Manuel Pablo facts for kids
Pablo playing for Deportivo in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manuel Pablo García Díaz | ||
| Date of birth | 25 January 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Arucas, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Deportivo B (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Las Palmas | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1996 | Las Palmas B | 6 | (2) |
| 1994–1998 | Las Palmas | 57 | (1) |
| 1998–2016 | Deportivo La Coruña | 383 | (1) |
| Total | 446 | (4) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 1997 | Spain U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 2000–2004 | Spain | 13 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2021 | Deportivo B (assistant) | ||
| 2021–2024 | Deportivo La Coruña (youth) | ||
| 2024– | Deportivo B | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Manuel Pablo García Díaz (born on January 25, 1976), known as Manuel Pablo, is a Spanish former football player. He mostly played as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side of the field.
Manuel Pablo spent almost his entire playing career with Deportivo. He played in 482 official games for them. A big highlight was winning the 1999–2000 La Liga title in 2000. He was known for his great energy and stamina on the field. He also played for the Spanish national team 13 times. After retiring as a player, he became a football manager. He is currently the manager of Deportivo Fabril, which is Deportivo's reserve team.
Contents
Manuel Pablo's Football Journey
Starting Out in the Canary Islands
Manuel Pablo was born in Arucas, Las Palmas, which is in the Canary Islands of Spain. He started his football journey with his hometown club, UD Las Palmas. He played for their youth teams and then for their main team.
Joining Deportivo de La Coruña
In the summer of 1998, when he was 22 years old, Manuel Pablo moved to Deportivo de La Coruña. He joined the team along with another player, Turu Flores. Manuel Pablo played his first game in La Liga, Spain's top football league, on November 15, 1998. It was a 2–2 draw against Deportivo Alavés. In his first season, he played in 14 league matches.
Winning the La Liga Title
Manuel Pablo quickly became a very important player for Deportivo's defense. The team, often called Depor, made history in 2000. They won the national championship for the first and only time! Manuel Pablo played in 37 league games that season, helping them achieve this amazing feat. He played in 45 games across all competitions that year.
A Difficult Injury and Strong Comeback
On September 30, 2001, Manuel Pablo suffered a serious leg injury during a game against RC Celta de Vigo. He had to miss the rest of the season because of it.
He worked hard to recover and returned to playing football one year later. His first game back was in the Copa del Rey cup competition. On October 6, 2002, he played his first league game after the injury. He came on as a substitute in a match against Racing de Santander.
Back to His Best
By the end of the 2003–04 season, Manuel Pablo showed everyone he was fully recovered. A great example was his performance on April 7, 2004. Deportivo won 4–0 against AC Milan in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. This win helped Deportivo advance in the competition.
From the 2004–05 season onwards, he was the main right-back for Deportivo at their home stadium, Estadio Riazor. Even when other good players joined, he usually kept his spot. In May 2009, he signed a new contract with Deportivo, showing his commitment to the club.
Later Years and Retirement
From 2009 to 2015, Manuel Pablo continued to play many games for Deportivo. During this time, the team was relegated from the top league twice but also managed to get promoted back up twice. On June 16, 2015, he extended his contract for one more year.
On July 7, 2016, Manuel Pablo retired from playing football at the age of 40. He had played only five games during his final season. After retiring, he continued to work with Deportivo. He became an assistant coach for their reserve team, Deportivo Fabril, and also coached youth teams.
In November 2024, Manuel Pablo was named the head coach of Deportivo's reserve team, Deportivo Fabril.
Playing for Spain
Manuel Pablo's excellent performances for Deportivo also led him to play for the Spanish national team. He made his debut on August 16, 2000, in a friendly game against Germany. He played for his country a total of 13 times.
Achievements and Trophies
Manuel Pablo won several important trophies during his career with Deportivo:
- La Liga: 1999–2000 (Spain's top league)
- Supercopa de España: 2000 (Spanish Super Cup)
- Segunda División: 2011–12 (Spain's second division)
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008 (a European club competition)
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Pablo para niños
