Rafael González Robles

Rafa

Personal information
Full name	Rafael González Robles
Date of birth	25 October 1970 (1970-10-25)
Place of birth	Avilés, Spain
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1990–1992	Avilés	28	(0)
1992–1997	Oviedo	6	(0)
1997–2003	Málaga	38	(0)
2003–2004	Cultural Leonesa	?	(0)
2004–2005	Sporting Gijón	3	(0)
2005–2006	Oviedo	8	(0)
2006–2007	Coventry City	?	(0)
National team
1991	Spain U23	3	(0)
* 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 González and the second or maternal family name is Robles.

Rafael González Robles, commonly known as Rafa (born 25 October 1970), is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

11 of his professional seasons were spent at Oviedo and Málaga, but he only served as backup for 10 of those; after retiring, he became a goalkeeper's coach, notably in England.

Football career

Born in Avilés, Asturias, Rafa started his career at Real Avilés Industrial, then in Segunda División; after the side's 1992 relegation, he moved to one of the biggest clubs in the region, Real Oviedo, but spent five seasons at the club (always in the top division) without making more than three league appearances.

In 1997, Rafa joined Málaga CF, again meeting the same fate; however, he did appear in 31 matches in his second year, as the Andalusians promoted from the third level to the first in only two years.

Rafa retired from football in 2007, after having played one season each for Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, Sporting de Gijón, Oviedo (the club was now in division four) and England's Coventry City; previously, in the 2005 summer, he had an unsuccessful trial with Walsall, before securing a 4-month contract at the Football League Championship side.

Following his retirement, Robles was immediately hired by another team in the country of his last club, joining Aston Villa as its goalkeeping coach (August 2007).

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• Rafa career stats at Soccerbase