Javi Gracia

Javi Gracia
Personal information
Full name Javier Gracia Carlos
Date of birth 1 May 1970 (1970-05-01) (age 41)
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Kerkyra (coach)
Youth career
Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1992 Bilbao Athletic 100 (12)
1992–1993 Lleida 38 (13)
1993–1995 Valladolid 65 (2)
1995–1999 Real Sociedad 106 (12)
1999–2002 Villarreal 82 (3)
2003–2004 Córdoba 39 (0)
National team
1989–1990 Spain U20 3 (0)
1991 Spain U21 1 (0)
Teams managed
2004–2005 Villarreal (youth)
2005–2006 Córdoba
2007–2008 Pontevedra
2008–2010 Cádiz
2010–2011 Villarreal B
2011 Olympiakos Volou
2011– Kerkyra
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Javier 'Javi' Gracia Carlos (born 1 May 1970 in Pamplona, Navarre) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.

Contents

Playing career

Gracia started playing professionally with Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Bilbao's reserves, never appearing officially for the first team during three years. In 1992–93, he achieved a career-best 13 goals in all 38 games as UE Lleida returned to La Liga after an absence of more than 40 years, as champions.

Gracia spent the following six seasons in the top flight, appearing regularly for both Real Valladolid and Real Sociedad, safe for his last year (15 games, one goal). In 1999, he returned to Segunda División and signed for Villarreal CF, helping the Valencian promote to the top division after one year, and being regularly used in the following campaign (1,765 minutes) as the team easily maintained its division status.

In January 2003, after being scarcely played in his last one 1/2 seasons at Villarreal, 32-year old Gracia joined Córdoba CF in the second level, closing out his career in June of the following year. He appeared in 229 Spanish top flight matches over the course of nine seasons, netting 17 goals.

Coaching career

After starting his manager career with former team Villarreal (youth teams), Gracia spent three years in Segunda División B, with Córdoba and Pontevedra CF, finishing first and second with the latter club in the regular season, but always falling short in the promotion playoffs.

In 2008–09, still in division three, Gracia finally achieved promotion, now with Cádiz CF, but he was fired midway through the following season as the Andalusians were immediately relegated back. He met the same fate in 2010–11 with Villarreal's B-team, but the club managed to stay afloat in this case, also in the second level.

Honours

Player

Manager

External links