Full name Esteban Vigo Benitez 1970–1972 Veleno Position Midfielder Years Team Height 1.78 m | Playing position Role Footballer Name Esteban Vigo | |
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Date of birth (1955-01-17) 17 January 1955 (age 60) | ||
Place of birth Velez-Malaga, Spain | ||
Esteban Vigo Benítez (born 17 January 1955) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a midfielder, and is a current coach.
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He played the vast majority of his professional career with CD Málaga and Barcelona, amassing La Liga totals of 240 games and 24 goals over the course of 13 seasons.
Vigo became a manager in 1995, going on to coach several clubs.
Playing career
Known as Esteban during his playing days, he was born in Vélez-Málaga, and had his first professional spell with local CD Málaga, achieving La Liga promotion in 1976. He subsequently attracted attention from country giants FC Barcelona who signed him in December 1976 for 25 million pesetas, and he proceeded to be regularly used during ten years although never an undisputed starter (tops 23 matches in the 1980–81 season); he also scored the winner in a 3–1 Copa del Rey defeat of Sporting de Gijón, also in that campaign.
Esteban returned to his first club in 1987, retiring four years later at the age of 36. He earned three caps for Spain during a two-month span in 1981, as the nation prepared for its FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final cut; he also represented the country at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Manager career
Taking up coaching afterwards, Vigo began in his native Andalusia with UD Almería, and continued to work mainly in the region, also having an abroad spell in Romania. In 2009 he led Xerez CD to its first top level promotion but, in July 2009, switched to another side in Segunda División, moving to Hércules CF and achieving the same as runner-up, with the Alicante club returning to the top flight after 13 years.
On 21 March 2011 Vigo was sacked by Hércules, following a 0–4 home loss against CA Osasuna – it was the team's fourth consecutive defeat of the season, winning just one point out of 15 possible. He was named the new Almería manager on 4 April of the following year, replacing Lucas Alcaraz.
Outside football
Vigo released his autobiography, titled Ganador (winner), on 13 September 2010.