Francis (footballer, born 1981)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Francis

| image = File:Cristiano Ronaldo 3... (3940186883).jpg

| caption = Francis (right) playing with Xerez in 2009

| fullname = Francisco Jesús Pérez Malia

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|12|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Barbate, Spain

| height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Right-back, midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Barbate

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Xerez

| years1 = 1999–2010 | clubs1 = Xerez | caps1 = 212 | goals1 = 2

| years2 = 2000 | clubs2 = → Getafe (loan) | caps2 = 2 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2001–2002 | clubs3 = → San Fernando (loan) | caps3 = 36 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2002–2003 | clubs4 = → Écija (loan)| caps4 = 31 | goals4 = 4

| years5 = 2010–2016 | clubs5 = Racing Santander | caps5 = 144 | goals5 = 0

| totalcaps = 425 | totalgoals = 9

| manageryears1 = 2019–2022 | managerclubs1 = Xerez Deportivo B

| manageryears2 = 2022–2023 | managerclubs2 = Xerez Deportivo

}}

Francisco Jesús Pérez Malia (born 17 December 1981), commonly known as Francis, is a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a right-back, currently a manager.

During his 17-year professional career he played mainly with Xerez and Racing de Santander, appearing in 222 competitive games with the former. He amassed Segunda División totals of 219 matches and one goal over nine seasons, and competed in La Liga with both clubs.

Club career

Born in Barbate, Province of Cádiz, Francis began his senior career with local Xerez CD. After two consecutive loans with Segunda División B clubs, including Getafe CF, he returned to his alma mater and made his professional debut in 2003–04's Segunda División, scoring once in 26 games. He went on to become an important first-team member, with the Andalusians achieving a first-ever La Liga promotion in the 2008–09 season.

Francis spent most of the short-lived top-flight campaign as a right-back.[https://as.com/futbol/2009/10/13/mas_futbol/1255415207_850215.html "Soy feliz, y lo seré más si me quedo en el Xerez" ("I am happy, and more if I stay at Xerez")]; Diario AS, 13 October 2009 (in Spanish)[https://www.diariodejerez.es/xerezcd/cierra-lateral-derecho-renovacion-Redondo_0_387561913.html El club cierra el lateral derecho con la renovación de Redondo (Club completes full-back slot with Redondo's renewal)]; Diario de Jerez, 16 July 2010 (in Spanish) On 8 May 2010, as Xerez still harboured chances of staying up, he netted his only goal of the season, in a 3–2 home win against Real Zaragoza.[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275560?cc=5739 Victory keeps Xerez hopes alive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024202625/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275560?cc=5739|date=24 October 2012}}; ESPN Soccernet, 8 May 2010 Later that month, his contract expired and he signed a four-year deal with Racing de Santander.[http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2010/05/18/1931160/official-racing-santander-sign-domingo-cisma-and-francis Official: Racing Santander sign Domingo Cisma and Francis]; Goal, 18 May 2010