José García Calvo

José García Calvo

García Calvo in training with Valladolid (2007)
Personal information
Full name	José Antonio García Calvo
Date of birth	(1975-04-01) 1 April 1975
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
	Viajes Nogal-Berlín
1993–1994	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1997	Real Madrid B	38	(0)
1996–1997	Real Madrid	16	(0)
1997–2001	Valladolid	128	(4)
2001–2006	Atlético Madrid	106	(4)
2006–2009	Valladolid	67	(4)
Total		355	(12)
International career
1996–1998	Spain U21	9	(0)
2002	Spain	3	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Template:Spanish name José Antonio García Calvo (born 1 April 1975 in Madrid) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender.

During his professional career, he represented both Madrid sides, Real and Atlético (but was mainly associated with Valladolid), appearing in 355 La Liga games over the course of 15 seasons (12 goals).

Club career

A product of Real Madrid's youth system, García Calvo appeared in six games for the first team as it won the league championship in 1996–97, eventually totalling only 16 during his spell. His first match with the main squad came on 2 March 1996 in a 5–0 home win against UD Salamanca (Fernando Sanz, another centre-back from the youth ranks, also played his first top flight match that day); subsequently, he signed with Real Valladolid where he was a first-team regular for four years, scoring his first professional goal in his first season.

Calvo then added five years in another side from the capital, Atlético Madrid, being instrumental in the Colchoneros' 2001–02 promotion from the second division, with 35 games played (and 11 bookings).

Unable to settle at Atlético in his final two years, García Calvo returned to Valladolid in the 2006 summer, helping the side return to the top flight after a three-year absence. He was an undisputed starter throughout the subsequent campaign, netting in a 2–2 home draw against Deportivo de La Coruña on 2 September 2007, as the Castile-La Mancha outfit finally finished retained its status.

Following recurrent foot problems that ailed him throughout 2008–09, Calvo announced his retirement from the game, at 34. Immediately afterwards, he was appointed his last club's director of football.

International career

García Calvo earned three caps for the Spain national football team, the first coming on 21 August 2002 against Hungary (1–1), during a Ferenc Puskás testimonial match.

Previously, he was picked for the under-21 side that won the 1998 European Championship.

Honours

Real Madrid

• Spanish League: 1996–97

Spain U21

• European Under-21 Championship: 1998

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data
• José García Calvo at National-Football-Teams.com