 García playing forZenit in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier García Fernández[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1987-02-08)8 February 1987 (age 38)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mula, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2004 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Real Madrid B | 86 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Real Madrid | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Osasuna | 25 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Real Madrid | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Benfica | 74 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Manchester City | 53 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 73 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Betis | 53 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Boavista | 39 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 421 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Spain U16 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Spain U17 | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Spain U19 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Spain U20 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Spain U21 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Spain | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Benfica (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Francisco Javier "Javi"García Fernández (Spanish pronunciation:[fɾanˈθiskoxaˈβjeɾˈxaβiɣaɾˈθi.afeɾˈnandeθ]; born 8 February 1987) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer. Adefensive midfielder by nature, he could also play as acentral defender.
He started his career withReal Madrid, but represented mostly thereserve team, going on to have a three-year spell withBenfica in Portugal. In 2012 he signed withManchester City, then spent a further three seasons in theRussian Premier League withZenit Saint Petersburg. He returned to Spain withBetis in 2017, and retired atBoavista.
García representedSpain atvarious youth levels, including the victoriousunder-19s at the2006 European Championship, and made his senior international debut in 2012.
A product ofReal Madrid's youth system, García was born inMula,Region of Murcia,[3] and played threeLa Liga matches for the first team while stilla junior, making his debut at age 17 in a 5–0 home win againstLevante on 28 November 2004.[4][5] After that, he spent the entire2005–06 season withthe reserves in theSegunda División.
The summer of 2006 was a very busy one for García: first, hewon theUEFA European Championship with theunder-19s,[6] impressing first-team head coachFabio Capello who called him to training sessions. He played most of Real's pre-season games, including a starting line-up spot in bothRamón de Carranza Trophy fixtures, being deployed in central midfield alongside new purchaseEmerson.[7]
In August 2007, García was supposed to be definitively promoted to the first team, but head coachBernd Schuster deemed him surplus to requirements alongside fellowcantera playersRubén de la Red andEsteban Granero.[8] García would finally settle forOsasuna on 31 August, signing for four seasons for a €2.5 million transfer fee as theNavarre side was keen to replace injury-struck midfielderJavad Nekounam (out of action for several months);[9] having first appeared in a 0–0 home draw withBarcelona, where he featured 90 minutes,[10] he scored twice in his first six matches, in victories over Levante (4–1)[11] andVillarreal (3–2).[12]
García's contract included a buy-back clause that could see him return to Real Madrid for €4 million. On 29 April 2008, Osasuna officially reported that the former had exercised their purchase option, and the player returned to theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium for2008–09;[13] he made his first league appearance for Real in his second spell during the 7–1 thrashing ofSporting de Gijón on 24 September, coming on as a second-halfsubstitute forMahamadou Diarra.[14]
Deemed surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, García signed forBenfica in Portugal on 21 July 2009 on a five-year contract for a €7 million transfer fee.[15] An undisputed starter throughout hisfirst season he also scored three goals, most notably through aheader in thelast minute for the game's only goal againstAssociação Naval 1º de Maio at home,[16] as the club clung onto the top position on 9 November and eventually won thePrimeira Liga.[17]
García made 39 competitive appearances in2011–12. His two goals of the campaign came againstSporting CP in theLisbon derby 1–0 home win,[18] and atChelsea in thequarter-finals of theUEFA Champions League – in the latter, he netted off acorner kick in the 85th minute to make it 1–1, but ten-men Benfica lost 2–1 and 3–1 on aggregate.[19]
On 31 August 2012, García joinedManchester City for £15.8 million.[20][21] He made hisPremier League debut on 15 September in a 1–1 away draw toStoke City, scoring with a header from aCarlos Tevez free kick.[22]
After picking up a thigh injury in the early minutes of theChampions League group stage fixture againstBorussia Dortmund, García missed several weeks of action.[23] He made his return againstWest Ham United, replacing Tevez in the 84th minute of a 0–0 draw atUpton Park.[24] On 15 December, he started in a 3–1 victory atNewcastle United and scored his side's second goal.[25]
On 13 August 2014,Zenit Saint Petersburg announced the £13 million signing of García after he passed the medical and agreed to personal terms.[26] He scored his first goal for his new team 18 days later, the only in an away win overLokomotiv Moscow in theRussian Premier League.[27]
García played 24 matches in the2014–15 season, scoring three times as the side won the fifth national championship in their history (fourth under the tournament's new denomination).[28]
On 14 August 2017, the 30-year-old García returned to Spain after eight years to joinReal Betis.[29] He totalled 64 games for the team from theEstadio Benito Villamarín over three seasons, scoring once in a 3–1 away win againstAlavés on 12 March 2018[30] and beingsent off the following 10 February in a 3–0 loss atLeganés.[31]
García signed a new two-year contract with theAndalusians on 5 July 2019.[32]
After mutually terminating his contract with Betis, García went back to Portugal's top flight by joiningBoavista on a three-year deal on 19 August 2020.[33][34] He scored his first goal for the team on 25 October in a 2–2 draw atFamalicão, in which he was sent off.[35]
On 22 June 2022, the 35-year-old García retired. Remaining in Portugal, he immediately went back to Benfica and joined the staff of new managerRoger Schmidt.[36]
García represented theSpain national under-21 team at the2009 UEFA European Championship, appearing againstEngland (2–0 loss)[37] in an eventual group stage exit.[38] He earned his firstcap for thefull side on 26 May 2012, playing 22 minutes of a 2–0friendly win overSerbia inSt. Gallen.[39]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid | 2004–05 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Osasuna | 2007–08 | La Liga | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 2 | ||
| Real Madrid | 2008–09 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Benfica | 2009–10 | Primeira Liga | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 46 | 4 |
| 2010–11 | Primeira Liga | 24 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 39 | 2 | |
| Total | 72 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 39 | 3 | 130 | 14 | ||
| Manchester City | 2012–13 | Premier League | 24 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 80 | 2 | ||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2014–15 | Russian Premier League | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 2015–16 | Russian Premier League | 26 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17 | Russian Premier League | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | Russian Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 73 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 108 | 7 | ||
| Betis | 2017–18 | La Liga | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Total | 53 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 64 | 1 | ||
| Boavista | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| Total | 39 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 333 | 19 | 41 | 2 | 21 | 4 | 88 | 3 | 483 | 28 | ||
Real Madrid B
Real Madrid
Benfica
Manchester City
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Spain U19
