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Luis García (footballer, born 1978) facts for kids

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Luis García
Luis García Sanz - 53690670543.jpg
García in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-06-24) 24 June 1978 (age 47)
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)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

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.

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.

Luis Garcia Sanz 2010
García during Jamie Carragher's testimonial match (2010)

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.

Luisgarciapuebla
García playing for Puebla in 2011

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

Atlético Kolkata

  • Indian Super League: 2014

Individual Awards

  • UEFA Team of the Year: 2005

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Luis García Sanz para niños

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