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Carlos García (footballer, born 1984)

Spanish former footballer (born 1984) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carlos García (footballer, born 1984)
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Carlos García Badías (born 29 April 1984) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

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He spent most of his career with Almería, playing 208 competitive matches for the club and appearing in three La Liga seasons. Additionally, he had a four-year spell with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League.

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Club career

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Espanyol and Almería

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, García was a product of local RCD Espanyol's youth ranks. He would only appear for the first team on three occasions, during the 2003–04 season (three defeats),[1][2][3] also serving a loan stint with Polideportivo Ejido in the Segunda División the following campaign.[4]

García stayed in Andalusia in 2005, being sold by Espanyol to second-division UD Almería.[5] He was a starter from the beginning, being instrumental in their first-ever La Liga promotion in the 2006–07 campaign.[6]

Deemed surplus to requirements by manager Hugo Sánchez, García was loaned to neighbours Real Betis for 2009–10's second-tier season.[7] After not being able to help the Verdiblancos return to the top flight he rejoined Almería,[8] being first-choice under new manager Juan Manuel Lillo and both his successors José Luis Oltra and Roberto Olabe, scoring once[9] in 33 games as they were eventually relegated after a four-year stay.[10]

Maccabi Tel Aviv and coaching

García moved abroad for the first time in his career in June 2012, signing a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. in the Israeli Premier League.[11] In his first season he was teamed up in the centre of defence with Eitan Tibi, with the pair performing solidly as the club won the national championship after a ten-year drought.[12]

Aged 29, García made his debut in European competition in the 2013–14 campaign, featuring in both the UEFA Champions League qualification matches[13][14] and the UEFA Europa League group stage.[15][16] In the domestic front he was part of the squad that set a new league record for minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing Hapoel Haifa FC's 585 from 1999.[17]

García retired in 2017 at the age of 33, after one season in the Turkish Süper Lig with Alanyaspor.[18] Immediately after, he returned to Maccabi as assistant to his compatriot Jordi Cruyff;[19] the pair worked together again in the Chinese Super League, at Chongqing Dangdai Lifan F.C. and Shenzhen FC.[20][21]

In January 2022, García became manager of Liga Leumit side Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam FC.[22] He returned to assistant duties subsequently, at Serie A's Udinese Calcio[23] and Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire FC.[24][25]

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International career

García was part of the Spain under-16 squad at the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in England, winning the tournament alongside top scorer Fernando Torres.[26] Two years later, he contributed seven starts for the under-20s as they finished runners-up to Brazil in the FIFA World Cup.[27][28]

García reunited again with Cruyff for a brief period in 2020, when the latter was appointed at the Ecuador national team.[29]

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Honours

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Spain U16

Spain U23

Spain U20

References

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