Rafael Paz

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rafa Paz

| image =

| fullname = Rafael Paz Marín

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|8|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Puebla de Don Fadrique, Spain

| height = 1.80 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Huéscar

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Granada 74

| youthyears3 = 1980–1984 | youthclubs3 = Sevilla

| years1 = 1984–1986 | clubs1 = Sevilla B | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1984–1997 | clubs2 = Sevilla | caps2 = 340 |goals2 = 25

| years3 = 1997 | clubs3 = Celaya | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 1

| totalcaps = 354 | totalgoals = 26

| nationalyears1 = 1982 | nationalteam1 = Spain U16 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1984 | nationalteam2 = Spain U18 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1985 | nationalteam3 = Spain U20 | nationalcaps3 = 3 | nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 1985–1987 | nationalteam4 = Spain U21 | nationalcaps4 = 9 | nationalgoals4 = 2

| nationalyears5 = 1990 | nationalteam5 = Spain | nationalcaps5 = 7 | nationalgoals5 = 0

}}

Rafael 'Rafa' Paz Marín (born 2 August 1965) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a right midfielder.

Club career

Paz was born in Puebla de Don Fadrique, Province of Granada. After starting out as a youth with CP Granada 74 he signed with neighbours Sevilla FC still as a junior, going on to appear in 386 competitive games with the club and score 27 goals. In the 1989–90 season, while playing all the matches safe one, he netted a career-best six times, helping the Andalusians to finish sixth in La Liga with the subsequent qualification for the UEFA Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.sevillismoenvena.com/2016/03/rafa-paz-el-mitico-7-del-sevilla.html|title=Rafa Paz. El mítico '7' del Sevilla|trans-title=Rafa Paz. Sevilla's legendary '7'|publisher=Sevillismo en Vena|language=Spanish|date=30 March 2016|accessdate=11 August 2022}}

Upon Sevilla's relegation in 1997, Paz moved to Mexico, closing out his career after one season with Atlético Celaya, where he teamed up with former fellow internationals Emilio Butragueño and Rafael Martín Vázquez.

International career

Paz represented Spain on seven occasions, all in 1990, and was included in the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup where he took part in two matches.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1990/06/14/pagina-3/1216400/pdf.html|title=¡Muchas gracias, "Príncipe"!|trans-title=Thanks a lot, "Prince"!|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Tomás|last=Guasch|language=Spanish|date=14 June 1990|accessdate=29 June 2017}} His debut came on 21 February, in a friendly against Czechoslovakia.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/sevilla/abc.sevilla/1990/02/22/069.html|title=1–0: La selección española se impuso con gran dificultad a una correosa Checoslovaquia|trans-title=1–0: Spanish national team had great trouble overcoming scrappy Czechoslovakia|newspaper=ABC|language=Spanish|date=22 February 1990|accessdate=29 June 2017}}

Honours

Spain U20

FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 1985{{cite web|url=http://www.cihefe.es/cuadernosdefutbol/2014/11/espana-en-los-mundiales-sub20-urss-1985/|title=España en los mundiales sub’20: URSS 1985|trans-title=Spain in the under'20 World Cups: USSR 1985|publisher=Cuadernos de Fútbol|first=Óscar|last=Díez|language=Spanish|date=1 November 2014|accessdate=14 June 2018}}