Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Juanfran started his professional career at Levante UD, where he attracted the attention of local giants Valencia CF, signing after three seasons for €1 million. On 31 August 1997 he played his first La Liga game, a 1–2 away loss against RCD Mallorca, and went on make 50 overall appearances for the Che. Juanfran joined RC Celta de Vigo prior to the 1999–2000 campaign for €4 million, where he was an undisputed starter in a Galician team that appeared in the UEFA Cup and the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. However, in 2003–04, they would also be relegated to Segunda División. After leaving Celta in 2004, Juanfran joined Turkish club Beşiktaş JK, but soon fell out of favour with team management – the coach who brought him to Istanbul, compatriot Vicente del Bosque, was dismissed midway through the season – and would spend the following campaignon loan to Dutch side AFC Ajax. In 2006–07, Juanfran returned to Spain and joined Real Zaragoza for €1.5 million and being a key defensive element as the Aragonese team qualified to the UEFA Cup in that first year. The following season the player struggled individually and collectively, and the club returned to the second level after a five-year stint. On 30 July 2008, Juanfran agreed to sign a two-year deal with AEK Athens FC, earning approximately €1 million per season. He was used regularly during his spell in Greece but, in late January 2010, was loaned to his first professional team Levante until the end of the second division campaign; only weeks later, he bought out his contract with AEK and signed permanently until June 2012, contributing massively to the former's top flight return after a two-year absence. The 34-year-old Juanfran was the most used player in his position in 2010–11, as Levante eventually retained their status. He fared even better the following season, with the club finishing sixth and qualifying for the Europa Leaguefor the first time ever. On 20 September 2012, in Levante's European competition group stage debut, Juanfran scored the game's only goal at home against Helsingborgs IF, netting with his preferred foot from the corner of the penalty area. On 4 May 2016, after a further four top-tier campaigns – suffering relegation in the last – the 39-year-old announced his retirement. On 10 December 2018, in an interview with Marca, Juanfran revealed he had signed for EFL Championship club Aston Villa as a scout, focusing primarily on Spain and Portugal. He stated "it is a privilege to work for a club like Aston Villa. Everyone identifies it as a big club in England and it’s a dream come true." Juanfran was hired in his first managerial job on 30 June 2020, succeeding Curro Torres at a CD Lugo team in the second division's relegation zone.
International career
Juanfran earned 11 caps for Spain, making his debut in a friendly against Italy on 29 March 2000, after impressive displays at Celta. Subsequently, he was included in the nation's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, and appeared in three matches out of five. Juanfran's last game was an UEFA Euro 2004qualifier against Northern Ireland in June 2003, playing the whole 90 minutes of a 0–0 away draw.
