Fran (Spanish footballer)

Fran
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier González Pérez
Date of birth (1969-07-14) 14 July 1969
Place of birth Carreira, Spain
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
Carreira CF
Deportivo La Coruña
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Fabril
1988–2005 Deportivo La Coruña 550 (57)
National team
1993–2000 Spain 16 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Francisco Javier González Pérez (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈθisko ˈxaβjeɾ ɣonˈθaleθ ˈpeɾeθ]; born 14 July 1969), known as Fran [fɾan], is a Spanish retired professional footballer.

He spent his entire career with Deportivo, as a left midfielder with skill and field vision, helping it win the first La Liga title in the club's history.

Fran represented Spain at Euro 2000.

Club career

Fran, one of the most notable players in Deportivo de La Coruña's history, was born in Carreira, Santa Uxía de Ribeira, Galicia, and was promoted to the first team in 1988, making his La Liga debut on 31 August 1991 in a 1–2 away loss against Valencia CF.[1] Quickly established, he only missed eight league games in his first five seasons combined – also scoring on 24 occasions – while already being captain.[2]

In the 1995–96 off-season, Real Madrid almost signed Fran (previously, in early 1992 and unbeknownst to him, he had agreed to a pre-contract with that club after having already put pen to paper to a new deal at Deportivo[3][4]), but he regretted leaving and returned quickly. In 1999–2000, as Depor conquered its first top level league, injuries limited him to only 22 games, and he added a goal in a 2–0 home win over Valencia on 12 March 2000.[5]

Fran retired from football at the end of the 2004–05 campaign after 17 years at the Estadio Riazor, 14 in the first division, at the same time as Mauro Silva, with both playing their last match on 22 May 2005 in a 0–3 home defeat to RCD Mallorca. He amassed more than 600 overall appearances.[6]

In 2008, Fran returned to Deportivo, joining its indoor soccer team alongside former teammates Djalminha, Donato, Noureddine Naybet and Jacques Songo'o.[7][8]

International career

Fran made his Spain national team debut on 27 January 1993, in a friendly 1–1 draw against Mexico in Las Palmas.[9] In total he earned 16 caps, participating at UEFA Euro 2000 where he played his last international, in a 4–3 group stage win over Yugoslavia.[10]

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.27 March 1999Mestalla, Valencia, Spain Austria9–09–0Euro 2000 qualifying
2.31 March 1999Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino San Marino0–10–6Euro 2000 qualifying

Personal life

Fran's older brother, José Ramón, was also a footballer (and a midfielder). He too spent several seasons with Deportivo, but with much less individual impact.[11]

Honours

Deportivo

See also

References

  1. ↑ El Valencia reacciona a tiempo (Valencia react on time); Mundo Deportivo, 1 September 1991 (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ ¿Qué fue de Fran, el capitán del Superdepor? (What happened to Fran, captain of Superdepor?); Diario AS, 7 March 2017 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ Fran firmó contratos con el Deportivo y el Madrid asesorado por un diputado socialista (Fran signed contracts with Deportivo and Madrid aided by a socialist deputy); El País, 7 February 1992 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ El fichaje frustrado de Fran por el Real Madrid (The botched signing of Fran for Real Madrid); Kaiser Magazine, 28 September 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ El líder renace cuando más lo necesita (Leaders reborn when they needed it the most); El País, 13 March 2000 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ El Mallorca da un portazo al ciclo de Fran y Mauro Silva (Mallorca slam door on Fran and Mauro Silva's cycle); Diario AS, 23 May 2005 (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ Deportivo 11 Valencia 11; Diario AS, 13 March 2009 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ Djalminha y Fran destrozan al Madrid (Djalminha and Fran destroy Madrid); Defensa Central, 29 January 2010 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ Más joven, pero igual de gris (Younger, but just as grey); Mundo Deportivo, 28 January 1993 (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ Spain survive in seven-goal classic; BBC Sport, 21 June 2000
  11. ↑ El excapitán del Deportivo José Ramón se incorpora al fútbol base (Former Deportivo captain José Ramón added to youth football); La Opinión A Coruña, 18 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  12. ↑ Supertítulo (Supertitle); Mundo Deportivo, 28 June 1995 (in Spanish)
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