Pedro Munitis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pedro Munitis

Munitis in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Pedro Munitis Álvarez
Date of birth	(1975-06-19) 19 June 1975 (age 50)
Place of birth	Santander, Spain
Height	1.67 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Santoña
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1993	Santoña
1993–1997	Racing B
1995–2000	Racing Santander	83	(14)
1997–1998	→ Badajoz (loan)	28	(10)
2000–2003	Real Madrid	53	(4)
2002–2003	→ Racing Santander (loan)	30	(8)
2003–2006	Deportivo La Coruña	90	(5)
2006–2012	Racing Santander	191	(12)
Total		475	(53)
National team
1999–2002	Spain	21	(2)
Teams managed
2012–2014	Reocín Women
2014–2015	Bansander (youth)
2015	Racing Santander (assistant)
2015–2016	Racing Santander
2016–2017	Ponferradina
2018–2019	UCAM Murcia
2020	Badajoz
2021–2022	Sabadell
2023	Lugo
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Pedro Munitis Álvarez, born on June 19, 1975, is a Spanish former football player. He mostly played as a forward, which is an attacking player. Today, he works as a manager (coach).

Munitis spent most of his professional playing career with Racing de Santander, a team from his hometown. He also played for Real Madrid for two years. Overall, he played in 447 matches in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league, and scored 43 goals.

He also played for the Spanish national team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He even represented Spain at the Euro 2000 tournament.

Playing Career

Club Teams

Pedro Munitis was born in Santander, Cantabria. He played for his hometown team, Racing de Santander, during three different periods of his career. His first game for the main team was on January 22, 1995.

After playing on loan for Badajoz in the Segunda División (Spain's second division), Munitis caught the eye of Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in Spain. They signed him in 2000. He played for Real Madrid for two years and helped them win one league title and the Champions League.

In the 2002–03 season, Munitis returned to Racing Santander on loan. He even scored a goal against his former team, Real Madrid, in a 2–0 win. After that, he moved to Deportivo de La Coruña for free. After a tough first year, he became a very important attacking player for Deportivo. He sometimes played as a left winger, taking the place of the team's veteran captain, Fran, when he retired.

Munitis went back to Racing Santander in July 2006. He formed a strong attacking duo with the tall Serbian player Nikola Žigić. In his second season back, he helped Racing qualify for the UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League) for the first time ever. On April 19, 2009, he played his 200th league game for the club.

In the 2009–10 season, Munitis, who was 34 years old, was still a regular starter. He didn't score any goals in 29 games that season. His season ended early due to a knee injury in April 2010. At that time, he was second in the league for assists, only behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

On October 17, 2010, after more than a year without scoring, Munitis scored a goal from 30 meters away, which was the only goal in a home game against Almería. In the 2011–12 season, he didn't score in 32 matches. Racing Santander then went back down to the second division after ten years in the top league. Munitis announced he would leave his main club shortly after.

International Games

Munitis played 21 games for the Spanish national team, scoring two goals. These games are called "caps." He played for Spain at UEFA Euro 2000. He came on as a substitute (a player who enters the game to replace another) and scored a goal in a 4–3 group stage win against Yugoslavia. He also started in the quarter-final game against France, which Spain lost 2–1.

Munitis' first game for Spain was on March 27, 1999. It was a qualifying match for Euro 2000 against Austria. He played for 30 minutes in a big 9–0 win for Spain.

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	18 August 1999	Polish Army, Warsaw, Poland	Poland	1–2	1–2	Friendly
2.	21 June 2000	Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium	Yugoslavia	2–2	3–4	Euro 2000

Style of Play

Munitis was known as a "poacher," which means he was good at scoring goals from close range. He could play as a forward or a midfielder, but he was often used as a left winger. He was one of the shortest players in the Spanish top league during his career.

He was famous for his speed, dribbling skills (controlling the ball with his feet), and creative play. He was also known for his direct way of moving and his fighting spirit. These qualities made him a strong attacking player who was hard for defenders to mark. The French player Lilian Thuram even said Munitis was one of the toughest opponents he ever faced.

Coaching Career

Even before officially retiring as a player, Munitis started his coaching career. He began by coaching a women's football team called Reocín. In 2014, he started coaching youth teams at Bansander.

Munitis returned to Racing Santander on March 3, 2015, as an assistant manager alongside his former teammate Gonzalo Colsa. After the team was relegated (moved down a league), he became the main coach for the team in Segunda División B (the third division). He won the group with the team but left in June 2016 after they lost in the playoffs.

On October 17, 2016, Munitis became the manager of Ponferradina, with Colsa as his assistant. He resigned five months later.

Munitis went back to coaching in the third division on March 26, 2018, when he was hired by UCAM Murcia. He stayed for another year but was let go in April 2019.

On February 4, 2020, Munitis took over as coach at Badajoz, a team he had played for many years ago. The season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His team lost in the playoff semi-finals on penalties. He left the club in October 2020.

Munitis was appointed coach of Sabadell on November 23, 2021. He helped the team move out of the relegation zone and almost made it to the playoffs. In June, he left after turning down a new contract.

On June 21, 2023, Munitis was named coach of Lugo, a team that had recently been relegated to the third division. However, he was sacked on December 16, 2023.

Managerial Statistics

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2000–01
• UEFA Champions League: 2001–02

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Munitis para niños

• List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)