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Paco Flores
Personal information
Full name	Francisco Flores Lajusticia
Date of birth	26 November 1952 (age 72)
Place of birth	Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Español
Senior career*
Years	Team
1971–1972	Español B
1972–1976	Español
1972–1973	→ Sabadell (loan)
1973–1974	→ Calella (loan)
1974–1975	→ San Andrés (loan)
1975–1976	→ Girona (loan)
1976–1977	Jaén
1977–1980	Español
1980–1981	Jaén
1981–1982	Linares
1982–1984	Santboià
Total
Managerial career
1984–1985	Español C (youth)
1985–1987	Español B (youth)
1987–1991	Español (youth)
1991–1994	Cristinenc
1994–1997	Espanyol B
1997	Espanyol
1997–1998	Espanyol (assistant)
1998	Espanyol
1999–2000	Espanyol B
2000–2002	Espanyol
2002–2004	Zaragoza
2005–2006	Almería
2006–2007	Gimnàstic
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francisco "Paco" Flores Lajusticia (born 26 November 1952) is a Spanish retired football forward and coach.

His career was closely associated with Espanyol, as both a player and manager.^[2]

Playing career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Flores was brought up at hometown's RCD Español, being loaned several times during his contract, exclusively in his native region. Subsequently, after having been re-signed from Real Jaén, he spent three La Liga seasons with his main club, scoring eight goals in 33 matches in his first to help the Pericos to the 14th position, just one point above the relegation zone.^[3]^[2] He made his debut in the competition on 3 September 1977 at the age of 25, in a 3–1 away loss to Sevilla FC.^[4] On 20 November, he netted a late equaliser for the hosts in a 1–1 derby draw against FC Barcelona.^[5]

In January 1981, following another stint with Jaén, Flores signed for Linares CF in the Segunda División, but suffered a car accident which nearly cost him the loss of one eye shortly after, leaving the club at the end of his second season.^[2] Before retiring, he played a couple of years with amateurs FC Santboià.^[6]

Coaching career

Flores took up coaching in 1984, spending one full decade with Español's youth teams (Espanyol from 1995 onwards). He progressed to the B team in 1994, helping them to promote to Segunda División B in his first season.^[2]

Flores was appointed first-team manager with 14 games to go in the 1996–97 campaign, replacing the fired Vicente Miera^[7] and leading Espanyol to the 12th position.^[8] He then returned to the reserves for two further seasons.

Flores again came to the rescue of the main squad midway through 1999–2000, occupying the position of dismissed Miguel Ángel Brindisi.^[9] He managed to lead the team out of relegation (14th place), adding the club's third Copa del Rey – against Atlético Madrid – the first in 60 years, and remained at the helm for a further two full years.^[10]

In 2002–03, Flores accepted a new challenge with Real Zaragoza,^[11]^[12] helping the Aragonese to return to the top flight after one year and being replaced by Víctor Muñoz after the 20th round of the following season,^[13] which also ended with Spanish Cup win.^[14] After 11 second-tier games with UD Almería in the 2004–05 campaign,^[15] he was in charge of the Andalusians for the full 2005–06, leading them to the sixth position.^[16]

Flores returned to the top flight in 2006–07, replacing Luis César Sampedro at Gimnàstic de Tarragona in late November 2006, following a 3–2 home loss against RCD Mallorca.^[17]^[18] Even though he improved on his predecessor's numbers, it was not good enough to avoid relegation.^[19]

Honours

Espanyol

Copa del Rey: 1999–2000^[20]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Paco Flores at WorldFootball.net
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Paco FLORES" (in Spanish). Hall of Fame Perico. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
^ Heredia, Sergio (7 December 2018). "Paco Flores: "Mi hija nació mientras yo jugaba un Barça – Espanyol"" [Paco Flores: "My daughter was born while I played a Barça – Espanyol"]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ Díez Serrat, Xavier (4 September 1977). "3–1: Demasiados errores en un frágil Español" [3–1: Too many mistakes in fragile Español]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Lluvia, expulsiones, tarjetas y... empate" [Rain, ejections, bookings and... draw]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 21 November 1977. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Línia de temps d'un centenari" [Timeline of a centenary] (in Catalan). FC Santboià. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ Cánovas, M.C. (14 March 1997). "Miera, fulminado" [Miera, obliterated] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Silva, Toni (29 November 2001). "El bombero se quema" [The fireman gets burned]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ Cánovas, M.C. (19 January 2000). "Paco Flores – El regreso" [Paco Flores – The return] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Flores seguirá como entrenador del Espanyol" [Flores to continue as Espanyol coach]. El País (in Spanish). 26 April 2001. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "El Real Zaragoza presenta a Paco Flores como nuevo entrenador" [Real Zaragoza present Paco Flores as new manager]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 8 June 2002. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Paco Flores: el técnico hermético" [Paco Flores: the hermetic coach]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 20 January 2004. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ "Paco Flores, destituído como entrenador del Zaragoza. Le sustituye Víctor Muñoz" [Paco Flores, dismissed as Zaragoza coach. Víctor Muñoz his replacement] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 19 January 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Víctor Muñoz no seguirá en Zaragoza" [Víctor Muñoz will not remain at Zaragoza] (in Spanish). UEFA. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ Rodríguez, Salva (6 April 2005). "Paco Flores es el nuevo técnico en lugar de Fabri" [Paco Flores is the new manager in the place of Fabri] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Gregorio, Paco (14 November 2017). "Buscando el norte" [Looking North]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ "La directiva del Nástic cesa a Luis César Sampedro" [Nástic board of directors sacks Luis César Sampedro]. El Diario Montañés (in Spanish). 27 November 2006. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
^ "Paco Flores, nuevo técnico del Nàstic de Tarragona" [Paco Flores, new manager of Nàstic de Tarragona]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 November 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Romero, Ricky (28 May 2007). ""Soy el culpable de este descenso"" ["I am to blame for this relegation"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Bañeres, Enric (28 May 2000). "La joya del centenario" [The gem of the jubilee] (PDF). La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2015.