| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Santiago Palanca Molina | ||
| Date of birth | (1957-03-23)23 March 1957 (age 68) | ||
| Place of birth | Lucena, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1976 | Torreforta | ||
| 1976–1982 | Gimnàstic | ||
| 1982–1985 | Espanyol | 14 | (0) |
| 1985–1987 | Sabadell | 16 | (1) |
| 1987–1988 | Gimnàstic | 24 | (10) |
| 1988–1989 | Tortosa | ||
| Total | 54 | (11) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1990–1993 | Torreforta | ||
| 1993–1996 | Torredembarra | ||
| 1996–1999 | Valls | ||
| 1999–2001 | Reus | ||
| 2005–2009 | Vilanova | ||
| 2010–2011 | Rapitenca | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Santiago "Santi"Palanca Molina (born 23 March 1957) is a Spanishfootballer andmanager, who is currentlyGimnàstic de Tarragona's director of youth football.
Palanca played as aright winger, with his career being mainly associated toGimnàstic, where he holds the record of most goals at theNou Estadi with 48.[1]
Born inLucena, Córdoba,Andalusia, Palanca made his debut as a senior with CDC Torreforta in the 1975–76 season, in the regional leagues. In 1976 he joinedTercera División sideGimnàstic de Tarragona, being a regular starter in the club's two consecutive promotions.
Palanca made his professional debut on 2 September 1979, starting in a 0–3 away loss againstRecreativo de Huelva for the second level championship. He scored his first goals in the category fourteen days later, contributing with a brace in a 3–2 home win againstDeportivo de La Coruña; it would be his only two goals ofthe campaign, which ended in relegation toSegunda División B.
Palanca signed forRCD Espanyol in the summer of 1982, moving straight toLa Liga. He only made his debut in the category on 3 September 1983, playing the last seven minutes in a 1–4 home defeat toAtlético Madrid.
Palanca moved to second division clubCE Sabadell FC in 1985, contributing rarely with the club inhis first season (which ended in top tier promotion), but failing to feature a single minute inhis second. He subsequently returned toNàstic in the third division, scoring ten goals during his one-year spell.
Palanca finished his spell for Gimnàstic with 62 goals in 225 matches overall.[2] He subsequently represented fourth division sideCD Tortosa[3] before retiring in 1989 at the age of 32.
Palanca began his managerial career with his first club Torreforta in 1990.[4] In 1996, after a three-year spell at UD Torredembarra, he was appointedUE Valls manager, taking the club toPrimera Catalana in his first season.[5]
In 1999, Palanca was named manager ofCF Reus Deportiu in the fourth division, being in charge for two seasons[6] before moving to the role ofdirector of football. In 2005 he was appointed at the helm of fellow fourth tier sideCF Vilanova,[7] taking the club to their best-ever position in2005–06; he left the club in 2009.[8]
On 21 May 2010, Palanca was appointed manager ofUE Rapitenca.[9] The following March he resigned, but later decided to take back on the decision and remained in charge of the club until the end of the season.[10]
On 28 June 2018, Palanca returned to his main club Gimnàstic as the director of youth football.[11]
Palanca's son,Miguel, also a winger, represented Gimnàstic during the2015–16 season.[2]