Luis García (footballer, born 1978) facts for kids
García in 2024
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 June 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Badalona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | 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 | |
| 2012–2013 | UNAM | (14) | |
| 2014 | Atlético Kolkata | 35 | (4) |
| 2016 | Central Coast Mariners | 13 | (2) |
| Total | 466 | (109) | |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2008 | Spain | 18 | (4) |
| 2001–2008 | Catalonia | 5 | (3) |
|
|||
Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24, 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a winger, which is a player who mostly plays on the sides of the field.
Luis García played for famous teams like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain. He grew up playing in Barcelona's youth teams. He also played for Liverpool in England. With Liverpool, he won the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006. Over eight seasons, he played 150 games in La Liga (Spain's top league) and scored 22 goals.
He also played for the Spanish national team for three years. He played 18 games for his country and was part of the team for the 2006 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 6 for a local team called Badalona. Six years later, he joined Barcelona's famous youth academy, La Masia.
After playing well for Barcelona's reserve team, he was loaned to Real Valladolid. He played his first game in Spain's top league, La Liga, on August 22, 1999. He then played for Toledo and Tenerife on loan. At Tenerife, he helped the team get promoted to a higher league by scoring 16 goals.
Playing for Atlético Madrid
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 the next year. He had another good year with Barcelona, helping them finish second in the league.
Time at Liverpool F.C.
Luis García joined Liverpool in England on August 20, 2004. He signed a five-year contract. He was the fourth Spanish player to join Liverpool that summer. He played his first game in the Premier League (England's top league) nine days later. His first goal for Liverpool was on September 11.
García was very important in Liverpool's Champions League win in 2005. He scored key goals against Juventus and Chelsea in the knockout rounds. He also played in the final against AC Milan. He scored 13 goals in all competitions during his first season in England.
In the 2005–06 season, he scored important goals, including one against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals. He was suspended for the final against West Ham United, which Liverpool won. He also scored in Liverpool's win against CSKA Moscow in the 2005 UEFA Super Cup.
In January 2007, García got a serious knee injury. This meant he would be out of action for at least six months. Liverpool fans loved him, especially for his goals against Chelsea. They even sang a song about him! He scored 30 goals in 122 games for Liverpool.
Returning to Spain
In July 2007, García went back to his old team, Atlético Madrid. He played 30 games in his first season back. He also played against Liverpool in the Champions League group stage. Fans at Anfield gave him a warm welcome when he came on as a substitute. Later, he played for Racing Santander.
Later Years in Football
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 teammate Jamie Carragher at Anfield.
On July 1, 2011, Luis García moved to the Mexican team 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 football on January 14, 2014, when he was 35 years old. He said it was time to start a new chapter in his life.
However, he came out of retirement in July 2014 to play for a new team in India, Atlético de Kolkata. He was their "marquee player," which means he was a famous player brought in to attract attention to the league. His team won the league final that year.
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
Luis García played for the Spanish national team for the first time on March 26, 2005. This was in a friendly game against China. On November 12, 2005, he scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Slovakia in a World Cup qualifying match.
He was chosen to be part of Spain's team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He started in games against Ukraine and Tunisia. He also played as a substitute in the game against France.
Playing Style
Even though Luis García was naturally left-footed, he was good at using both feet. He was also good at heading the ball, even though he wasn't very tall. He often played as a "second striker," which means he played just behind the main forward.
After Football
After he retired from playing, Luis García became a football expert. He worked as a commentator for sports channels like ESPN and beIN Sports. He helped cover the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament for beIN Sports.
Career Statistics Summary
Luis García had a long and successful career. He played a total of 466 league games and scored 109 goals. For the Spanish national team, he played 18 games and scored 4 goals.
Honours and Awards
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05 (winner); 2006–07 (runner-up)
- 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
