Luis García (footballer, born 1978) facts for kids
García in 2024
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Javier García Sanz | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Badalona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1988 | Badalona | ||
| 1988–1990 | Sant Gabriel | ||
| 1990–1997 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2002 | Barcelona B | 73 | (25) |
| 1998–2002 | Barcelona | 0 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | → Valladolid (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2000 | → Toledo (loan) | 17 | (4) |
| 2000–2001 | → Tenerife (loan) | 40 | (16) |
| 2001–2002 | → Valladolid (loan) | 25 | (7) |
| 2002–2003 | Atlético Madrid | 30 | (9) |
| 2003–2004 | Barcelona | 25 | (4) |
| 2004–2007 | Liverpool | 77 | (18) |
| 2007–2009 | Atlético Madrid | 49 | (2) |
| 2009–2010 | Racing Santander | 15 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Panathinaikos | 18 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | Puebla | 33 | (14) |
| 2012–2013 | UNAM | 35 | (4) |
| 2014 | Atlético Kolkata | 13 | (2) |
| 2016 | Central Coast Mariners | 10 | (2) |
| Total | 466 | (109) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2008 | Spain | 18 | (4) |
| 2001–2008 | Catalonia | 5 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luis Javier García Sanz, born on June 24, 1978, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a winger, which is a type of midfielder who plays on the sides of the field.
He played for famous clubs like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain. He also played for Liverpool in England. With Liverpool, he helped them win the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.
Over eight seasons, he played 150 games and scored 22 goals in La Liga, Spain's top football league. Luis García also played for the Spanish national team for three years. He played 18 games for his country and represented Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Barcelona
Luis García was born in Badalona, a city near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. He started playing football at age six with a local club called Badalona. When he was 12, he joined Barcelona's famous youth academy, La Masia.
After playing well for Barcelona's reserve team, Barcelona B, he was loaned to Real Valladolid. He made his first appearance in Spain's top league, La Liga, on August 22, 1999. He then played for Toledo and Tenerife on loan, helping Tenerife get promoted to a higher league by scoring 16 goals.
Moving to Atlético Madrid and Back to Barcelona
In 2002, García was sold to Atlético Madrid. He had a great season there, scoring nine goals. Because he played so well, Barcelona decided to buy him back in 2003. He had another good year with Barcelona, helping them finish second in the league.
Playing for Liverpool
On August 20, 2004, Luis García joined Liverpool in England. His former coach, Rafael Benítez, brought him to the club. He quickly became an important player.
Key Goals for Liverpool
García scored his first goal for Liverpool on September 11, 2004, in a 3–0 win against West Bromwich Albion. He scored eight goals in the Premier League that season, including a winning goal against Everton in the Merseyside derby.
He was also a key player in Liverpool's amazing Champions League journey in 2005. He scored important goals against Juventus in the quarter-finals and a famous goal against Chelsea in the semi-finals. This goal was sometimes called a "ghost goal" because it was so close. He played in the final against AC Milan, which Liverpool won in a thrilling comeback. He finished his first season in England with 13 goals.
In the 2005–06 season, García continued to score important goals. He scored against Chelsea again in the FA Cup semi-finals, helping Liverpool reach the final. He was suspended for the final against West Ham United, which Liverpool won. He also scored in Liverpool's 3–1 win over CSKA Moscow in the 2005 UEFA Super Cup.
Injury and Fan Support
On January 10, 2007, Luis García suffered a serious knee injury during a game against Arsenal. This injury kept him out of action for at least six months.
Liverpool fans loved Luis García, especially for his big goals against Chelsea. They even had a special song for him: "Luis García, he drinks Sangria/he came from Barça to bring us joy!/He's five-foot seven, he's football heaven/So please don't take our Luis away!" He scored 30 goals in 122 games for Liverpool.
Returning to Spain
In July 2007, Luis García rejoined Atlético Madrid. He played 30 games in his first season back, often as a backup player. He also played against his former club, Liverpool, in the Champions League in 2008. Fans at Anfield gave him a warm welcome.
