Javi Gracia
![]() Gracia coaching Rubin in 2017 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Javier Gracia Carlos[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 1 May 1970||
Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Watford (head coach) | ||
Youth career | |||
1977–1982 | Osasuna | ||
Chantrea | |||
Athletic Bilbao | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1989–1992 | Bilbao Athletic | 100 | (12) |
1992–1993 | Lleida | 38 | (12) |
1993–1995 | Valladolid | 65 | (2) |
1995–1999 | Real Sociedad | 106 | (12) |
1999–2002 | Villarreal | 82 | (6) |
2003–2004 | Córdoba | 39 | (0) |
Total | 430 | (44) | |
International career | |||
1989–1990 | Spain U20 | 3 | (0) |
1991 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2004–2005 | Villarreal (youth) | ||
2007–2008 | Pontevedra | ||
2008–2010 | Cádiz | ||
2010–2011 | Villarreal B | ||
2011 | Olympiacos Volou | ||
2011–2012 | Kerkyra | ||
2012–2013 | Almería | ||
2013–2014 | Osasuna | ||
2014–2016 | Málaga | ||
2016–2017 | Rubin Kazan | ||
2018– | Watford | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Javier "Javi" Gracia Carlos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxaβi ˈɣɾaθja];[a] born 1 May 1970) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and is the head coach of Premier League club Watford.
He played in 430 matches both major levels of Spanish football combined, during a 15-year professional career. After retiring he began working as a manager, going on to coach several clubs in Spain, Greece and Russia before being appointed at Watford in January 2018.[2]
Playing career
Born in Pamplona, Navarre,[3] Gracia started playing professionally with Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Bilbao's reserves, never appearing officially for the first team during three years.[4] In the 1992–93 campaign, he scored a career-best 12 goals in all 38 games as UE Lleida returned to La Liga after an absence of more than 40 years, as champions.[5][6]
Gracia spent the following six seasons in the top flight, appearing regularly for both Real Valladolid and Real Sociedad safe for his last year (15 matches, one goal[7]).[8] In 1999, he returned to Segunda División and signed for Villarreal CF, helping the Valencian club get promoted to the top division after one year and being regularly used in the following campaign – 1,765 minutes of action – as the team easily maintained their division status.
In February 2003, after being scarcely played in his last one-and-a-half seasons at Villarreal, 32-year-old Gracia joined Córdoba CF in the second level, closing out his career in June of the following year.[9][10] He appeared in 229 Spanish top division games over the course of nine seasons, netting 17 goals.[11]
Coaching career
After starting his managerial career with former club Villarreal (youth sides),[12] Gracia spent in Segunda División B, with Pontevedra CF, finishing first and second with the team in the regular season, but always falling short in the promotion playoffs.[13]
In 2008–09, still in division three, Gracia finally achieved promotion, now with Cádiz CF,[14] but he was fired midway through the following season[15] as the Andalusians were immediately relegated back. In the 2010–11 campaign, with Villarreal's reserves,[16] he managed to avert a drop also in the second tier.
After one year in Greece,[17][18] Gracia returned to his country,[19] leading UD Almería back to the top flight in 2013[20] but leaving in June after failing to agree new terms.[21] On 4 September of that year he was appointed at CA Osasuna, replacing fired José Luis Mendilibar.[22]
On 30 May 2014, Gracia was named the new manager of Málaga CF.[23] During his two-year tenure, he led the team to the ninth and eighth position, respectively.
Before the start of the 2016–17 season, Gracia joined FC Rubin Kazan.[24] After only achieving a ninth-place finish in the Russian Premier League, he left the club by mutual consent.[25]
On 21 January 2018, Gracia was named the new head coach of Premier League club Watford on an 18-month contract following the dismissal of Marco Silva.[26] His first game in charge took place six days later, in a 0–1 away loss against Southampton for the fourth round of the FA Cup.[27]
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 6 October 2018
Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Pontevedra | 23 March 2007 | 30 June 2008 | 57 | 28 | 19 | 10 | 49.1 | [28] |
Cádiz | 11 July 2008 | 9 January 2010 | 63 | 30 | 16 | 17 | 47.6 | [29] |
Villarreal B | 24 June 2010 | 12 May 2011 | 38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 36.8 | [30] |
Olympiacos Volou | 7 June 2011 | 24 August 2011 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.0 | [citation needed] |
Kerkyra | 14 November 2011 | 28 March 2012 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 33.3 | [citation needed] |
Almería | 12 June 2012 | 28 June 2013 | 50 | 28 | 9 | 13 | 56.0 | [31] |
Osasuna | 4 September 2013 | 30 May 2014 | 39 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 25.6 | [32] |
Málaga | 30 May 2014 | 24 May 2016 | 84 | 28 | 22 | 34 | 33.3 | [33] |
Rubin Kazan | 27 May 2016 | 8 June 2017 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 38.2 | [25][34] |
Watford | 21 January 2018 | Present | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 36.0 | [26] |
Career total | 415 | 170 | 100 | 145 | 41.0 | — |
Honours
Player
Lleida
Manager
Pontevedra
Cádiz
- Segunda División B: 2008–09
Individual
