Esteban Vigo

Esteban Vigo Benítez (born 17 January 1955) is a Spanish retired football midfielder and manager.

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

Esteban Vigo
Personal information
Full name Esteban Vigo Benítez
Date of birth (1955-01-17) 17 January 1955
Place of birth Vélez-Málaga, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Santa María
1970–1972 Veleño
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1974 Atlético Malagueño
1974–1977 Málaga 53 (7)
1974–1975 → Marbella (loan)
1977–1987 Barcelona 166 (18)
1987–1991 Málaga 109 (17)
Total 328 (42)
National team
1979–1980 Spain U23 6 (1)
1976 Spain amateur 3 (0)
1981 Spain B 3 (0)
1981 Spain 3 (0)
Teams managed
1995–1996 Almería
2001–2003 Barcelona C
2003–2004 Xerez
2004 Córdoba
2005 Progresul București (assistant)
2005 Universitatea Craiova (assistant)
2005–2006 Dinamo București
2007 Lleida
2008–2009 Xerez
2009–2011 Hércules
2012 Almería
2012–2013 Xerez
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played the vast majority of his professional career with Málaga and Barcelona, amassing La Liga totals of 240 games and 24 goals over 13 seasons.

Vigo became a manager in 1995, going on to coach several clubs.

Playing career

Known as Esteban during his playing days, he was born in Vélez-Málaga, and had his first professional spell with local CD Málaga, achieving La Liga promotion in 1976. He subsequently attracted attention from country giants FC Barcelona who signed him in December 1976 for 25 million pesetas,[1][2] and he proceeded to be regularly used during ten years although never an undisputed starter (a maximum of 23 matches in the 1980–81 season); he also scored the winner in a 3–1 Copa del Rey defeat of Sporting de Gijón, also in that campaign.[3]

Esteban returned to his first club in 1987,[4] retiring four years later at the age of 36. He earned three caps for Spain during a two-month span in 1981 as the nation prepared for its FIFA World Cup,[5] but did not make the final cut; he also represented the country at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[6]

Coaching career

Taking up coaching afterwards, Vigo began in his native Andalusia with UD Almería,[7][8] and continued to work mainly in the region,[9][10] also having an abroad spell in Romania.[11][12] In 2009 he led Xerez CD to their first top-level promotion[13] but, in July 2009, switched to another side in Segunda División, moving to Hércules CF[14] and achieving the same as runner-up, with the Alicante club returning to the top flight after 13 years.[15]

Vigo was sacked by Hércules on 21 March 2011, following a 0–4 home loss against CA Osasuna – it was the team's fourth consecutive defeat of the season, winning just one point out of 15 possible.[16] He was named the new Almería manager on 4 April of the following year, replacing Lucas Alcaraz.[17]

In July 2012, Vigo returned to Xerez on a two-year deal with the option of two more.[18] He and his three assistants were dismissed the following February, with the club last-placed and seven points from safety (and eventually relegated in that position).[19]

Outside football

Vigo released his autobiography, titled Ganador (winner), on 13 September 2010.[20]

Honours

Player

Barcelona

Málaga

Manager

Xerez

References
  1. Esteban, al Barcelona (Esteban, to Barcelona); Mundo Deportivo, 15 December 1976 (in Spanish)
  2. Pellegrini vs. Drenthe; Diario AS, 11 November 2010 (in Spanish)
  3. El Barcelona ganó una bonita final de Copa (Barcelona won beautiful Cup final); El País, 19 June 1981 (in Spanish)
  4. El Malága ficha a Esteban y negocia la contratación de Kubala (Malága sign Esteban and negotiate hiring Kubala); El País, 12 June 1987 (in Spanish)
  5. 0–0: Austria-España, tal para cual (0–0: Austria-Spain, to each his own); Mundo Deportivo, 24 September 1981 (in Spanish)
  6. Esteban y Juanito, los espejos de Isco (Esteban and Juanito, Isco's mirrors); Málaga Hoy, 14 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  7. "Los lodos del 96 han traído los barros del 2012" [The mud of 96 has brought the mire of 2012] (in Spanish). Diario de Almería. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  8. Esteban debutó en un banquillo profesional en Almería (Esteban made professional bench debut in Almería) Archived 13 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine; Xerezmania, 24 August 2012 (in Spanish)
  9. Esteban será presentado hoy como nuevo técnico (Esteban will be presented as new manager today); Mundo Deportivo, 12 November 2003 (in Spanish)
  10. El Córdoba destituye a Esteban Vigo (Córdoba fire Esteban Vigo); Cadena SER, 11 October 2004 (in Spanish)
  11. Esteban, al Dinamo Bucarest (Esteban, to Dinamo Bucharest); Mundo Deportivo, 24 December 2005 (in Spanish)
  12. Esteban deja Rumanía (Esteban leaves Romania); Mundo Deportivo, 28 February 2006 (in Spanish)
  13. Esteban obra el milagro de Primera (Esteban works Primera miracle); Diario AS, 14 June 2009 (in Spanish)
  14. ´Me van los retos´ (´I like challenges´); Diario Información, 30 June 2009 (in Spanish)
  15. Esteban Vigo logra su segundo ascenso consecutivo (Esteban Vigo gets his second consecutive promotion); Marca, 19 June 2010 (in Spanish)
  16. Vigo dismissed after thrashing; ESPN Soccernet, 21 March 2011
  17. Esteban Vigo, nuevo entrenador del Almería (Esteban Vigo, new Almería coach) Archived 7 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine; UD Almería, 4 April 2012 (in Spanish)
  18. "Esteban y Rondán se vincularán al Xerez cuatro años" [Esteban and Rondán will be linked to Xerez for four years] (in Spanish). Marca. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  19. "Esteban Vigo, destituido como técnico del Xerez" [Esteban Vigo, dismissed as manager of Xerez] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  20. Esteban presentó ayer su autobiografía en Jerez (Esteban presented his autobiography yesterday in Jerez); Diario AS, 14 September 2010 (in Spanish)
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