In 2009, he moved to Racing de Santander. He played 18 games for them, and the team managed to avoid being relegated to a lower league.
Later Career Years
On August 28, 2010, García signed a one-year contract with the Greek club Panathinaikos. He also played in a special game for his former Liverpool teammate, Jamie Carragher, scoring a goal.
In July 2011, Luis García, then 33 years old, moved to Mexico to play for Puebla. He scored his first goal for them from a penalty kick. In June 2012, he joined another Mexican team, UNAM.
Luis García announced his retirement from professional football on January 14, 2014, at the age of 35. He said it was time to move on to the next chapter of his life.
Coming Out of Retirement
However, in July 2014, García came out of retirement to join a new team in India, Atlético de Kolkata. He was their "marquee player," meaning he was a well-known star. He helped his team win the first-ever Indian Super League final in 2014.
In January 2016, he signed with Central Coast Mariners in Australia. He made his A-League debut a week later. In his next game, he scored a goal and helped set up two others in a 3–1 win.
International Career
After a successful first season with Liverpool, Luis García made his debut for the Spanish national team on March 26, 2005. This was in a friendly game against China.
On November 12, 2005, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 5–1 win against Slovakia. This game was part of the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
García was chosen to be part of Spain's team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He started in games against Ukraine and Tunisia. He also played as a substitute in the game where Spain lost to France.
Playing Style
Even though Luis García was naturally left-footed, he was skilled with both feet. He was also good at heading the ball, even though he wasn't very tall. He often played as a second striker, supporting the main forward.
After Retirement
After he stopped playing football, Luis García became a football expert and commentator. He worked for sports channels like ESPN and beIN Sports, covering big events like UEFA Euro 2016.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | 1997–98 | Segunda División B | 36 | 15 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 42 | 18 | ||
| 1998–99 | Segunda División | 37 | 10 | — | — | — | 37 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 73 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 79 | 28 | ||
| Barcelona | 1998–99 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Valladolid (loan) | 1999–2000 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Toledo (loan) | 1999–2000 | Segunda División | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||
| Tenerife (loan) | 2000–01 | Segunda División | 40 | 16 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 16 | ||
| Valladolid (loan) | 2001–02 | La Liga | 25 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 29 | 10 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2002–03 | La Liga | 30 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 9 | ||
| Barcelona | 2003–04 | La Liga | 25 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 3 | — | 38 | 8 | |
| Liverpool | 2004–05 | Premier League | 29 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 5 | — | 44 | 13 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 11 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
| Total | 77 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 122 | 30 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2007–08 | La Liga | —!!45!!6 | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | —!!29!!1 | ||||||||||
| Total | 49 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 7 | ||
| Racing Santander | 2009–10 | La Liga | —!!colspan="2"|—!!18!!0 | |||||||||
| Panathinaikos | 2010–11 | Super League Greece | —!!25!!2 | |||||||||
| Puebla | 2011–12 | Liga MX | —!!colspan="2"|—!!33!!14 | |||||||||
| UNAM | 2012–13 | Liga MX | —!!colspan="2"|—!!27!!6 | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Liga MX | —!!colspan="2"|—!!20!!2 | ||||||||||
| Total | 35 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 8 | ||
| Atlético Kolkata | 2014 | Indian Super League | —!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!13!!2 | |||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 2015–16 | A-League | —!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!10!!2 | |||||||||
| Career total | 466 | 109 | 49 | 9 | 61 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 587 | 140 | ||
International Games
| Spain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2005 | 6 | 3 |
| 2006 | 12 | 1 |
| Total | 18 | 4 |
International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 November 2005 | Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain |  Slovakia |
1–0 | 5–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 2–0 | |||||
| 3. | 4–1 | |||||
| 4. | 2 September 2006 | Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain |  Liechtenstein |
4–0 | 4–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
Honours and Awards
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05; runner-up 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2004–05
- FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005
Atlético Kolkata
- Indian Super League: 2014
Individual Awards
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2005
See also
In Spanish: Luis García Sanz para niños
