Manu Sánchez (footballer, born 1979)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Manu Sánchez

| image =

| fullname = Antonio Manuel Sánchez Gómez

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|1|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Fuengirola, Spain

| height = {{height|m=1.82|precision=0}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Real Madrid

| years1 = 1998–1999

| years2 = 1998–2001

| years3 = 2002–2007

| years4 = 2007–2008

| years5 = 2009–2010

| clubs1 = Real Madrid C

| clubs2 = Real Madrid B

| clubs3 = Málaga

| clubs4 = Hércules

| clubs5 = Antequera

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 68

| caps3 = 97

| caps4 = 10

| caps5 = 10

| totalcaps = 185

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 9

| goals3 = 7

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 1

| totalgoals = 17

| nationalyears1 = 1997

| nationalyears2 = 1997–1998

| nationalteam1 = Spain U17

| nationalteam2 = Spain U18

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalcaps2 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Antonio Manuel 'Manu' Sánchez Gómez (born 25 January 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central midfielder.

Club career

Sánchez was born in Fuengirola, Province of Málaga. He came through the ranks of Real Madrid but never made it past the reserves;{{cite news|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/2002/12/19/polideportivo/1040274989_850215.html|title="No quiero volver al Real Madrid, sino triunfar aquí"|trans-title="I don't want to return to Real Madrid, I want to make it big here instead"|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Mario|last=Montero|language=Spanish|date=19 December 2002|accessdate=9 December 2022}} he was however included in their squad for the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2003/03/04/deportes/1046732402_850215.html|title=Manu, el alumno aplicado|trans-title=Manu, the hard-working student|newspaper=El País|first=Diego|last=Narváez|language=Spanish|date=4 March 2003|accessdate=9 December 2022}} He joined local Málaga CF in January 2002, being relatively used over five and a half seasons.

Manu's best output came in the 2002–03 campaign, with six La Liga goals in 36 appearances – including a brace against Athletic Bilbao on 9 March 2003 for a 3–0 home win{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2002/09/22/liga/1032724426.html|title=Angulo salva al Valencia de su primera derrota|trans-title=Angulo saves Valencia from first loss|newspaper=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=22 September 2002|accessdate=19 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2002/10/06/liga/1033929427.html|title=El Málaga no pone límites a su ilusión|trans-title=The sky is the limit for Málaga|newspaper=El Mundo|first=Carlos|last=Guisasola|language=Spanish|date=6 October 2002|accessdate=19 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2003/03/09/liga/1047234560.html|title=El Málaga se divierte ante el Athletic|trans-title=Málaga have fun against Athletic|newspaper=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=9 March 2003|accessdate=19 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2003/03/16/liga/1047839756.html|title=Tamudo saca al Espanyol del descenso|trans-title=Tamudo takes Espanyol from relegation|newspaper=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=16 March 2003|accessdate=19 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2003/05/18/liga/1053289209.html|title=El Málaga facilita el regreso del Madrid al Bernabéu|trans-title=Málaga make Madrid's return to the Bernabéu easy|newspaper=El Mundo|first=Óscar|last=Fornet|language=Spanish|date=18 May 2003|accessdate=19 July 2016}}– with Málaga finishing 13th. Previously, he had helped the Andalusia team to reach the UEFA Cup via success in the Intertoto Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.malagacf.com/en/news/the-intertoto-comes-of-age|title=The Intertoto comes of age|publisher=Málaga CF|date=27 August 2020|accessdate=9 December 2022}}

In the summer of 2007, after having appeared in only three Segunda División games during the season due to contractual problems, Sánchez signed with Hércules CF in the same league,{{cite news|url=https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/manu-rencores-malaga-321131/0/|title=Manu, sin rencores hacia el Málaga, su ex equipo|trans-title=Manu, holding no grudges against Málaga, his former team|newspaper=20 minutos|language=Spanish|date=13 December 2007|accessdate=9 December 2022}} being released at the end of the campaign after playing just ten out of a possible 42 matches. In early 2009 he joined lowly Antequera CF in a return to his native region,{{cite web|url=https://andaluciainformacion.es/jerez/32287/oscar-silva-no-esperaba-que-la-balona-estuviese-tan-abajo/|title=Óscar Silva: "No esperaba que la Balona estuviese tan abajo"|trans-title=Óscar Silva: "I did not expect for Balona to be this bad in the table"|publisher=Andalucía Información|first=Alejandro|last=Sánchez|language=Spanish|date=25 February 2009|accessdate=9 December 2022}} with the club being eventually relegated to Tercera División.