Luis Helguera facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Helguera Bujía | ||
| Date of birth | 9 June 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Ferrol, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Las Palmas (sporting director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Callealtera | |||
| 1984–1995 | Racing Santander | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1997 | Manchego | 72 | (3) |
| 1997–1999 | Zaragoza B | 64 | (3) |
| 1998–2000 | Zaragoza | 20 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Udinese | 54 | (1) |
| 2002–2003 | → Alavés (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Fiorentina | 10 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Ancona (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Vicenza | 109 | (0) |
| 2008–2013 | Huesca | 185 | (8) |
| Total | 440 | (15) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Huesca (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luis Helguera Bujía (born on June 9, 1976) is a Spanish former footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense on the field. After his playing career, he moved into management roles in football clubs.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Early Years and Club Beginnings
Luis Helguera was born in Ferrol, Spain, but he grew up in Santander, Spain. He started playing football in the youth system of Racing Club. This is where he learned many of his skills.
He began his professional career with a smaller team called CD Manchego. Later, he joined Real Zaragoza. At Zaragoza, he mostly played for their reserve team, Zaragoza B. He also played some games for the main team in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league.
Adventures in Italy
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Iván Helguera, Luis also moved to Italy. He played for Udinese Calcio for two years. During this time, he also had a loan spell at Deportivo Alavés back in Spain.
Luis spent five more years playing in Italy. He mostly played in Serie B, which is Italy's second-highest league. His last Italian club was Vicenza Calcio.
Return to Spain and Retirement
In 2008, Luis Helguera returned to Spain. He signed with SD Huesca, a team that had just been promoted to the Segunda División. This is Spain's second-tier league.
Luis was a very important player for Huesca. He played almost every game and helped the team stay in the second division for four years. In one season, he received 20 yellow cards in 37 matches. He retired from playing football in June 2013, when he was 37 years old. By then, he had played 185 games for Huesca and scored eight goals.
Life After Playing Football
Roles at SD Huesca
After retiring as a player, Luis Helguera stayed in football. He was hired as the general manager for SD Huesca. This means he helped run the club behind the scenes.
In October 2013, he also became an assistant coach for the team. He worked with the manager, David Amaral. He also acted as a match delegate, helping with game day operations. He left his coaching role in March 2014 but continued to work for the club in other ways.
Moving to Other Clubs
On August 6, 2015, Luis Helguera joined UD Las Palmas as their technical secretary. This role involves helping with player transfers and team planning. He left this position in April 2018.
He then joined Levante UD in a similar role on May 21, 2018. He stayed there for about a year.
In March 2020, Luis Helguera returned to UD Las Palmas. This time, he became their sporting director. This is a very important role where he helps make big decisions about the team and its players. He signed a contract to stay with Las Palmas until June 2023.
Family Connections
Luis Helguera is the younger brother of Iván Helguera. Iván was also a famous footballer. He played as a defender for big clubs like Real Madrid and Valencia. He also played for the Spanish national team. Both brothers played football in Italy during their careers.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Helguera para niños
