He scored in wins against Albania (3–0) and Slovakia (4–2). However, his team later lost in the play-offs to Italy.
Awards and Achievements
Kepa won several titles during his football 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
