José Francisco Molina

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José Molina

Molina in action for Levante
Personal information
Full nameJosé Francisco Molina Jiménez
Date of birth (1970-08-08) 8 August 1970
Place of birthValencia, Spain
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current clubGetafe B
(coach)
Youth career
Benimar
Valencia
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1989–1993Valencia B18(0)
1990–1991Alzira (loan)29(0)
1993–1994Valencia0(0)
1993–1994Villarreal (loan)18(0)
1994–1995Albacete23(0)
1995–2000Atlético Madrid189(0)
2000–2006Deportivo La Coruña169(0)
2006–2007Levante34(0)
Total480(0)
National team
1996–2000Spain9(0)
Teams managed
2009–2011Villarreal C
2011Villarreal B
2011–2012Villarreal
2013–Getafe B
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

José Francisco Molina Jiménez (born 8 August 1970) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and current coach of Getafe B

11 years of his extensive professional career were spent at Atlético Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña, where he won a total of five titles combined. Over the course of 14 seasons, he appeared in 415 La Liga matches.

A Spanish international for four years, Molina represented the nation in one World Cup and two European Championships.

Club career

Born in Valencia, Molina started playing professionally with modest UD Alzira, being purchased in 1991 by local giants Valencia CF. After a loan stint with neighbours Villarreal CF, he was sold to Albacete Balompié, making his La Liga debut on 8 January 1995, in a 1–0 home win against Real Oviedo. Even though he conceded eight goals in the last matchday, a home loss against Deportivo de La Coruña, Albacete managed to escape relegation.

Molina's club career was intimately related with Atlético de Madrid, of which he claimed to be a fan. Signing in 1995, he helped the capital team win a 1995–96 double (league and Copa del Rey), missing only two league matches in four seasons combined.

Joining league champions Deportivo La Coruña after Atlético's relegation in 1999–2000, he proceeded to win a Spanish cup and two supercups, being an undisputed starter throughout his stint in Galicia.

However, on 14 October 2002, Molina announced that he suffered from testicular cancer,[1][2] and that he was forced to undergo treatment for his illness, thus missing most of the 2002–03 season (10 league appearances, as Depor finished third). He eventually recovered fully.[3][4]

After his link expired,[5] Molina returned home to Valencia for 2006–07, playing for top division strugglers Levante UD, but didn't renew his contract after the season's end, retiring subsequently, with the club retaining its league status.

In 2009–10, Molina started a coaching career, with Villarreal C in Tercera División. On 12 May 2011, he replaced fired Javi Gracia at the helm of the reserves, in Segunda División, as the team was seriously threatened with relegation.[6]

Molina reached Villarreal's first team on 22 December 2011, replacing fired Juan Carlos Garrido.[7] He was himself sacked on 18 March of the following year after a 0–1 away loss against former club Levante, with the Yellow Submarine dangerously close to the relegation zone (17th).[8]

International career

Molina made his Spanish national team debut as an outfield player against Norway on 24 April 1996 – a cameo appearance as a left winger, as all replacements had been made by coach Javier Clemente and Juan Manuel López retired injured.[9]

He was then included in the squads for UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but had to wait until Euro 2000 for first-choice status – although he was dropped after a blunder in the opening 1–0 loss (to Norway) and did not play afterwards.[10]

Honours

Team

Atlético Madrid
Deportivo

Individual

References

External links

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