Manuel Estiarte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manuel Estiarte
Manuel Estiarte in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Manel Estiarte Duocastella
Born	26 October 1961 (1961-10-26) (age 63) Manresa, Spain
Nationality	Spain
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	62 kg (137 lb)
National team
Years	Team
1977–2000	Spain
Medal record Men's water polo Representing  Spain Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team Silver 1992 Barcelona Team World Championship Gold 1998 Perth Team Silver 1991 Perth Team Silver 1994 Rome Team FINA World Cup Bronze 1985 Duisburg Team Bronze 1991 Barcelona Team Bronze 1999 Sydney Team European Championship Silver 1991 Athens Team Bronze 1993 Sheffield Team

Manel Estiarte Duocastella (born October 26, 1961) is a famous Spanish former water polo player. He was born in Manresa, a city in Spain. Many people consider him one of the greatest water polo players ever.

After his playing career, Manel joined the technical staff of football manager Pep Guardiola. He currently works with Guardiola at Manchester City.

Manel Estiarte's Amazing Career

Manel Estiarte had a very long and successful career in water polo. He played for the Spanish national team for 23 years. For 20 of those years, he was the team captain. He played in 580 games and scored an incredible 1,561 goals!

Playing for the National Team

Manel first played for Spain when he was just 15 years old in 1977. He made his Olympic debut at 18 during the 1980 Moscow Games. He was the top goalscorer in that tournament. He also led in goals at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympic Games. Manel holds the record for the most goals scored by any water polo player in Olympic history, with 127 goals.

He competed in six Olympic Games in a row. These were Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000. He was the first water polo player to achieve this amazing feat.

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Spain reached the final. Manel scored a penalty goal late in the game, putting Spain ahead. However, Italy quickly equalized and won in extra time.

Four years later, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Manel and his team won the gold medal. They defeated Croatia 7-5 in the final, making up for their earlier loss.

He also won the World Championship in 1998 in Perth, Australia. Before that, his team had won silver medals at the World Championships in 1991 and 1994.

At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Manel had the honor of carrying Spain's national flag during the opening ceremony. After these Games, he announced his retirement from water polo.

Playing for Clubs

Manel Estiarte played for several water polo clubs during his career. He started in Spain and later played for many years in Italy.

• Club Natació Manresa (1975 – 1979) (Spain)
• Club Natació Barcelona (1979 – 1985) (Spain)
• Pallanuoto Pescara (1986 – 1989 / 1992 - 1999) (Italy)
• Rari Nantes Savona (1989 – 1991) (Italy)
• Club Natació Catalunya (1991 – 1992) (Spain)
• Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta (1999 – 2000) (Spain)

Life After Playing Water Polo

After retiring from water polo, Manel Estiarte continued to be involved in sports.

He was chosen by other athletes to represent them in the Commission of Active Athletes during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2000 to 2006.

From 2008 to 2012, he worked in external relations for the famous football club Barcelona.

Working with Pep Guardiola

Manel Estiarte has a very close friendship and working relationship with football manager Pep Guardiola. They have known each other since the early 1990s.

In 2008, Guardiola asked Manel to join him as an assistant coach at Barcelona. Since then, Manel has worked with Guardiola throughout his entire career as a manager. He was Guardiola's personal assistant at Bayern Munich from 2013 to 2016. He now holds the same position at Manchester City, where his official title is Head of Player Support and Protocol.

Guardiola has often spoken about how important Manel is to his success as a manager. He says Manel helps him understand sports from a broader perspective.

Manel Estiarte's Personal Life

Manel Estiarte was born in Manresa, Spain. He has a brother named Albert and a sister named Rosa. All three siblings were involved in high-level sports. Manel is married and has two children, including a daughter named Rebecca.

In 2009, Manel Estiarte wrote his autobiography called All My Siblings. In the book, he shares stories about his personal life and his amazing sports career.

Awards and Honors

Manel Estiarte received many awards and honors throughout his career.

National Team Achievements

• Olympic Games:

* Gold medal: Atlanta 1996 * Silver medal: Barcelona 1992

• World Championships:

* Gold medal: Perth 1998 * Silver medals: Perth 1991, Rome 1994

• Water Polo World Cup:

* Bronze medals: Duisburg 1985, Barcelona 1991, Sydney 1999

• European Championships:

* Silver medal: Athens 1991 * Bronze medal: Sheffield 1993

Club Achievements

• 2 European Cups
• 3 European Cup Winners’ Cups
• 9 League titles (5 in Spain, 4 in Italy)
• 11 Domestic Cups (5 in Spain, 6 in Italy)
• 4 European Supercups

Individual Awards

• Named "The Maradona of Water Polo" in 1985.
• Voted Best Water Polo Player for seven years in a row (1986-1992).
• Received the Marca Leyenda (Marca Legend) Award in 1998.
• Awarded the Prince of Asturias Sports Award in 2001. This is one of the most important sports awards in Spain.

Decorations

Manel Estiarte has received high honors from Spain for his sporting achievements. He was given the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in 1993. In 1996, he received the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, which is the highest award for sports in Spain.

Documentaries About Manel Estiarte

Several documentaries have been made about Manel Estiarte's life and career:

• TV3 Documentary (2012), «Sense ficció: "Aigua, infern, cel"» on YouTube
• TVE Documentary (2012), «Legendarios - Manuel Estiarte» on RTVE.es
• Movistar+ Documentary (2016), «Informe Robinson - Manel Estiarte» on YouTube

See also

In Spanish: Manel Estiarte para niños

• Spain men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
• List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
• List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
• List of men's Olympic water polo tournament top goalscorers
• List of flag bearers for Spain at the Olympics
• List of world champions in men's water polo
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo