José Emilio Amavisca Gárate (born 19 June 1971) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a left midfielder or left winger.

José Amavisca
Amavisca in 2007
Personal information
Full name José Emilio Amavisca Gárate
Date of birth (1971-06-19) 19 June 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth Laredo, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Left midfielder, left winger, second striker
Youth career
Laredo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Laredo
1989–1994 Valladolid 74 (15)
1991–1992Lleida (loan) 37 (14)
1994–1998 Real Madrid 113 (13)
1999–2001 Racing Santander 84 (10)
2001–2004 Deportivo La Coruña 51 (3)
2004–2005 Espanyol 22 (2)
Total 381 (57)
International career
1989–1990 Spain U20 3 (1)
1991–1992 Spain U21 2 (1)
1992 Spain U23 4 (1)
1994–1997 Spain 15 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's Football
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He was best known for his Real Madrid stint but played for five other clubs, amassing 381 matches and 57 goals in both major levels of Spanish football during 16 seasons (307 games and 34 goals in La Liga alone).

A Spanish international in the 1990s, Amavisca represented the country at Euro 1996.

Club career

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Born in Laredo, Cantabria, Amavisca (whose father Emilio was also a footballer) made his professional breakthrough with Real Valladolid, achieving promotion from Segunda División in 1992–93, also serving a spell on loan to Lleida in the same level. In the summer of 1994, he signed for La Liga giants Real Madrid, initially being deemed surplus to requirements but going on to score ten league goals in his debut season, mostly playing second striker to Iván Zamorano – both were initially seen as third or fourth-string attacking references by manager Jorge Valdano,[1] as the club ended a four-year domestic title drought.

Amavisca's importance with the Merengues would gradually lessen in the subsequent years, however. In January 1999, he joined fellow league club Racing de Santander, thus returning to his native region and instantly became an essential member of the side, although his seven league goals in the 2000–01 campaign were not enough to avoid relegation.[2]

Subsequently, Amavisca moved to Deportivo de La Coruña for 300 million pesetas,[2] appearing in 28 games and netting three times for the 2002 runners-up but being sparingly used in the following two years, barred by veteran Fran and new signing Albert Luque.[3] He retired after one season with Espanyol, aged 34.

International career

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After making his Spain debut on 7 September 1994, in an UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier against Cyprus (90 minutes, 2–1 away win),[4] Amavisca appeared in the tournament's final stages, playing four matches in an eventual quarter-final exit. Due to having fallen out of favour at Real Madrid, he was overlooked for the squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Previously, Amavisca won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.[5][6]

Career statistics

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# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 26 April 1995 Hrazdan, Yerevan, Armenia   Armenia 0–1 0–2 Euro 1996 qualifying[7]

Honours

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Real Madrid

Deportivo

Laredo

Spain U23

Individual

References

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  1. ^ Frías, Manuel (24 November 1994). "De la A a la Z, el alfabeto del gol blanco" [From A to Z, the alphabet of the white goal]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b Hermida, Xosé (22 August 2001). "La segunda vida de Amavisca" [The second life of Amavisca]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  3. ^ Megía-Vilareal, Óscar (3 October 2003). "La opción de Amavisca gana fuerza como recambio a Calleja" [Amavisca option growing stronger as Calleja's replacement]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  4. ^ Archs, Jordi (8 September 1994). "Chipre hace sufrir a España" [Cyprus make Spain suffer]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  5. ^ Morenilla, Juan (25 February 2007). "Supervivientes de oro" [Golden survivors]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  6. ^ a b "La Roja de 1992, nuestra medalla de oro Olímpica" [1992's La Roja, our Olympic gold medal] (in Spanish). Antena 3. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  7. ^ Gallego, Jesús (27 April 1995). "Amavisca se estrena" [Amavisca gets his first]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  8. ^ Pla Diaz, Emilio. "Spain – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
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