José Ignacio Sáenz

José Ignacio Sáenz Marín (born 28 September 1973), known as José Ignacio, is a Spanish former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sáenz and the second or maternal family name is Marín.

José Ignacio
Personal information
Full name José Ignacio Sáenz Marín
Date of birth (1973-09-28) 28 September 1973
Place of birth Logroño, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
CD Logroñés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1993 CD Logroñés B 42 (3)
1993–1995 CD Logroñés 48 (2)
1995–1997 Valencia 61 (1)
1997–2002 Zaragoza 146 (7)
2002–2005 Celta 73 (8)
2006 Logroñés CF 10 (0)
Total 370 (21)
National team
1994–1996 Spain U21 14 (0)
1996 Spain U23 4 (0)
2001 Spain 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Logroño, La Rioja, José Ignacio made his professional debut for hometown club CD Logroñés. Upon its La Liga relegation at the end of the 1994–95 season he joined Valencia CF,[1] helping with 27 matches to a final runner-up place in his first year.

In the summer of 1997, José Ignacio moved to Real Zaragoza, where he would play five seasons. In 2000–01 he scored a career-best six goals, including one in a 14 April 2001 thriller at FC Barcelona that finished 4–4[2] as the Aragonese went on to barely avoid relegation (17th, adding that year's Copa del Rey),[3] which would eventually befall the next year.

José Ignacio joined RC Celta de Vigo for 2002–03, making 33 league appearances as the Galician side achieved a UEFA Champions League berth. However, they would also be relegated the following campaign.

Upon retiring in 2006 at nearly 33, one year after playing only 11 games as Celta returned to the top tier, he rejoined his first team Logroñés as a director of football.[4] In 11 top-flight seasons – out of the 14 he played – he amassed totals of 317 matches and 17 goals.

International career

José Ignacio received two caps for Spain during 2001. The first came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein on 5 September, and he also appeared in a friendly in Huelva with Mexico two months later.[5]

Previously, José Ignacio represented the nation at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Honours

Club

Zaragoza

International

Spain U21

References
  1. Arde Valencia (Valencia burns); Mundo Deportivo, 4 July 1995 (in Spanish)
  2. Abonados al milagro (Living on the edge); Mundo Deportivo, 15 April 2001 (in Spanish)
  3. "Zaragoza, no hay quinta Copa mala" [Zaragoza, no such thing as a bad fifth Cup] (in Spanish). ABC. 1 July 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. "El Logroñés contrata como director deportivo a José Ignacio" [Logroñés hire José Ignacio as sporting director] (in Spanish). Marca. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  5. La selección aburre (National team are a bore); Mundo Deportivo, 15 November 2001 (in Spanish)
  6. Italia ya ganó un Europeo a España en el 1996 (Italy have already won European Championships against Spain in 1996) Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine; Orgullo Bianconero, 18 June 2013 (in Spanish)
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