Paquito García

{{Short description|Spanish footballer and manager (1938–2024)}}

{{Distinguish|Paquito Escudero}}

{{family name hatnote|García|Gómez|lang=Spanish}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Paquito

| image =

| fullname = Francisco García Gómez

| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|2|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Oviedo, Spain

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|8|21|1938|2|14|df=yes}}

| death_place = Valencia, Spain

| height = 1.81 m

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Ovetense

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Cibeles

| youthyears3 =

| youthclubs3 = Oviedo

| years1 = 1957–1963

| clubs1 = Oviedo

| caps1 = 115

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 1957–1958

| clubs2 = → Juvencia (loan)

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 1958–1959

| clubs3 = → La Felguera (loan)

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1963–1972

| clubs4 = Valencia

| caps4 = 212

| goals4 = 26

| years5 = 1972–1973

| clubs5 = Mestalla

| caps5 = 31

| goals5 = 1

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1961

| nationalteam1 = Spain B

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1962–1967

| nationalteam2 = Spain

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 = Benimar

| manageryears2 = 1973–1974

| managerclubs2 = Gandía

| manageryears3 = 1974–1975

| managerclubs3 = Alzira

| manageryears4 = 1975–1976

| managerclubs4 = Atlético Madrileño

| manageryears5 = 1977–1978

| managerclubs5 = Valladolid

| manageryears6 = 1978–1980

| managerclubs6 = Castellón

| manageryears7 = 1980–1982

| managerclubs7 = Valladolid

| manageryears8 = 1982

| managerclubs8 = Hércules

| manageryears9 = 1983–1984

| managerclubs9 = Valencia

| manageryears10 = 1985–1986

| managerclubs10 = Cádiz

| manageryears11 = 1987–1988

| managerclubs11 = Figueres

| manageryears12 = 1989–1990

| managerclubs12 = Las Palmas

| manageryears13 = 1992–1993

| managerclubs13 = Racing Santander

| manageryears14 = 1994–1995

| managerclubs14 = Rayo Vallecano

| manageryears15 = 1995–1996

| managerclubs15 = Osasuna

| manageryears16 = 1996–1997

| managerclubs16 = Rayo Vallecano

| manageryears17 = 1999

| managerclubs17 = Villarreal

| manageryears18 = 1999–2000

| managerclubs18 = Villarreal

| manageryears19 = 2001–2002

| managerclubs19 = Onda

| manageryears20 = 2002

| managerclubs20 = Villarreal

| manageryears21 = 2004

| managerclubs21 = Villarreal

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|ESP}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|UEFA European Championship}}

{{Medal|Winner|1964 Spain|}}

}}

Francisco García Gómez (14 February 1938 – 21 August 2024), commonly known as Paquito, was a Spanish football midfielder and manager.

Playing career

Paquito was born in Oviedo, Asturias. Over the course of 14 seasons, he played 327 La Liga games as a midfielder in representation of Real Oviedo and Valencia CF, scoring 31 goals. In the 1970–71 campaign, he appeared in 27 matches (all starts) and netted three times as the latter team won their fourth national championship, the first in 24 years.[https://www.marca.com/blogs/ni-mas-ni-menos/2017/02/10/paquito-el-centrocampista-asturiano-que.html Paquito, el centrocampista asturiano que dijo no a Italia (Paquito, the Asturian midfielder who said no to Italy)]; Marca, 10 February 2017 {{in lang|es}}

Paquito earned nine caps for Spain during nearly five years, his debut coming on 1 November 1962 in a 6–0 home win against Romania for the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifiers. He was part of Spain's squad that won the 1964 European Nations' Cup.

Coaching career

Paquito coached for more than 30 years,[https://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/deportes/abuelo-liga_97088.html El abuelo de la Liga (The League's grandfather)]; El Periódico Mediterráneo, 19 March 2004 {{in lang|es}} his first job with the professionals being in the 1977–78 season with Real Valladolid (Segunda División, seventh position). He achieved three promotions to the top flight, with Racing de Santander (1993), Rayo Vallecano (1995) and Villarreal CF (2000).{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2009/03/04/deportes/1236121204_850215.html|title=El año que Jiménez ayudó a Caparrós|trans-title=The year Jiménez helped Caparrós|work=El País|first=Hector|last=Iglesias|language=es|date=4 March 2009|access-date=22 March 2020}}

With the latter club, Paquito also worked in directorial capacities, as an assistant manager, youth academy director and head coach of farm team CD Onda.[https://www.superdeporte.es/futbol/2012/06/30/paquito-pone-15-anos-trabajo-villarreal/166033.html Paquito pone fin a 15 años de trabajo en el Villarreal (Paquito puts an end to 15 years of work at Villarreal)]; Super Deporte, 2 July 2012 {{in lang|es}}[http://www.vivirasturias.com/asturias/oviedo/garcia-gomez-paquito-francisco/es García Gómez, «Paquito», Francisco] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626215709/http://www.vivirasturias.com/asturias/oviedo/garcia-gomez-paquito-francisco/es |date=26 June 2013 }}; at Vivir Asturias {{in lang|es}}

Death

García died in Valencia on 21 August 2024, at the age of 86.{{Cite web |last=EFE |date=2024-08-21 |title=Fallece con 86 años Paquito García, leyenda del Villarreal |url=https://cadenaser.com/comunitat-valenciana/2024/08/21/fallece-con-86-anos-paquito-garcia-leyenda-del-villarreal-radio-castellon/ |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=Cadena SER |language=es-ES}}

Honours

References

{{reflist}}