Guillermo Amor

Guillermo Amor

Amor (far left) as a Barcelona player
Personal information
Full nameGuillermo Amor Martínez
Date of birth4 December 1967
Place of birthBenidorm, Spain
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8 12 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Youth career
1979–1980Benidorm
1980–1985Barcelona
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1984–1988Barcelona B49(10)
1988–1998Barcelona311(47)
1998–2000Fiorentina24(0)
2000–2002Villarreal64(1)
2003Livingston3(0)
Total451(58)
National team
1986Spain U181(0)
1989–1990Spain U216(0)
1990–1998Spain37(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Amor and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.

Guillermo Amor Martínez (born 4 December 1967) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a versatile midfielder, and the current director of football of Adelaide United FC.

After playing most of his professional career with Barcelona, winning several accolades during his ten-year tenure, he ended it in Scotland, with Livingston. Over the course of 12 seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 375 games and 48 goals.

Amor won nearly 40 caps with Spain during the 1990s, representing the nation in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Club career

Born in Benidorm, Alicante, Valencian Community, Amor was a product of FC Barcelona's youth ranks, and made his first-team debuts in the 1988–89 season under Johan Cruyff, going on to quickly become one of the Catalan team's most influential players as it achieved four consecutive La Liga titles and the 1991–92 European Cup (he did not play in the final against U.C. Sampdoria, however). In 1993–94, as the club conquered the last of a successive four leagues, he appeared in all games safe one, scoring a career-best eight goals.

Amor left Barça at the end of the 1997–98 campaign, with another national championship won, deemed surplus to requirements by new boss Louis van Gaal as longtime teammate Albert Ferrer, having played 421 matches overall for Barça only behind club greats Xavi, Migueli and Carles Rexach. He subsequently had his first abroad experience, appearing sparingly for Serie A side ACF Fiorentina for two years and then returning to Spain with Villarreal CF as it had just returned to the top level.

Amor retired from football after a short spell with Scotland's Livingston, for which he signed in January 2003,[1] making his debut on the 28th in a 3–1 away win against Partick Thistle.[2] The Livi Lions eventually narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League.

After retiring Amor served a four-year spell at former club Barcelona, being responsible for the youth categories after Joan Laporta was named president in 2003. He left after the board of directors decided not to renew his contract,[3] but returned in July 2010 as technical director of football training.

In late August 2014, Amor was appointed technical director of Australian side Adelaide United FC.[4]

International career

Amor represented Spain on 37 occasions, scoring four goals. His debut came in an UEFA Euro 1992 qualifier 2–3 loss in Czechoslovakia on 14 November 1990, and he went on to appear for the nation at both the Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup; in the former competition, on 18 June, he scored against Romania in a 2–1 win, netting in the 84th minute and helping the team to the quarterfinals in England.[5]

Amor's last cap was a sour one, as Spain were downed by lowly Cyprus on 5 September 1998 in a Euro 2000 qualifier (2–3).[6]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 19 December 1990 Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Albania 1–0 9–0 Euro 1992 qualifying
2. 18 June 1996 Elland Road, Leeds, England  Romania 1–2 1–2 UEFA Euro 1996
3. 13 November 1996 Heliodoro Rodríguez, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain  Slovakia 2–1 4–1 1998 World Cup qualification
4. 24 September 1997 Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia  Slovakia 1–2 1–2 1998 World Cup qualification

Honours

Barcelona

Club statistics

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
1988–89BarcelonaLa Liga27863523813
1989–903366131428
1990–913443182457
1991–923664131438
1992–933357071476
1993–94378411225311
1994–953443161436
1995–962866261409
1996–972605050360
1997–982306050340
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1998–99FiorentinaSerie A160??30??
1999–0080??20??
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
2000–01VillarrealLa Liga35000--350
2001–0229150--341
Scotland League Scottish Cup Europe Total
2002–03LivingstonScottish Premier League30000030
Total Spain 375485510601149069
Total Italy 240??50??
Total Scotland 30000030
Career total 40248

Car accident

On 16 December 2007, at 2:20, Amor was involved in a serious traffic accident while travelling from Valencia.[7] Released from hospital after only a week, he later fully recovered.[8]

References

External links