José Emilio Amavisca

José Amavisca

Personal information
Full name	José Emilio Amavisca Gárate
Date of birth	(1971-06-19) 19 June 1971
Place of birth	Laredo, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Winger / Striker
Youth career
	Laredo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1989	Laredo
1989–1994	Valladolid	74	(15)
1991–1992	→ Lleida (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)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Olympic medal record
Representing Spain
Men's Football
	1992 Barcelona	Team Competition

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Amavisca and the second or maternal family name is Gárate.

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

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

A Spanish international in the '90s, Amavisca represented the country at Euro 1996.

Club career

Born in Laredo, Cantabria, Amavisca made his professional debuts for Real Valladolid (achieving promotion from Segunda División in 1992–93 and being also loaned to UE Lleida in the same category). In the 1994 summer 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 offensive references by manager Jorge Valdano, 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 top-divisioner Racing de Santander, thus returning to his native region, and instantly became an essential offensive figure with the side, although his seven league goals in the 2000–01 campaign were not enough to avoid relegation.

Subsequently Amavisca moved to Deportivo de La Coruña, 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. He retired after one season with RCD Espanyol.

International career

After making his Spain debut on 7 September 1994, in an UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier against Cyprus (90 minutes, 2–1 away win), 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.

International goals

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

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 1997–98
• Intercontinental Cup: 1998
• La Liga: 1994–95, 1996–97
• Supercopa de España: 1997

Deportivo

• Copa del Rey: 2001–02
• Supercopa de España: 2002

Laredo

• Tercera División: 1988–89

Country

• Summer Olympic Games: 1992

Individual

• Spanish Player of the Year: 1995

External links

• José Emilio Amavisca profile at BDFutbol
• National team data
• José Emilio Amavisca at National-Football-Teams.com
• José Emilio Amavisca – FIFA competition record