Manuel Tena

Manuel Tena López (born 3 February 1978) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Tena and the second or maternal family name is López.
Manuel Tena
Personal information
Full name Manuel Tena López
Date of birth (1978-02-03) 3 February 1978
Place of birth Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Real Madrid C
1998–1999 Real Madrid B 41 (0)
1999 Real Madrid 1 (0)
1999–2002 Valladolid 23 (0)
2000–2001 → Córdoba (loan) 39 (2)
2002–2008 Getafe 111 (3)
2008–2010 Rayo Vallecano 34 (0)
Total 249 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Over 12 seasons, he appeared in 208 matches both major levels of Spanish football combined and scored five goals, representing mainly Getafe (six years, two in La Liga).

Football career

Tena was born in Alcalá de Henares, Community of Madrid. He grew as a player in the ranks of Real Madrid, and first appeared officially for the first team in the last matchday of the 1998–99 campaign, playing ten minutes in a 3–1 home win against Deportivo de La Coruña.[1]

Tena moved to Real Valladolid in 1999, playing a further 23 La Liga matches during two seasons and being loaned to Córdoba CF in between. In the summer of 2002 he joined Getafe CF – also in Madrid – in the second division and, instrumental while they achieved promotion to the top flight in 2004, he saw little action after, subbing in in the final minutes of games or playing through injuries and suspensions to teammates; he scored his first goal for the latter on 16 April 2006, in a 1–1 home draw against his first professional club.[2]

In July 2008, Tena signed for Rayo Vallecano, freshly promoted to the second level, on a 2+1 deal.[3] After only seven league appearances in his second season, he retired from football at the age of 32.

References
  1. Raúl lleva al Madrid a la Liga de Campeones (Raúl takes Madrid to Champions League); El Mundo, 20 June 1999 (in Spanish)
  2. Madrid slip hands Valencia initiative; UEFA, 16 April 2006
  3. Tena se convierte en jugador del Rayo Vallecano (Tena becomes a Rayo Vallecano player); Diario AS, 18 July 2008 (in Spanish)
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