José Aurelio Gay
Encyclopedia
José Aurelio Gay López (born 10 December 1965) is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a midfielder
, and a current coach.
Gay was associated with Zaragoza
throughout his career, serving the club as both a player and manager.
, Gay began his playing career with Real Madrid
and progressed to the team's reserve team, then known as Castilla CF
. While at Real Madrid, he was a member of the Spain U20
team that finished runners-up at the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship
, starting five of the team's six matches and appearing as a substiute in the other.
After two seasons in the second division
, Gay moved up a level
with RCD Español
in the summer of 1988. He scored twice in 17 matches during his debut season, in which the Catalans
were relegated. He established himself in the club's starting XI, spending one season in the second level and another in the first; in 1990–91, his last year, he was Espanyol's second-highest league goalscorer with five goals, behind only German
Wolfram Wuttke, as he helped the team to maintain their top flight status.
Gay moved to Real Zaragoza
in the summer of 1991. In consecutive seasons, he helped the Aragon
ese to the 1994 domestic cup
and the following year's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- although he was seriously injured during the latter campaign. He only appeared sparingly following the injury and left the club in the summer of 1996.
Gay's final three seasons were spent at Real Oviedo
and CD Toledo
, with whom he spent two years in the second division, but he only amassed 43 league appearances combined, retiring in 1999 at 33 - in total he played in nearly 300 games in the major levels of Spanish football
.
, starting at his last club, Toledo, immediately after hanging up his boots.
Real Madrid C
, Pontevedra CF
, Real Jaén
, Lorca Deportiva CF, CF Fuenlabrada
and Real Zaragoza B
followed. He took the reins of the latter's first team following the dismissal of Marcelino García Toral on 12 December 2009.
Gay's first game in charge of Zaragoza saw his side lose 6–0 to Real Madrid, a result that led to rumours that he would be replaced by Víctor Muñoz. The reports, however, proved to be unfounded and Gay was offered the job until the summer of 2010. After bringing in several new players in the January transfer window
, Zaragoza's fortunes began to turn as Gay led the side out of the relegation zone by mid-February, eventually finishing in 14th position
.
In mid-November 2010, with Zaragoza ranking last in the league (eventually managing to avoid relegation
), Gay was sacked by the club.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, and a current coach.
Gay was associated with Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
throughout his career, serving the club as both a player and manager.
Playing career
Born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Gay began his playing career with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and progressed to the team's reserve team, then known as Castilla CF
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
. While at Real Madrid, he was a member of the Spain U20
Spain national under-20 football team
The Spain national under-20 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain.-FIFA World Youth Championship Record:...
team that finished runners-up at the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship
1985 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship, the ninth edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in the Soviet Union from August 24 to September 7, 1985. The tournament took place in eight venues — Baku, Yerevan, Leningrad, Minsk, Moscow, Hoktemberyan, Tbilissi and Sumqayit — where a total...
, starting five of the team's six matches and appearing as a substiute in the other.
After two seasons in the second division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, Gay moved up a level
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
with RCD Español
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
in the summer of 1988. He scored twice in 17 matches during his debut season, in which the Catalans
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
were relegated. He established himself in the club's starting XI, spending one season in the second level and another in the first; in 1990–91, his last year, he was Espanyol's second-highest league goalscorer with five goals, behind only German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Wolfram Wuttke, as he helped the team to maintain their top flight status.
Gay moved to Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
in the summer of 1991. In consecutive seasons, he helped the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese to the 1994 domestic cup
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
and the following year's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- although he was seriously injured during the latter campaign. He only appeared sparingly following the injury and left the club in the summer of 1996.
Gay's final three seasons were spent at Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....
and CD Toledo
CD Toledo
Club Deportivo Toledo, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Founded in 1928, it plays in Segunda División B – Group 1, holding home games at Estadio Salto del Caballo, with a seating capacity of 5,300.Home uniforms consist of green...
, with whom he spent two years in the second division, but he only amassed 43 league appearances combined, retiring in 1999 at 33 - in total he played in nearly 300 games in the major levels of Spanish football
Spanish football league system
The Spanish football league system refers to the system in Spanish club football that consists of several football leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation.-Primera División:...
.
Managerial career
After his retirement Gay managed numerous teams in both the second and third divisionsSegunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
, starting at his last club, Toledo, immediately after hanging up his boots.
Real Madrid C
Real Madrid C
Real Madrid C is a Spanish association football team that plays in the Tercera División. It is the second reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at La Ciudad del Real Madrid in Valdebebas outside the city of Madrid...
, Pontevedra CF
Pontevedra CF
Pontevedra Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Pontevedra, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It was founded in 1941, and currently plays in Tercera División - Group 1, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal de Pasarón, with a capacity of 12,000 seats.Having enjoyed...
, Real Jaén
Real Jaén
Real Jaén Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Jaén, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1922, it plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home matches at Nuevo Estadio de La Victoria, with a capacity of 12,800 spectators.-Season to season:----*3 seasons...
, Lorca Deportiva CF, CF Fuenlabrada
CF Fuenlabrada
Club de Fútbol Fuenlabrada, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Fuenlabrada, in the autonomous community of Madrid. Founded in 1975, it plays in Tercera División - Group 7, holding home matches at Estadio Fernando Torres, with a capacity of 5,000 seats.-Season to season:----*12 seasons in...
and Real Zaragoza B
Real Zaragoza B
Real Zaragoza B is a Spanish football club based in Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. Founded in 1962, it is the reserve team of Real Zaragoza, and currently plays in Segunda División B – Group 3, holding home matches at Ciudad Deportiva Real Zaragoza, with a capacity of 2,500...
followed. He took the reins of the latter's first team following the dismissal of Marcelino García Toral on 12 December 2009.
Gay's first game in charge of Zaragoza saw his side lose 6–0 to Real Madrid, a result that led to rumours that he would be replaced by Víctor Muñoz. The reports, however, proved to be unfounded and Gay was offered the job until the summer of 2010. After bringing in several new players in the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, Zaragoza's fortunes began to turn as Gay led the side out of the relegation zone by mid-February, eventually finishing in 14th position
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
.
In mid-November 2010, with Zaragoza ranking last in the league (eventually managing to avoid relegation
2010–11 La Liga
The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
), Gay was sacked by the club.
Honours
Spain U20- FIFA U-20 World CupFIFA U-20 World CupThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
: Runner-up 19851985 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship, the ninth edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in the Soviet Union from August 24 to September 7, 1985. The tournament took place in eight venues — Baku, Yerevan, Leningrad, Minsk, Moscow, Hoktemberyan, Tbilissi and Sumqayit — where a total...