Javier Pinillos

Javi Pinillos
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Pinillos Fernández
Date of birth (1969-10-26) 26 October 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Santander, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1990 Racing B
1990–1997 Racing Santander 24 (0)
1995–1996Logroñés (loan) 19 (0)
1997–1998 Burgos 23 (0)
1998–1999 Jerez 9 (0)
1999–2000 Zamora 36 (0)
2000–2001 Ponferradina 33 (0)
2001–2002 Gimnástica 35 (0)
2002–2007 Bezana
Total 179 (0)
Managerial career
2015 Racing Santander
2020–2021 Bengaluru (assistant)
2023– East Bengal (goalkeeper coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francisco Javier 'Javi' Pinillos Fernández (born 26 October 1969) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Playing career

Born in Santander, Cantabria, Pinillos graduated from local Racing de Santander's youth setup. He made his debut with the first team in 1990, appearing in seven games as they returned to Segunda División at the first attempt.[1]

Pinillos played his first match as a professional on 15 December 1991, starting in a 1–0 away loss against Palamós CF in the second tier.[2] He added five appearances the following campaign, as the club achieved another promotion.

Pinillos made his La Liga debut on 19 March 1994, coming on as a first-half substitute for field player Dmitri Popov in a 1–1 home draw with FC Barcelona.[3] Eight days later, he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 defeat at Real Zaragoza;[4] during his spell, he acted as understudy to legendary José María Ceballos.

In the summer of 1995, Pinillos was loaned to second-division team CD Logroñés. He returned to Racing the following year, but was demoted to third choice and took part in no further matches.

Pinillos subsequently resumed his career in the lower leagues, representing Burgos CF, Jerez CF, Zamora CF, SD Ponferradina, Gimnástica de Torrelavega and CD Bezana, retiring with the latter in 2007.

Coaching career

In 2013, Pinillos returned to his first club Racing, now as a goalkeeper coach. On 3 March 2015, after Paco Fernández's dismissal, he was appointed manager of the main squad.[5]

Pinillos became the goalkeeper coach of Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC in July 2018. On 30 January 2020, he was named their assistant manager.[6]

References

  1. ^ Javi Pinillos, 153 minutos de gloria verdiblanca (1994) (Javi Pinillos, 153 minutes of green-and-white glory (1994)) Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Museo Verdiblanco, 7 April 2012 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Walter Liendo vuelve a ser determinante (Walter Liendo is again decisive); Mundo Deportivo, 16 December 1991 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Sólo un punto como mal menor (Only one point as the lesser evil); Mundo Deportivo, 20 March 1994 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ El Zaragoza se impone sin problemas al Racing (Zaragoza have no problems downing Racing); Mundo Deportivo, 28 March 1994 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Francisco Javier Pinillos asume la dirección técnica del primer equipo (Francisco Javier Pinillos takes over technical management of the first team); Racing Santander, 3 March 2015 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ "Blues appoint Julen Esnaola as goalkeeping coach". Bengaluru FC. 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.