Sergio (footballer, born 1976)
Sergio González Soriano, known simply as Sergio, is a Spanish retired footballer, and the manager of Real Valladolid and the Catalonia national team.
A hard-working central midfielder he was adept at both defence and playmaking, and spent nearly one decade as a professional at Deportivo de La Coruña after starting at Espanyol. Over 14 La Liga seasons, he amassed totals of 418 matches and 34 goals.
Sergio represented the Spanish national team in the 2002 World Cup. He started working as a coach in 2014, also with Espanyol.
Playing career
Club
Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Sergio started out at local CE L'Hospitalet, moving to neighbouring RCD Espanyol in 1995 and going on to spend nearly three years with its reserves in the third division. He played his first La Liga match on 10 April 1998, in a 2–0 home win against CD Tenerife, and was an undisputed starter in the next three seasons, going on to total nearly 125 official appearances.Looking for greater challenges, Sergio accepted a move to Deportivo de La Coruña in the summer of 2001. In his first year with the Galician team he played all 38 matches and added four goals, as Depor finished runner-up and won the Copa del Rey – in the final he scored the opener in a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in its homeground, as the opposing club was celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Sergio went on to only miss eight league matches in the following four seasons combined, amassing over 300 overall appearances during his stint. He only failed to find the net at least once in the 2009–10 campaign, in which he appeared in 24 matches.
In mid-July 2010, after nearly one full decade with Deportivo, 33-year-old Sergio moved to Levante UD, freshly returned to the top level. He was essential as the Valencians won in the fourth round of the season after three losses, scoring the only goal at UD Almería on 22 September; after several injury problems, he was released on 30 June 2011.
International
Sergio made his debut for Spain on 24 March 2001, coming on as a substitute for Pep Guardiola in a 5–0 win against Liechtenstein for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Selected for the finals in Japan and South Korea, he appeared in a 3–2 group stage defeat of South Africa, replacing David Albelda.Since 1999, Sergio represented the Catalonia football team, making his debut on 23 December in a 1–0 friendly win with Yugoslavia and scoring his first goal nearly ten years later, in a 4–2 friendly against Argentina.
Coaching career
Sergio started working as a manager in 2013, being in charge of Espanyol B. On 27 May 2014 he was named as the new coach of the first team, replacing Javier Aguirre after the latter's contract expired. Sporting director Óscar Perarnau commented: "We are delighted with Sergio's personality and he knows the club perfectly. "He has little experience as a coach but everyone has to start one day and we believe he has what it takes".On 14 December 2015, after a 0–1 away loss against RC Celta de Vigo, and even though the team was still several points clear of the relegation zone, Sergio was relieved of his duties. During his 62 games in charge, he collected 22 wins, 14 draws and 26 losses.
On 10 April 2018, after more than two years without a club, Sergio was appointed manager of Real Valladolid in the second level. He managed to win eight of his first 12 matches, leading them to fifth place in the regular season and promotion in the play-offs.
Sergio also managed the Catalan national team, being appointed alongside Gerard López by the Catalan Football Federation in October 2015.
Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 22 December 2009 | Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain | 3–1 | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 2 January 2013 | Cornellà-El Prat, Barcelona, Spain | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Managerial statistics
Honours
Espanyol- Copa del Rey: 1999–2000