PROFILBARU.COM

Juan Velasco
Personal information
Full name	Juan Velasco Damas
Date of birth	17 May 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Dos Hermanas, Spain
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Youth career
1987–1995	Sevilla
Senior career*
Years	Team
1995–1996	Coria
1996–1997	Sevilla B
1997–1999	Sevilla
1999–2004	Celta
2004–2006	Atlético Madrid
2006–2007	Espanyol
2008	Norwich City
2008–2009	Panthrakikos
2010–2011	AEL
Total
International career
1998–1999	Spain U21
2000	Spain
Managerial career
2013–2016	Xerez B
2016	Extremadura
2018–2019	Sevilla (youth)
2019–2020	Sevilla C
2021	Alcalá
2021–2022	Santa Coloma
2022	Inter d'Escaldes
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Velasco Damas (born 17 May 1977) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a right-back. He is also a manager.

He represented eight clubs during his career, appearing in 213 matches in La Liga and scoring one goal. He also competed abroad in England and Greece.

Velasco represented Spain at Euro 2000.

Club career

Born in Dos Hermanas, Province of Seville, Velasco started representing professionally local giants Sevilla FC, appearing in 13 La Liga matches in the 1996–97 season, which ended in relegation. His league debut occurred on 5 March 1997 in a 2–0 away loss against Rayo Vallecano, and in the following two years he totalled 72 official appearances, contributing prominently in the second as the Andalusians returned to the top flight.^[1]

After helping Sevilla to promote, Velasco joined RC Celta de Vigo, experiencing his most successful period: in 2002–03 he played 31 games to help the Galician club to qualify for the first time ever for the UEFA Champions League; in the following campaign, however, he saw them suffer relegation.^[2] He scored his only goal in the main division on 4 January 2000, closing the 1–1 draw at Valencia CF.^[3]

Velasco spent the next three years at Atlético Madrid (two) and RCD Espanyol, averaging 22 matches per season.^[1] On 18 February 2008, the free agent signed a three-month contract with Championship side Norwich City after a successful trial.^[4] At the end of the campaign he left for Panthrakikos FC, recently promoted to the Super League Greece.^[1]

After one and a half seasons, Velasco moved teams in January 2010 but stayed in the country, with Athlitiki Enosi Larissa FC.^[1] He retired in June of the following year at the age of 34, and in 2013 returned to football, being appointed manager of Xerez CD B.^[5]

On 13 October 2016, Velasco signed as head coach of Segunda División B's Extremadura UD.^[6]

International career

Velasco was capped five times by Spain,^[1] his debut coming on 26 January 2000 in a 3–0 friendly win over Poland in Cartagena.^[7] Selected for UEFA Euro 2000,^[8] he did not leave the bench.^[9]

Honours

Celta

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2000

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Velasco: «Al Celta le tengo una estima muy importante»" [Velasco: "I cherish Celta as high as can be"]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 6 August 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ "Juan Velasco" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
^ "Velasco lograba tal día como hoy su único gol con el Celta" [Velasco got his only goal with Celta on a day like today]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ "City sign Velasco on Bosman". Norwich City F.C. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
^ "Juan Velasco entrenará al Xerez "B"" [Juan Velasco will coach Xerez "B"] (in Spanish). Xerez CD. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^ Peña, Raúl (13 October 2016). "Juan Velasco, nuevo entrenador del Extremadura" [Juan Velasco, new Extremadura manager]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 October 2016.
^ "España dota de argumentos a Camacho con otra goleada" [Spain give reasons to Camacho with another rout]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 January 2000. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^ "Spanish squad unveiled". BBC Sport. 28 May 2000. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
^ Casado, Edu (30 March 2016). "Qué fue de… Juan Velasco: un internacional salido de la cantera del Sevilla" [What happened to… Juan Velasco: international from Sevilla's youth system]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2024.