 Molina withLevante in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Francisco Molina Jiménez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1970-08-08)8 August 1970 (age 55)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Valencia, Spain[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mohun Bagan (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Benimar | |||
| Valencia | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1993 | Valencia B | 37 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | →Alzira (loan) | 29 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | Valencia | 0 | (0) |
| 1994 | →Villarreal (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Albacete | 23 | (0) |
| 1995–2000 | Atlético Madrid | 189 | (0) |
| 2000–2006 | Deportivo La Coruña | 169 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Levante | 34 | (0) |
| Total | 499 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2000 | Spain | 9 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009–2011 | Villarreal C | ||
| 2011 | Villarreal B | ||
| 2011–2012 | Villarreal | ||
| 2013–2014 | Getafe B | ||
| 2014–2015 | Kitchee | ||
| 2016 | ATK | ||
| 2017–2018 | Atlético San Luis | ||
| 2024–2025 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Francisco Molina Jiménez (born 8 August 1970) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. He was most recently thehead coach ofIndian Super League clubMohun Bagan.
Eleven years of his extensive professional career were spent atAtlético Madrid andDeportivo de La Coruña, where he won a total of five titles. Over 14 seasons, he appeared in 415La Liga matches.
ASpain international for four years, Molina represented the nation at the1998 World Cup and twoEuropean Championships.
Born inValencia,Valencian Community, Molina started playing professionally with modestUD Alzira, being purchased in 1991 by local giantsValencia CF. After a loan stint with neighboursVillarreal CF he was sold toAlbacete Balompié, making hisLa Liga debut on 8 January 1995 in a 1–0 home win againstReal Oviedo.[2] Even though he conceded eight goals in the last matchday, a home loss againstDeportivo de La Coruña,[3] his teammanaged to escape relegation in the playoffs.
Molina's career was intimately related withAtlético Madrid, of which he claimed to be a fan. Signing in 1995, he helped thecapital side win adouble (league andCopa del Rey) in hisfirst year, going on to miss only two league matches over four seasons.[4]
Joining2000 league champions Deportivo La Coruña after Atlético's relegation, Molina helped win a Spanish cup and twosupercups, being an undisputed starter throughout his stint inGalicia. However, on 14 October 2002, he announced that he suffered fromtesticular cancer,[5][6] and that he was forced to undergo treatment for his illness, thus missing most of the2002–03 campaign (ten league appearances, asDepor finished third); he eventually recovered fully.[7][8]
After his link expired,[9] Molina returned home to Valencia for2006–07, playing for top-division strugglersLevante UD, but did not renew his contract at the season's end, retiring subsequently as the club retained its league status.[10][11][12]
Molina made hisSpain national team debut as an outfield player againstNorway on 24 April 1996 – acameo appearance as aleft winger, as allreplacements had been made by coachJavier Clemente andJuan Manuel López retired injured.[13][14]
He was then included in the squads forUEFA Euro 1996 and the1998 FIFA World Cup, but had to wait untilEuro 2000 for first-choice status, although he was dropped after a blunder in the opening 1–0 loss to Norway and did not play afterwards.[15][16]
In the2009–10 campaign, Molina started a coaching career withVillarreal C ofTercera División. On 12 May 2011, he replaced the firedJavi Gracia at the helm ofthe reserves in theSegunda División as the team was seriously threatened with relegation.[17]
Molina reached Villarreal's main squad on 22 December 2011, taking the place of sackedJuan Carlos Garrido.[18] He was himself dismissed on 18 March of the following year after a 1–0 away loss against former club Levante, with theYellow Submarine dangerously close to the relegation zone (17th).[19]
In 2014, after leadingGetafe CF B to the14th place in theSegunda División B,[20] Molina was appointed at Hong Kong'sKitchee SC. In hisonly season he managed win the domestictreble, also taking the team tothe quarter-finals of theAFC Cup.[21]
On 3 May 2016, Molina was announced as the head coach ofIndian Super League sideATK, replacing countrymanAntonio López Habas.[22] On 14 November of the following year, he was appointed atAscenso MX clubAtlético San Luis ahead of theClausura tournament.[23] He was relieved of his duties by the latter on 18 February 2018 after just two wins in 11 matches in all competitions, with his side in last position in the league.[24]
In July 2018, Molina was appointed assporting director of theRoyal Spanish Football Federation, replacingFernando Hierro who had resigned in the aftermath of Spain's performance at the2018 FIFA World Cup.[25] In December 2022, he left his position following a last-16 elimination at the2022 World Cup at the hands ofMorocco.[26]
Molina signed as manager of Indian top-tierMohun Bagan Super Giant on 11 June 2024, again taking over from López Habas.[27][28] He led the club to both the national championship and the League Shield on hisdebut campaign.[29][30] On 26 November 2025, it was announced that the club had mutually terminated his contract.[31]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Valencia B | 1992–93 | Segunda División B | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| 1993–94 | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 37 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 0 | |||||
| Alzira (loan) | 1990–91 | Segunda División B | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal (loan) | 1993–94 | Segunda División | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| Albacete | 1994–95 | La Liga | 23 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| Atlético Madrid | 1995–96 | 42 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | — | 53 | 0 | |||
| 1996–97 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99 | 38 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 53 | 0 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | |||
| Total | 189 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 248 | 0 | ||
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2000–01 | La Liga | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 50 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | 38 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 52 | 0 | |||
| Total | 169 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 235 | 0 | ||
| Levante | 2006–07 | La Liga | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 499 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 88 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 635 | 0 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Villarreal C | 1 July 2009 | 12 April 2011 | 73 | 34 | 16 | 23 | 046.58 | [34] |
| Villarreal B | 12 May 2011 | 22 December 2011 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 022.73 | [35] |
| Villarreal | 22 December 2011 | 18 March 2012 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 027.27 | [36] |
| Getafe B | 18 June 2013 | 18 March 2014 | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 030.00 | [37] |
| Kitchee | 24 May 2014 | 31 May 2015 | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 063.16 | [38] |
| ATK | 5 May 2016 | 18 December 2016 | 17 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 029.41 | [39] |
| Atlético San Luis | 14 November 2017 | 18 February 2018 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 018.18 | [40] |
| Mohun Bagan | 11 June 2024 | 26 November 2025 | 42 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 066.67 | [41] |
| Career total | 244 | 108 | 60 | 76 | 044.26 | — | ||
Atlético Madrid
Deportivo
Individual
Kitchee
Atlético Kolkata
Mohun Bagan
Spain squads | |||||||||||||
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