|
 |
 |
|
FRANCISCO GALLARDO LEÓN
Date of Birth: 13 January, 1980
Nationality: Spain
Period At Depor: 2006 (January) - 2006 (30 June)
Transfer: Loan (2006)
Clubs: Deportivo (2006), Vitória Guimarães (2006), Sevilla (2005), Getafe (2004-2005), Sevilla (2001-2004), Sevilla B
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Position: Midfielder (right)
|
|
|
 Right winger GALLARDO was a surprise loan signing on 31 January, 2006: the final day of the 2005/2006 winter transfer window. Deportivo were busy selling another right winger, Víctor Sánchez, to Liverpool and might have been thinking about Gallardo as his successor. But in the end the ex-Madrid player stayed while Gallardo was still signed causing confusion among Deportivo supporters. For their part, they were expecting Argentinean midfielder Marcelo Gallardo…
Aged twenty-one, Francisco Gallardo made his professional debut for Sevilla on 26 August, 2001 during a 1-2 home loss against Barcelona. As ex-Sevilla B player he quickly acquired a starting place under coach Caparrós and only missed five matches that season. Gallardo scored a total of two goals including a late winner at Athlétic de Bilbao (0-1). More of the same during his second season under Caparrós when he played thirty-four matches and scored one goal.
It were the days of Reyes (now Arsenal) playing at Sevilla, who at the start of the century was considered one of the major Spanish talents. In his shadow Gallardo operated at the right wing and both players impressed during the years 2001-2004. The difference was, however, their consistency. Both Reyes and Gallardo were obviously talents (Manchester United once were interested in Gallardo), but displayed this in another way. Reyes shined week after week while Gallardo only gave glimpses of this talents. In the end it made him becoming the scapegoat of the supporters who always blamed Gallardo first when results weren’t positive. They simply assumed Gallardo could bring more than he did.
In 2001 Gallardo made headlines worldwide when he celebrated a goal of Reyes in a ‘unique’ way. He was caught on camera bending down and biting Reyes' genitals… It even caused the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to open an investigation into his bizarre goal celebration. Gallardo himself was quoted as saying: “I don't think what I did was very noteworthy and I am sure I didn't offend anyone. People at the ground were not even aware of the gesture. It was only when it was given coverage on the television and in the press that people realise what had happened. Anyway I had completely forgotten about the celebration by the time the game had ended and it would be a shame if I was punished for such a minor matter.”
In the end this didn’t happen, but in 2004 his time at Sevilla was over. Speedy winger Gallardo accepted a loan offer from newly-promoted Getafe despite Caparrós petition to stay. Gallardo commented on the move that “I leave Sevilla with a lot of pain, given that after 16 years at the club it was not something I was expecting. In fact I have to say leaving is the hardest moment of my career. I decided on Getafe because he (Flores) told me that it would be a real delight for him to work with me. It took me five minutes with him to see that he really believed in me.”
Getafe stayed up that year and Gallardo played a total of twenty-two matches. But most of them saw Gallardo only occupying a substitution role. Neither did his return to Sevilla bring relief because new coach Juande Ramos, who during the summer of 2005 had taken the position of Caparrós (who signed at Deportivo), didn’t belief in Gallardo.
At the start of 2006 another loan deal was established, this time between Sevilla and Vitória Guimarães. After just three weeks, however, he was home again because he couldn’t adapt. With the clock of the transfer window ticking it was his former coach Caparrós who wanted to give Gallardo another chance and all parties quickly agreed on a loan deal bringing him to Deportivo.
About this move Gallardo said: “Caparros and I know each other for a long time now and we have been in contact for a while. I know exactly what he demands from me and he knows exactly what I can bring”. When asked about his short time in Portugal, Gallardo explained that “I just couldn’t adapt and didn’t feel well… For me it’s very important to enjoy football and I was honest to their directors. They treated me very well, but I only wanted to return to Spain.”
Gallardo only played seven games with Deportivo, a muscular injury took him out of the squad for several weeks and he was only able to accumulate 209 minutes in la liga. Although that his performance was always praised by the fans, the buyout clause wasn't fulfilled and at the end the winger returned to Sevilla.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
