Juan Velasco (footballer)

Juan Velasco Damas (born 17 May 1977) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right back, and is a manager.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Velasco and the second or maternal family name is Damas.
Juan Velasco
Personal information
Full name Juan Velasco Damas
Date of birth (1977-05-17) 17 May 1977
Place of birth Dos Hermanas, Spain
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1995–1996 Coria
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1997 Sevilla B 14 (1)
1997–1999 Sevilla 79 (3)
1999–2004 Celta 134 (1)
2004–2006 Atlético Madrid 46 (0)
2006–2007 Espanyol 20 (0)
2008 Norwich City 3 (0)
2008–2009 Panthrakikos 25 (0)
2010–2011 AEL 27 (0)
Total 348 (5)
National team
1998–1999 Spain U21 5 (0)
2000 Spain 5 (0)
Teams managed
2013–2016 Xerez B
2016 Extremadura
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played for seven clubs during his professional career, appearing in 213 matches in La Liga and scoring one goal. He also competed abroad in England and Greece.

Velasco represented Spain at Euro 2000.

Club career

Born in Dos Hermanas, Province of Seville, Velasco started representing professionally local giants Sevilla FC, appearing in 13 La Liga matches in the 1996–97 season, which ended in relegation. His league debut occurred on 5 March 1997 in a 0–2 away loss against Rayo Vallecano, and in the following two years he amassed nearly 72 official appearances, contributing prominently in the second as the Andalusians returned to the top level.

After helping Sevilla promote, Velasco joined Celta de Vigo, experiencing his most successful period: in the 2002–03 campaign he played 31 games to help the Galicians qualify for the first time ever to the UEFA Champions League. In the following season, however, he saw his team suffer relegation.[1]

Velasco played the following three years with Atlético Madrid (two) and RCD Espanyol, averaging 22 contests per season. On 18 February 2008, after spending the first months of the new campaign without a club, he signed a three-month contract with Football League Championship side Norwich City, following a successful trial;[2] at the end of the season he left for Panthrakikos FC, freshly promoted to the Superleague Greece.

After one-and-a-half seasons of relative playing time, Velasco moved teams in January 2010 but stayed in the country, signing with Athlitiki Enosi Larissa FC. He retired in June of the following year at the age of 34, and in 2013 returned to football, being appointed manager at Xerez CD B.[3]

On 13 October 2016, Velasco signed as head coach of Extremadura UD.[4]

International career

Velasco was capped five times by Spain, his debut coming on 26 January 2000 in a 3–0 friendly win over Poland (Cartagena).[5] Selected for UEFA Euro 2000,[6] he did not leave the bench.

Honours

Celta

References
  1. "Juan Velasco" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. "City sign Velasco on Bosman". Norwich City F.C. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  3. "Juan Velasco entrenará al Xerez "B"" [Juan Velasco will coach Xerez "B"] (in Spanish). Xerez CD. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  4. "Juan Velasco, nuevo entrenador del Extremadura" [Juan Velasco, new Extremadura manager]. Hoy (in Spanish). 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  5. "España dota de argumentos a Camacho con otra goleada" [Spain give reasons to Camacho with another routing]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 January 2000. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  6. Spanish squad unveiled; BBC Sport, 28 May 2000
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