Pedro Munitis
Encyclopedia
Pedro Munitis Álvarez is a Spanish
footballer who plays for Racing de Santander
usually as a forward, although he can also operate as winger.
At 5' 6" (about 1.67 metres), he is one of the shortest players in La Liga
, and is best known for his fighting spirit. His professional career, which spanned nearly two decades, was mainly associated with Racing de Santander
- he also represented Real Madrid
for two years - and he played in more than 400 Spanish top flight games over the course of 16 seasons.
A Spanish international
in the late 90's/early 2000's, Munitis represented the country at Euro 2000.
, Munitis played in three separate periods for hometown Racing de Santander
, first appearing with its first team on 22 January 1995, in a 0–0 home draw against Real Sociedad
.
After a loan to CD Badajoz
(second division
) and netting 14 goals in 72 league contests with Racing from 1998–2000, Munitis attracted attention from La Liga
giants Real Madrid
, who signed him for £
6.8 million. He would be relatively used during his two seasons with the capital
side, helping it to one league and one UEFA Champions League
.
Munitis spent the 2002–03 season on loan at Racing Santander, notably scoring (and celebrating) against Real Madrid in a 2–0 home win, on 19 October 2002. In the following off-season, he was purchased up by Deportivo de La Coruña
on a free transfer. After a poor first season, he would be one of the Galicia side's most important offensive players, also being used as a left winger, providing for rest for veteran captain Fran, and being his replacement when Fran retired after 2004–05
.
Munitis returned to Racing in July 2006, forming an interesting offensive partnership with gigantic Serbia
n Nikola Žigić
in his first season, and helping it achieve a first ever UEFA Cup qualification during his second. On 19 April 2009, he played his 200th league game for the club, at RCD Espanyol
.
In the 2009–10 season
, 34-year old Munitis was again an undisputed starter, but did not manage to find the net in 29 league contests, and his season was over during Racing's 3–1 home win against Espanyol due to a knee
injury, on 14 April 2010; at that time, he ranked second in assists
, only trailing FC Barcelona
's Lionel Messi
.
On 17 October 2010, after more than one year without scoring, 35-year old Munitis netted from 30 metres for the only goal of the home fixture against UD Almería
. During the season
, he again featured prominently in the starting XI, under both Miguel Ángel Portugal
and his successor Marcelino García Toral, the latter returned to the club after nearly three years.
21 times, scoring two goals. He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2000, appearing as a substitute and scoring in a 4–3 group stage win against Yugoslavia
, and starting in the quarterfinal loss to France
(1–2).
Munitis' debut came on 27 March 1999, in an Euro 2000 qualifier against Austria
in Valencia, playing 30 minutes in a 9–0 thrashing in Valencia.
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 plays for Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
usually as a forward, although he can also operate as winger.
At 5' 6" (about 1.67 metres), he is one of the shortest players in La Liga
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...
, and is best known for his fighting spirit. His professional career, which spanned nearly two decades, was mainly associated with Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
- he also represented 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...
for two years - and he played in more than 400 Spanish top flight games over the course of 16 seasons.
A Spanish international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the late 90's/early 2000's, Munitis represented the country at Euro 2000.
Club career
Born in Santander, CantabriaSantander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, Munitis played in three separate periods for hometown Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
, first appearing with its first team on 22 January 1995, in a 0–0 home draw against Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
.
After a loan to CD Badajoz
CD Badajoz
Club Deportivo Badajoz, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Badajoz, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1905, it plays in 2ªB - Group 1, holding home games at Estadio Nuevo Vivero, with a 15,200-seat capacity.-History:...
(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:...
) and netting 14 goals in 72 league contests with Racing from 1998–2000, Munitis attracted attention from La Liga
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...
giants 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...
, who signed him for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
6.8 million. He would be relatively used during his two seasons with the capital
Madrid
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...
side, helping it to one league and one UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
Munitis spent the 2002–03 season on loan at Racing Santander, notably scoring (and celebrating) against Real Madrid in a 2–0 home win, on 19 October 2002. In the following off-season, he was purchased up by Deportivo de La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
on a free transfer. After a poor first season, he would be one of the Galicia side's most important offensive players, also being used as a left winger, providing for rest for veteran captain Fran, and being his replacement when Fran retired after 2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
.
Munitis returned to Racing in July 2006, forming an interesting offensive partnership with gigantic Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
in his first season, and helping it achieve a first ever UEFA Cup qualification during his second. On 19 April 2009, he played his 200th league game for the club, at RCD Espanyol
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 2009–10 season
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;"|...
, 34-year old Munitis was again an undisputed starter, but did not manage to find the net in 29 league contests, and his season was over during Racing's 3–1 home win against Espanyol due to a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury, on 14 April 2010; at that time, he ranked second in assists
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
, only trailing FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
's Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
.
On 17 October 2010, after more than one year without scoring, 35-year old Munitis netted from 30 metres for the only goal of the home fixture against UD Almería
UD Almería
Unión Deportiva Almería, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1989 as Almería Club de Fútbol, it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos, with a 22,000-seat...
. During the season
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...
, he again featured prominently in the starting XI, under both Miguel Ángel Portugal
Miguel Ángel Portugal
Miguel Angel Portugal Vicario is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder, and a current manager.-Playing career:...
and his successor Marcelino García Toral, the latter returned to the club after nearly three years.
International career
Munitis played for SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
21 times, scoring two goals. He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2000, appearing as a substitute and scoring in a 4–3 group stage win against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, and starting in the quarterfinal loss to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
(1–2).
Munitis' debut came on 27 March 1999, in an Euro 2000 qualifier against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in Valencia, playing 30 minutes in a 9–0 thrashing in Valencia.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 18 August 1999 | Polish Army Stadium Polish Army Stadium Marshal Józef Piłsudski Polish Army Stadium is an all-seater football-specific stadium in Warsaw, Poland. It is the home of Legia Warsaw football club, which has been playing there since August 9, 1930. With space for 31,000 spectators it is the 5th biggest football stadium in Ekstraklasa... , Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 21 June 2000 | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges Bruges Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
2–2 | 3–4 | Euro 2000 UEFA Euro 2000 Group C Group C of UEFA Euro 2000 was one of four groups at UEFA Euro 2000. Spain won the group ahead of Yugoslavia. Norway and Slovenia were eliminated.---------------------External links:* at UEFA.com... |
Honours
Real Madrid- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2001–02 - UEFA Super Cup: 20022002 UEFA Super CupThe 2002 UEFA Super Cup was played on August 30, 2002 between Real Madrid of Spain and Feyenoord of the Netherlands. Real Madrid qualified by beating Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final. Feyenoord had made it to the Super Cup after beating Borussia Dortmund in the 2002 UEFA Cup...
- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe 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...
: 2000–01