Javi Martos

Javi Martos
	Martos as a CSKA Sofia player
Personal information
Full name	Francisco Javier Martos Espigares
Date of birth	4 January 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Alamedilla, Spain
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Prat
Youth career
1993–2003	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team
2003–2006	Barcelona C
2006	Barcelona
2006–2007	CSKA Sofia
2007	Girona
2007–2008	Málaga B
2008–2010	Iraklis
2011–2019	Charleroi
2019–2020	Andorra
2020–	Prat
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2020

Francisco Javier 'Javi' Martos Espigares (born 4 January 1984) is a Spanish footballer who plays for AE Prat as a centre-back.

He spent most of his professional career with Charleroi, having signed with the club in January 2011.

Club career

Born in Alamedilla, Province of Granada, Martos spent one full decade in FC Barcelona's youth system,^[1]^[2] but only represented the C team as a senior. On 20 May 2006 he played his first and only La Liga game, replacing also youth graduate Andrea Orlandi in the second half of a 1–3 loss against Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés Stadium, as the Frank Rijkaard-led side had already been crowned league champions.^[3]

Martos had a brief spell with PFC CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria after being released by the Blaugrana, becoming the first Spaniard to play in the First Professional Football League,^[4] then resumed his career in amateur football, first with Girona FC then Atlético Malagueño. In the summer of 2008 summer he joined Iraklis Thessaloniki FC, being first choice and helping the team to back-to-back tenth-place finishes in the Super League Greece.

In early December 2010, Martos went on trial with SD Eibar in his homeland,^[5] but nothing came of it. In the following year's winter transfer window, he signed a contract with R. Charleroi S.C. in Belgium.^[6]

Martos was relegated from the Pro League in his first year, but achieved promotion in his first full season after only missing three league matches.

^ "Debe ser el número 23" [Must be number 23] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 18 November 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
^ "La entrevista: Javi Martos" [The interview: Javi Martos] (in Spanish). Calentando Banquillo. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
^ "Athletic Bilbao 3–1 Barcelona". ESPN Soccernet. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
^ Lelyov, Momchil (20 July 2006). "“А” група погледна към елита на Европа. За пръв път в първенството ще ритат холандец и испанец" [""А" Group looked towards Europe's elite. For the first time championship will feature Spaniards and Dutchmen] (in Bulgarian). 7 Sport. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
^ "El ex del Barcelona, Javier Martos, a prueba con el Eibar" [Former Barcelona man, Javier Martos, on trial with Eibar]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 8 December 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
^ Salcedo, David (22 January 2011). "Javi Martos, oficialmente nuevo jugador del Charleroi" [Javi Martos, officially new Charleroi player] (in Spanish). Tablón Deportivo. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2012.