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Rafael Berges
Personal information
Full name	Rafael Berges Martín
Date of birth	21 January 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Córdoba, Spain
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
	Córdoba
Senior career*
Years	Team
1989–1991	Córdoba
1991–1993	Tenerife
1993–2001	Celta
2001–2002	Córdoba
Total
International career
1991	Spain U21
1991–1992	Spain U23
Managerial career
2005–2006	Córdoba B
2006	Lucena
2007	Almería B
2008	Séneca (youth)
2008	Linares
2010–2011	Pozoblanco
2012	Córdoba B
2012–2013	Córdoba
2015	Jaén
2016–2017	Logroñés
2018	Mitra Kukar
2019	Mitra Kukar
2020	Badak Lampung
Medal record
Representing Spain
Men's Football
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rafael Berges Martín (born 21 January 1971) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a left-back, currently a manager.

Playing career

Club

Born in Córdoba, Andalusia, Berges started playing for local Córdoba CF in the lower leagues. In the 1991–92 campaign he joined CD Tenerife, going on to spend two years in La Liga at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López.^[1]

Signing with RC Celta de Vigo in 1993, Berges went on to make nearly 200 overall appearances and score seven league goals for the Galicians. He took part in no games in his final two seasons, however, due to recurrent injuries.^[2]^[3]

At the end of 2001–02, aged 31, Berges retired with his first club Córdoba, now in the Segunda División. His second spell was cut short, again due to several physical problems.^[2]

International

Berges was the first-choice for Spain at the 1992 Summer Olympics, as the nation won the gold medal on home soil. He scored twice, including in the 2–0 semi-final win over Ghana.^[4]^[5]

Coaching career

Berges took up coaching in 2005, starting with Córdoba CF B. Amongst other lowly sides, he would also manage UD Almería's reserves.^[6]

On 14 June 2012, Berges was named Córdoba's main squad head coach, replacing Rayo Vallecano-bound Paco Jémez.^[7] He was relieved of his duties on 7 April of the following year, with the team ranking ninth in the second division.^[8]

In the 2014–15 and 2016–17 campaigns, Berges was in charge of third-tier clubs Real Jaén^[9] and UD Logroñés, respectively.^[10] He went on to work in Liga 1 (Indonesia), with PS Mitra Kukar and Badak Lampung FC.^[11]^[12]

Honours

Spain U23

Summer Olympic Games: 1992^[13]

References

^ Vega, Álvaro (16 February 2016). "Los diez cordobeses con más partidos en Primera" [The ten native from Córdoba with more matches in Primera]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b Merino, Francisco (14 June 2012). "Los ciclos y el destino" [Cycles and fate]. El Día de Córdoba (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 April 2013.
^ "Rafael Berges" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
^ Morenilla, Juan (25 February 2007). "Supervivientes de oro" [Golden survivors]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2018.
^ "El triunfo en el fútbol, broche de oro para España en Barcelona 92" [Football win, icing on the cake for Spain in Barcelona 92] (in Spanish). Dame Un Silbidito. April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
^ "Rafa Berges, oro en Barcelona'92, busca equipo como entrenador" [Rafa Berges, gold in Barcelona'92, looking for team to manage] (in Spanish). Soitu. 24 March 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
^ Luque, Ignacio (14 June 2012). "Rafa Berges toma el mando" [Rafa Berges takes over]. Diario Córdoba (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 April 2013.
^ "Esnáider, nuevo entrenador del Córdoba" [Esnáider, new manager of Córdoba]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 8 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
^ "El cordobés Rafael Berges, nuevo entrenador del Real Jaén" [Córdoba-born Rafael Berges, new manager of Real Jaén]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 12 January 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
^ "Rafael Berges, nuevo entrenador de la UD Logroñés" [Rafael Berges, new manager of UD Logroñés]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 November 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
^ Sarobe, Borja (28 March 2018). "Rafael Berges encuentra su hogar en Indonesia" [Rafael Berges finds his home in Indonesia]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
^ Luque, Ignacio (21 January 2020). "Rafa Berges regresa a Indonesia" [Rafa Berges returns to Indonesia]. Diario Córdoba (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
^ "La Roja de 1992, nuestra medalla de oro Olímpica" [1992's La Roja, our Olympic gold medal] (in Spanish). Antena 3. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2017.