Gerardo García León

Gerardo

Gerardo as a Córdoba player
Personal information
Full name	Gerardo García León
Date of birth	(1974-12-07) 7 December 1974
Place of birth	Seville, Spain
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Right back
Team information
Current team	Logroño (women)
Youth career
	AD Loyola
	Osasuna
	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1995	Real Madrid B	55	(6)
1993–1994	Real Madrid C	7	(0)
1995–1996	Leganés	36	(4)
1996–1997	Lleida	28	(2)
1997–1998	Badajoz	38	(3)
1998–1999	Villarreal	45	(3)
2000–2001	Valencia	10	(0)
2000–2001	→ Osasuna (loan)	10	(2)
2001–2006	Málaga	156	(5)
2006–2009	Real Sociedad	96	(3)
2009–2011	Córdoba	46	(0)
2011–2013	Logroñés	48	(4)
Total		575	(32)
International career
1991	Spain U16	6	(0)
1991	Spain U17	11	(1)
1991–1993	Spain U18	21	(7)
1992	Spain U19	6	(0)
1997	Spain U23	3	(0)
Managerial career
2019–	Logroño (women)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gerardo García León (born 7 December 1974), known simply as Gerardo, is a Spanish retired footballer, and the manager of EDF Logroño women's team. A defender of wide range, he operated on the right flank.

During his extensive professional career he played in ten different clubs, all in his country, after emerging through Real Madrid's youth system. He amassed La Liga totals of 240 games and nine goals mainly in representation of Málaga (five seasons), adding 279/19 in Segunda División.

Club career

Born in Seville, Andalusia, Gerardo was an unsuccessful Real Madrid graduate – he never appeared for the first team – and started playing professionally in Segunda División, with CD Leganés, UE Lleida and CD Badajoz. In 1998–99 he made his debut in La Liga, playing 34 matches for Villarreal CF who was relegated at the season's end.

Having started 1999–2000 in the second level, Gerardo was purchased by Valencia CF in January 2000, appearing scarcely for the Che during the campaign but being a starter in the UEFA Champions League final loss to Real Madrid. He spent 2000–01 on loan to CA Osasuna, also in the top flight.

Gerardo had his most successfully period at Málaga CF, playing five seasons for a side that had four consecutive mid-table positions and also helping them win the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup. In 2005–06 the team finished last, with the player scoring twice (in two 1–2 defeats).

For 2006–07, Gerardo joined Real Sociedad, who would also be relegated at the end of the campaign. He retained his first-choice status in his second and third years.

Gerardo moved to Córdoba CF initially for one season, in the last hours of the August 2009 transfer window. After only 12 second division games in his second season, the 36-year-old left after his contract was not re-renewed, and signed for SD Logroñés of Tercera División, retiring two years later.

After retiring, Gerardo founded the 'Gerardo García León Tiki-taka Football Academy' and also acted as youth coach for amateurs Comillas CF. On 12 June 2019, he signed as head coach of Primera División (women) team EDF Logroño.

Personal life

Gerardo's two older brothers, Eduardo (born 1969) and Moisés, and younger Manuel (1978), were also footballers. The second, a forward, played nearly 600 games as a professional.

Honours

Club

Valencia

• UEFA Champions League: Runner-up 1999–2000

Málaga

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002

International

Spain U16

• UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 1991

Spain U17

• FIFA U-17 World Cup: Runner-up 1991

External links

• Gerardo at BDFutbol
• Gerardo – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Gerardo at Soccerway