Jesús García Pitarch

Jesús García Pitarch
Personal information
Full name Jesús Vicente García Pitarch Marco
Date of birth (1963-11-14) 14 November 1963
Place of birth La Pobla, Spain
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Winger
Youth career
Atlètic Vallbonense
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1983 Mestalla
1983–1985 Valencia 37 (9)
1983–1984 → Gandia (loan)
1985–1987 Español 30 (6)
1988–1990 Figueres 48 (10)
1990–1991 Orihuela Deportiva 35 (22)
1991–1993 Logroñés 53 (6)
1993–1994 Mérida 28 (13)
1994–1996 Villarreal 67 (14)
1996–1997 Murcia 21 (4)
Total 319 (84)
National team
1984–1985 Spain U21 5 (0)
1984 Spain amateur 1 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Jesús Vicente García Pitarch Marco (born 14 November 1963) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left winger. On the 10th of October 2018, he took on the role of Sporting Director at Aston Villa.

Playing career

Also known as Suso in his playing days, García Pitarch was born in La Pobla de Vallbona, Valencian Community, and played in 120 La Liga games over the course of six seasons (21 goals), spending two apiece with local Valencia CF, RCD Español and CD Logroñés. He made his debut in the competition on 8 January 1984 in a 0–3 home loss against Sporting de Gijón where he featured 16 minutes, and finished his first season with the Che with 16 games and six goals.

Whilst with Catalonia's Español, García Pitarch missed the entire 1986–87 campaign due to a bout of glomerulonephritis.[1] He went on to recover fully and, in Segunda División, represented UE Figueres, Orihuela Deportiva CF (scoring a career-best 22 goals in 1990–91 but still suffering team relegation, due to irregularities), CP Mérida and Villarreal CF.

Post-retirement

García Pitarch majored in law in 1987, opening a firm in his hometown. After being in charge of the club's academy, he worked as a director of football with Valencia, replacing Javier Subirats[2] and remaining in office until June 2004 – initially being fired in December of the previous year[3]– leaving as manager Rafael Benítez.

During five seasons, García Pitarch worked in the same capacity at Atlético Madrid,[4] being responsible for signing the likes of Diego Forlán and José Antonio Reyes.[5][6] García Pitarch tried to push Atlético Madrid B keeper David de Gea to move to Numancia on loan in 2009 and when de Gea rejected the move, he then punished the young keeper by forcing him to train by himself for a few weeks. On 4 July 2012, he was elected president of Hércules CF in the second level,[7] also being the main decider in the football department.[8]

García Pitarch left the Estadio José Rico Pérez after just one year, going on to work as director of football with Real Zaragoza,[9] Baniyas Club (United Arab Emirates)[10] and Valencia.[11] He left his role with the latter club on 7 January 2017.[12]

Jesus now acts as Sporting Director to Aston Villa

References

  1. ↑ García Pitarch: Recuerdos en el dique seco (García Pitarch: Memories from the recovery room); Mundo Deportivo, 31 October 1986 (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Máximo rendimiento con el mínimo dinero (High income with low money); El País, 29 May 2006 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ El Valencia destituye a García Pitarch (Valencia fires García Pitarch); El País, 4 December 2003 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ "García Pitarch, nuevo director deportivo del At.Madrid y Amorrortu, responsable del fútbol base" [García Pitarch, new At.Madrid sporting director and Amorrortu, head of youth football] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 28 May 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  5. ↑ The helmsman has changed but Atlético Madrid remain a complete shipwreck; The Guardian, 23 March 2009
  6. ↑ Atlético Madrid turn drama into crisis as Gil jnr keeps on digging; The Guardian, 14 September 2009
  7. ↑ García Pitarch, nuevo presidente del Hércules (García Pitarch, new president of Hércules); Marca, 4 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ García Pitarch tendrá como presidente la última palabra (García Pitarch will have as president the last word); Diario AS, 6 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ Agapito Iglesias, decidido a prescindir de García Pitarch en junio (Agapito Iglesias, decided to make do without García Pitarch in June); Heraldo de Aragón, 29 March 2014 (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ Pitarch ficha por el Baniyas SC de Abu Dhabi (Pitarch signs for Abu Dhabi's Baniyas SC); El Periódico de Aragón, 12 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  11. ↑ El Valencia Club de Fútbol ha nombrado en el día de hoy como director deportivo a Jesús García Pitarch (Valencia Club de Fútbol has named Jesús García Pitarch as sporting director on this day); Valencia CF, 13 January 2016 (in Spanish)
  12. ↑ "Comunicado oficial: Dimisión irrevocable del director deportivo, Jesús García Pitarch" [Official announcement: Irreversible resignation of sporting director, Jesús García Pitarch] (in Spanish). Valencia CF. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
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