Delfí Geli

Delfí Geli i Roura (born 22 April 1969) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right back, and is the current president of Girona FC.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Geli and the second or maternal family name is Roura.

Delfí Geli
Geli in 2015
Personal information
Full name Delfí Geli i Roura
Date of birth (1969-04-22) 22 April 1969
Place of birth Salt, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1984–1986 Salt
1986–1987 Coma Cros
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1989 Girona 20 (3)
1989–1991 Barcelona B 65 (20)
1990–1992 Barcelona 1 (0)
1991–1992 → Albacete (loan) 32 (0)
1992–1994 Albacete 71 (9)
1994–1999 Atlético Madrid 139 (9)
1999–2000 Albacete 23 (6)
2000–2003 Alavés 100 (5)
2003–2005 Girona 60 (6)
Total 511 (58)
National team
1992–1993 Spain 4 (0)
2000–2002 Catalonia 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Salt, Girona, Catalonia, Geli began his professional career as a forward,[1] while playing for hometown's Girona FC and FC Barcelona (he only appeared once for the latter's first team in La Liga, in a 0–0 home draw against Real Oviedo on 31 January 1990).[2] He reconverted to right back at Albacete Balompié, signing with the Castile-La Mancha club in summer 1991 and playing 32 games in its first-ever season in the top division.

In 1994–95, after scoring a total of nine league goals for Albacete in his last two seasons, Geli joined Atlético Madrid. He was instrumental in the capital side's double conquest in the following campaign,[3] playing 49 matches across all competitions and scoring twice.[4][5]

After a second spell with Albacete, now in Segunda División, 31-year-old Geli moved to Deportivo Alavés in 2000, making 35 appearances in his first year as the Basques finished in tenth position. While playing in the season's UEFA Cup final, he scored the decisive goal – an own golden goal which made the score 5–4 to opponents Liverpool.[6]

Geli returned to his first senior club in 2003, and retired after two seasons in Segunda División B, having amassed professional totals of 366 games and 29 goals, 343 and 23 in the top flight alone. On 9 July 2015 he was elected president of Girona, with the team now in the second tier.[7]

International career

Geli represented Spain on four occasions, in a one-year span. His debut came on 15 January 1992 in a friendly with Portugal, in Torres Novas.[8]

In 1993, Geli appeared twice for the Catalonia regional team.[9]

Honours

Atlético Madrid

References
  1. Besa, Ramón (15 January 1992). "La reconversión de Geli" [Geli's reconversion]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  2. Astruells, Andrés (1 February 1990). "El tropiezo más inoportuno" [Poorly timed stumble]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. G. Fuente, Chema (25 May 2016). "20 años del 'Doblete' del Atlético de Liga y Copa" [20th anniversary of Atlético's League and Cup ‘Double’]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. Gómez, Jesús (17 January 1996). "Escándalo en el Villamarín" [Scandal at the Villamarín]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  5. Muñoz, Miguel Á. (28 April 1996). "El Valencia se postula" [Valencia poised]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. Winter, Henry (3 September 2003). "UEFA Cup Final: Liverpool hit treble top". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
  7. Subirana, Maria Josep (9 July 2015). "Delfí Geli, nuevo presidente" [Delfí Geli, new president]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. Miranda, José Carlos (16 January 1992). "España no pasa de mediocre" [Spain can only be mediocre]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  9. "Llistat jugadors de la selecció catalana" [List of Catalan national team players] (PDF) (in Catalan). Catalan Football Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
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