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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Molina Simón | ||
| Date of birth | (1930-03-29)29 March 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Súria,Bages, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 14 November 2018(2018-11-14) (aged 88) | ||
| Place of death | Antofagasta, Chile | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder[1] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Deportivo Roberto Parra | |||
| Santiago Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1948–1950 | Santiago Wanderers | 30 | (8) |
| 1951–1952 | Universidad Católica | 27 | (12) |
| 1953–1956 | Atlético Madrid | 84 | (21) |
| 1957–1959 | Audax Italiano | 42 | (14) |
| 1960 | Unión Española | 23 | (4) |
| 1961 | Universidad Católica | 21 | (5) |
| 1963–1964 | Coquimbo Unido | ||
| Total | 227 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 1953–1959 | Chile | 8 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1963–1964 | Coquimbo Unido | ||
| 1965 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1966–1967 | Unión Española | ||
| 1968–1969 | Colo-Colo | ||
| 1970–1972 | Antofagasta Portuario | ||
| 1980 | O'Higgins | ||
| 1981 | Everton | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francisco "Paco" Molina Simón (29 March 1930 – 14 November 2018) was afootball player andmanager. Born in Spain, he played for theChile national team at international level.
Born inSúria,Province of Barcelona, Spain, Molina alongside his family moved to Chile when he was nine in 1939.[2] They settled atValparaíso after arriving there on board ofSS Winnipeg as one of the 2.200 exiles which escaped from theSpanish Civil War. In 1942 he was naturalized Chilean.[3]
During 1940s Molina joinedSantiago Wanderers youth set-up with prior spell playing at amateur club Deportivo Roberto Parra. Finally in 1948, he was promoted to Wanderers first-adult team squad aged eighteen. In Chile, he played forUniversidad Católica,Audax Italiano,Unión Española andCoquimbo Unido. He is considered the first Chilean player to be successful in Spain after his step inAtlético Madrid from 1953 to 1956.[4]
Molina made his international debut in a friendly match versus Yugoslav clubHajduk on 18 February 1953, where he scored a goal and Chile won 4–1. Including this match, he made a total of 8 appearances for theChile national team,[5] representing it at both the1953 South American Championship, becoming the top goalscorer of the tournament with 8 goals in 6 matches, and the friendly match versusBrazil in 1959.[6]
He began his coaching career inCoquimbo Unido, at the same he was a player. Next, he coached several clubs at theChilean Primera División, includingColo-Colo.[4]
Audax Italiano
Universidad Católica
Individual
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