Javier Matilla

Javier Magro Matilla (born 16 August 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Greek club Aris Thessaloniki F.C. as a central midfielder.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Magro and the second or maternal family name is Matilla.
Javier Matilla
Personal information
Full name Javier Magro Matilla
Date of birth (1988-08-16) 16 August 1988
Place of birth Quero, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Aris
Number 26
Youth career
Albacete
Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Villarreal B 101 (11)
2009–2011 Villarreal 14 (0)
2011–2016 Betis 52 (1)
2012–2013 → Murcia (loan) 34 (12)
2016–2017 Elche 14 (3)
2018 Gimnàstic 10 (0)
2018– Aris 74 (6)
National team
2009 Spain U21 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 December 2020

Club career

Matilla was born in Quero, Province of Toledo. After finishing his football development at Villarreal CF, he made his debut for the main squad on 4 April 2009: he started and finished the La Liga away match against UD Almería, but his team lost 0–3;[1] in addition, he played three full seasons with the reserves, one in Segunda División and two in Segunda División B.

On 28 June 2011, Matilla signed for Real Betis, freshly returned to the top flight, for 3+1 years and €1.3 million.[2] He made his official debut on 18 September, coming on as a substitute for Beñat Etxebarria in the dying minutes of a 3–2 away win over Athletic Bilbao.[3]

Matilla was irregularly put to use during his four-and-a-half-year tenure in Andalusia, for example contributing with 15 games and one goal[4] as the club promoted from the second level in 2015. In the 2012–13 campaign, also in that tier, he scored a career-best 12 goals whilst on loan to Real Murcia,[5] including one in a 1–0 home triumph over UD Las Palmas in the last matchday that certified survival.[6]

In mid-October 2013, Matilla's contract was further extended until 2017,[7] but it was mutually terminated on 15 January 2016 as the player was still nursing a serious knee injury.[8] Subsequently, he went on trial with English Championship side Reading,[9] but nothing came of it.

On 6 July 2016, Matilla signed for Elche CF in the second tier.[10] After suffering relegation, he spent six months without a club before joining Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[11]

On 10 July 2018, Matilla moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Aris Thessaloniki F.C. on a one-year contract with the possibility of an additional season.[12] On 14 January 2019, his first goal for the Greek team was scored through an injury-time free kick to help the hosts beat PAS Lamia 1964 1–0,[13] and he repeated the feat on 17 February, this time against Panionios F.C. and also for the Super League and at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium (1–1).[14]

International career

Matilla's only cap with the Spain under-21 team arrived on 4 September 2009, as he played 15 minutes in a 2–0 win over Poland for the 2009 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign, in Oviedo.[15]

References
  1. Almeria 3–0 Villarreal; ESPN Soccernet, 4 April 2009
  2. Matilla llega al Betis por 1.350.000 euros (Matilla arrives at Betis for 1.350.000 euros); Marca, 28 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  3. Betis maintain 100% record; ESPN Soccernet, 18 September 2011
  4. 2–3: El Betis sufre al final para sumar los tres primeros puntos (2–3: Betis suffer in the end to get first three points); Mundo Deportivo, 24 August 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. Matilla llega al Real Murcia "para jugar muchos minutos, crecer y disfrutar" (Matilla arrives at Real Murcia "to play a lot of minutes, grow and have fun") Archived 2016-04-20 at the Wayback Machine; ABC, 30 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  6. Matilla salva al Murcia con un golazo y Las Palmas promociona (Matilla saves Murcia with wonder goal and Las Palmas go to promotion); Diario AS, 8 June 2013 (in Spanish)
  7. Matilla, bético hasta 2017 (Matilla, bético until 2017); Diario de Sevilla, 17 October 2013 (in Spanish)
  8. El Betis anuncia la rescisión del contrato de Javier Matilla (Betis announce contract termination of Javier Matilla); Marca, 15 January 2016 (in Spanish)
  9. "Reading FC transfers: Javier Matilla on trial as Royals weigh up midfielder swoop". Reading Post. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. Matilla refuerza la medular franjiverde (Matilla bosters franjiverde midfield); Elche CF, 6 July 2016 (in Spanish)
  11. "Llegan Matilla y César Arzo al Nástic; Toscano, sale cedido" [Matilla and César Arzo arrive at Nàstic; Toscano, out on loan] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. "Επισημοποιήθηκε η συμφωνία Άρη-Ματίγια!" [Aris-Matilla agreement finalised] (in Greek). Gazzetta. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  13. "Άρης – Λαμία 1–0: Νίκη "πεντάδας" στο 90+2' για τους "κίτρινους"" (in Greek). Sport 24. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  14. "Άρης – Πανιώνιος 1–1: Έχασε έδαφος με δέκα παίκτες" [Aris – Panionios 1–1: Overpowered with ten players] (in Greek). Sport 24. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  15. "Crónica del España – Polonia; 2–0" [Spain – Poland match report; 2–0] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
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