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Manager". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Javi Gracia, 300 partidos entre jugador y entrenador en Primera" [Javi Gracia, 300 matches combined as player and manager in Primera]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 11 May 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ Ciriza, Alejandro; Pérez, Gorka (26 April 2014). ""Hubiera sido futbolista toda la vida"" [“I would have been a footballer all my life”]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ "Gracia: "Las cifras goleadoras de Aduriz están por encima de la media"" [Gracia: "Aduriz's scoring figures are above the average"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Se cumplen 20 años del último ascenso a Primera de la UE Lleida" [20 years from UE Lleida's last promotion to Primera]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 5 June 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "El pasado futbolista de todos los técnicos de la Liga" [The footballing past of all the League's managers] (in Spanish). Sphera Sports. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Ormazabal, Mikel (11 January 1999). "La Real reparte beneficios de la miseria" [Real share benefits of misery]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ "Javier Gracia, nuevo técnico del Málaga Club de Fútbol" [Javier Gracia, new Málaga Club de Fútbol manager] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Javi Gracia y Berruet se presentan con el Córdoba" [Javi Gracia and Berruet presented at Córdoba]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). 4 February 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ "Javi Gracia y su última tarde de fútbol en el Córdoba" [Javi Gracia and his last football afternoon at Córdoba] (in Spanish). Cordópolis. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ Criado, José (31 October 2015). "'Pitu' Abelardo y Javi Gracia: compañeros y rivales" ['Pitu' Abelardo and Javi Gracia: mates and rivals]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Calleja: "Gracia es una referencia para los entrenadores que venimos de abajo"" [Calleja: "Gracia is a reference for us managers who come from below"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ Martínez, Juan (2 June 2008). "Javi Gracia: "Me sentaré con el presidente, no quiero ser un obstáculo para el club"" [Javi Gracia: "I will sit down with the president, I don't want to stand in the club's way"]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Ramírez, Álvaro (26 May 2009). "Javi Gracia será el entrenador en Segunda" [Javi Gracia will be the manager in Segunda] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ "El Cádiz destituye a su entrenador Javier Gracia" [Cádiz sack their manager Javi Gracia] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ "El excadista Javi Gracia, destituido en el Villarreal B por los malos resultados" [Ex-Cádiz Javi Gracia, sacked in Villarreal B due to poor results] (in Spanish). La Voz Digital. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ Benítez, Alberto (7 June 2011). "El Olympiakos Volou contrata al técnico Javi Gracia" [Olympiakos Volou hire manager Javi Gracia]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Ardila, Alberto (29 May 2014). "Javi Gracia, la serenidad y el trabajo a discreción al servicio de La Rosaleda" [Javi Gracia, serenity and discrete work at the service of La Rosaleda] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Xavi Gracia, técnico del Almería" [Xavi Gracia, manager of Almería]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 12 June 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ "Almería 3–0 Girona: Los andaluces, el vigésimo pasajero de Primera" [Almería 3–0 Girona: The Andalusians, Primera's twentieth passenger] (in Spanish). Goal. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Javi Gracia no seguirá entrenando al Almería" [Javi Gracia will not continue as Almería coach] (in Spanish). Goal. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "La Liga: Osasuna name former Almeria boss Javi Gracia as their new coach". Sky Sports. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- ^ "La Liga: Javi Gracia named the new manager of Malaga". Sky Sports. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "Javi Gracia ficha por el Rubin Kazan" [Javi Gracia signs for Rubin Kazan]. Sport (in Spanish). 22 May 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b Хавьер Грасия покидает «Рубин» [Javier Gracia leaves Rubin] (in Russian). FC Rubin Kazan. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Gracia named Hornets' head coach". Watford F.C. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Southampton 1–0 Watford". BBC Sport. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2006–07". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
"Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2007–08". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018. - ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2008–09". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
"Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2009–10". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018. - ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2010–11". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2012–13". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2013–14". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2014–15". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
"Gracia: Javier Gracia Carlos: Matches: 2015–16". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 May 2018. - ^ "Javi Gracia Carlos signs as Rubin Kazan boss". The Score. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Manager profile: Javier Gracia". Premier League. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
External links
- Javi Gracia at BDFutbol
- Javi Gracia manager profile at BDFutbol
- 1970 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Pamplona
- Spanish footballers
- Navarrese footballers
- Association football midfielders
- La Liga players
- Segunda División players
- Bilbao Athletic footballers
- Athletic Bilbao footballers
- UE Lleida players
- Real Valladolid players
- Real Sociedad footballers
- Villarreal CF players
- Córdoba CF footballers
- Spain under-20 international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spanish football managers
- La Liga managers
- Segunda División managers
- Segunda División B managers
- Pontevedra CF managers
- Cádiz CF managers
- Villarreal CF B managers
- UD Almería managers
- CA Osasuna managers
- Málaga CF managers
- Superleague Greece managers
- Olympiacos Volou 1937 F.C. managers
- Russian Premier League managers
- FC Rubin Kazan managers
- Premier League managers
- Watford F.C. managers
- Spanish expatriate football managers
- Expatriate football managers in Greece
- Expatriate football managers in Russia
- Expatriate football managers in England
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Greece
- Spanish expatriates in Russia