| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Alberto Copado Álvarez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-07-19)19 July 1974 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Kiel,West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker,midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1989 | Eintracht Kiel | ||
| 1989–1991 | Holstein Kiel | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1995 | Hamburger SV | 13 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Mallorca | 48 | (6) |
| 1997–2000 | Tennis Borussia Berlin | 79 | (18) |
| 2000–2005 | SpVgg Unterhaching | 117 | (60) |
| 2005–2006 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 25 | (6) |
| 2006–2008 | 1899 Hoffenheim | 66 | (25) |
| 2009 | SpVgg Unterhaching | 6 | (1) |
| Total | 354 | (116) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2014 | SpVgg Unterhaching (youth) | ||
| 2014–2015 | SpVgg Unterhaching (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francisco Alberto Copado Álvarez (born 19 July 1974) is a German retiredfootballer who played as astriker ormidfielder.[2]
The son of Spanishimmigrants, Copado began his football career in his hometown ofKiel, initially at Eintracht Kiel and later withHolstein Kiel, where he came through the youth ranks. For the1992–93 season he received a professional contract fromHamburger SV, whosescouts had been keeping a close eye on the young offensive player.
From 1993 to 1995 Copado played in threeBundesliga matches, the first on 20 November 1993 as a latesubstitute in a 3–0 away loss against1. FC Kaiserslautern. In1995–96 he amassed a further ten appearances underFelix Magath, before leaving the club in the wintertransfer window.
Copado subsequently moved to Spain, joiningSegunda División teamRCD Mallorca in January 1996. Inhis first full season he contributed two goals in 30 games (his first in a 1–0 win atReal Madrid Castilla), helping win promotion toLa Liga.
However, Copado would never play in Spain's top level, as he left in July 1997 and joined lower league sideTennis Borussia Berlin – there, he played underHermann Gerland, themanager mostly associated with the player's explosion. He ended the season with 12 goals asTeBe was unbeaten and becameRegionalliga Nord champions; in the2. Bundesliga, he would only score six goals in the following two seasons combined.
For the2000–01 campaign top division clubSpVgg Unterhaching bought Copado, at the express petition of club managerLorenz-Günther Köstner. However, after a few games, the player failed to produce on the pitch (including training), while also gaining a reputation for excessive partying. Therefore, he was suspended for ten months due to disciplinary reasons – during this time, he was forced to train on his own, and only when Köstner was fired on 13 September 2001 (with the club previously having been relegated) did the situation clear;Rainer Adrion took over the ruins and the player was forgiven, but Unterhaching dropped another level.
UnderWolfgang Frank, who made himteam captain, Copado netted an incredible 58 league goals[3] in three seasons (being instrumental in the side's return to the second level in 2003), operating as bothforward andmidfielder. Due to those solid performances, the 31-year-old returned to the top flight for the third time in his career, joiningEintracht Frankfurt on a three-year contract.
Copado eventually broke into the first team after early difficulties, scoring six goals duringthe season – in December 2005 he was even awarded thePlayer of the Month award. However, he only managed one goal in his 14 last appearances, losing the confidence of managerFriedhelm Funkel and subsequently being sold in the following transfer window (although he still appeared in the first match of 2006–07).
Copado joinedTSG 1899 Hoffenheim on 30 August 2006, being a crucial offensive element in the club's rise from the third (Regionalliga Süd) to the first level in just two seasons (14 goals in his first year, ten in the second). He appeared sparingly duringthe campaign's first half, managing to score apenalty in Hoffenheim's 3–0 home win overArminia Bielefeld on 29 November 2008. On 16 December he was released from contract, returning to former side Unterhaching and retiring on 31 March 2009,[4] having played his last game the previous day.[5]
From 2012 onwards Copado continued working with Unterhaching, asdirector of football and youth and assistant manager.[6]
Copado is the brother-in-law ofHasan Salihamidžić, to whom his sister is married.[7] During his playing days at Mallorca, he was often referred to asPaco.[8]
Copado married Eva Schrobenhauser, daughter of former side Unterhaching's owner Anton Schrobenhauser,[7][9] on 31 May 2008.[10] They have two sons together, includingLucas Copado, a footballer forBayern Munich.[11] Copado and Schrobenhauser later separated.[12]
