Guillermo Amor

Guillermo Amor

Amor (far left) as a Barcelona player
Personal information
Full name Guillermo Amor Martínez
Date of birth (1967-12-04) 4 December 1967
Place of birth Benidorm, Spain
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Barcelona (youth)
Youth career
1979–1980 Benidorm
1980–1985 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1988 Barcelona B 49 (10)
1988–1998 Barcelona 311 (47)
1998–2000 Fiorentina 24 (0)
2000–2002 Villarreal 64 (1)
2003 Livingston 3 (0)
Total 451 (58)
National team
1986 Spain U18 1 (0)
1989–1990 Spain U21 6 (0)
1990–1998 Spain 37 (4)
Teams managed
2015–2017 Adelaide United
2017– Barcelona (youth)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Guillermo Amor Martínez (born 4 December 1967) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a versatile midfielder. He is currently the director of professional football at F.C. Barcelona.

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.

Playing career

Club

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 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 except one, scoring a career-best eight goals; additionally, on 5 April 1990, he opened the scoring in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, helping to a 2–0 win at the Mestalla Stadium.[1]

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,[2] having played 421 matches overall only behind club greats Xavi, Migueli and Carles Rexach.[3] 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,[4] making his debut on the 28th in a 3–1 away success over Partick Thistle.[5] The Livi Lions eventually narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League.

International

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.[6]

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).[7]

Coaching career

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,[8] but returned in July 2010 as technical director of football training.

In late August 2014, Amor was invited to Australia by one of his former colleagues and friend, former Barcelona youth academy coach and manager of Adelaide United FC, Josep Gombau. He spent a month observing and consulting the latter with Adelaide's training, after which he signed a one-year contract with the club to become the technical director.[9]

On 24 July 2015, following the resignation of Gombau due to family reasons, Amor was appointed as head coach prior to the start of the season.[10] He only achieved his first win on the ninth matchday, in a 1–0 win against Perth Glory FC.[11] He went on to lead the team to a club-record 13 clean sheets, including being unbeaten in the last ten home games and winning the last four away.[12]

Amor led Adelaide to the double on 1 May 2016, after a 3–1 defeat of Western Sydney Wanderers FC in the Grand Final.[13] On 10 May of the following year, he left the club.[14]

Personal life

On 16 December 2007, Amor was involved in a serious traffic collision while travelling from Valencia.[15] Released from hospital after only a week, he later fully recovered.[16]

Career statistics

Club

[17]

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

International goals

[6]

# 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

Player

Barcelona

Manager

Adelaide United

Individual

Managerial statistics

As of 11 May 2017 (including all League and Cup games)[30]
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Adelaide United 24 July 2015 10 May 2017 67 24 17 26 035.82
Total 67 24 17 26 035.82

References

  1. ↑ "A 25 años de la Copa de la Vida" [Here's to 25 years of the Cup of Life] (in Spanish). ESPN. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Louis Van Gaal, elogio de un bicho raro" [Louis Van Gaal, eulogy of a rara avis] (in Spanish). Jot Down. August 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Iniesta puede llegar ante el Levante a los 422 partidos oficiales con el Barça" [Iniesta may reach 422 official games with Barça against Levante] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona Noticias. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Livingston complete Amor coup; UEFA.com, 27 January 2003
  5. ↑ Scotland round-up: Glasgow rivals secure wins; UEFA.com, 29 January 2003
  6. 1 2 Guillermo Amor Martínez – International Appearances; at RSSSF
  7. ↑ "España cae ante Chipre, un equipo repleto de aficionados" [Spain falls against Cyprus, team filled with amateurs] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 5 September 1998. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  8. ↑ El Barça paga el fracaso de la cantera con Amor (Amor pays Barça youth system failures); La Vanguardia, 29 June 2007 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ "Barcelona great Guillermo Amor joins Adelaide United as technical director". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  10. ↑ Amor to replace Gombau; Adelaide United, 24 July 2015
  11. ↑ "First win for Amor as Adelaide rise to eighth". Special Broadcasting Service. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Adelaide United secure top two finish in the A-League with 2–0 win over Melbourne City". Fox Sports. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "A-League grand final 2016: Adelaide United beat Western Sydney Wanderers to claim first title". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Guillermo Amor to depart Reds". Adelaide United. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  15. ↑ L'exfutbolista Amor evoluciona satisfactòriament, tot i que continua a cures intensives (Former footballer Amor recovers well, but is still in intensive care); El Periódico de Catalunya, 16 December 2007 (in Catalan)
  16. ↑ Amor: "Jamás pensé que pudiera llegar a pasarme esto a mí" (Amor: "I never thought this could happen to me"); Marca, 10 January 2008 (in Spanish)
  17. ↑ "Guillermo Amor". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Spain – Cup 1990". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Barça de titanes" [Titanic Barça] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 29 June 1997. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "La Copa más histórica" [The most historical Cup] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 30 April 1998. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "Cruyff ya tiene su cuarto título" [Cruyff already has his fourth title] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 30 October 1991. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  22. ↑ "El Barça juega como quiere en el Manzanares" [Barça plays at will at the Manzanares] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 12 November 1992. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  23. ↑ "El Barça paga un precio muy alto" [Barça pays a heavy price] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 31 August 1994. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  24. ↑ "Título con súper-susto" [Title with mega-scare] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 29 August 1996. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  25. ↑ "Sampdoria 0–1 Barcelona". UEFA.com. 20 May 1992. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  26. ↑ "1988/89: Hat-trick for Barcelona". UEFA.com. 1 June 1989. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  27. ↑ "1996/97: Ronaldo spot on for Barça". UEFA.com. 14 May 1997. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  28. ↑ "1992: Goikoetxea wins it for Barcelona". UEFA.com. 1 April 1993. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  29. ↑ "1997: Barça in command". UEFA.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  30. ↑ "Guillermo Amor". ALeague Stats. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
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