Years Team Height 1.80 m | Name Javier Casquero Role Footballer | |
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Full name Francisco Javier Casquero Paredes Date of birth (1976-03-11) 11 March 1976 (age 39) Similar People Juan Angel Albin, Pepe, Javier Portillo Profiles | ||
Red card Pepe Real Madrid vs Getafe.
Francisco Javier Casquero Paredes (born 11 March 1976) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played usually as a central midfielder, and is the current manager of Recreativo de Huelva.
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Over the course of 11 seasons he amassed La Liga totals of 322 games and 43 goals, mainly with Getafe (six years) and Sevilla (four).
Early years
Born in Talavera de la Reina, Province of Toledo, Casquero starting playing professionally with local CD Toledo in the second division, also being loaned for six months to lowly Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.
He then spent one season with Atlético Madrid B, where his consistent performances were not enough for the Colchoneros reserves' second level status preservation.
Sevilla / Santander
In the following season, Casquero joined Sevilla FC in the same tier, and with four goals in 38 games he helped the Andalusians achieve promotion after a one-year absence, making his La Liga debut on 26 August 2001 in a 1–2 home loss against FC Barcelona. He would score seven goals in his first top flight campaign.
Known for his powerful shot, Casquero went on to become one of Sevilla's most effective players, helping in the team's top level consolidation, with two sixth-places from 2003 to 2005 (although he appeared scarcely in the second). After that, he was deemed surplus to requirements and joined Racing de Santander, where he played one season in the top division.
Getafe
Already a veteran, Casquero moved for 2006–07 to Madrid's Getafe CF, quickly becoming an undisputed starter. On 10 May 2007, he was one of three players on target in a 4–0 home defeat of Barcelona for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, which meant qualification for the decisive match for the first time ever after a 6–5 aggregate win.
Casquero was instrumental in the side's quarter-final run in the UEFA Cup, notably scoring in that stage against FC Bayern Munich in a 3–3 home draw and 4–4 aggregate loss. In the 2007–08 season he appeared in a total of 50 official matches, netting seven times.
On 21 April 2009, in the last minute of a 2–3 loss at Real Madrid, Casquero was involved in an incident with Pepe (with the score then at 2–2): he was fouled in the area by the Portuguese, and then kicked twice while still on the ground after the penalty kick was awarded. He shot it awkwardly, and Gonzalo Higuaín scored in the next play for the final defeat.
Challenged by new signing Daniel Parejo in the following two seasons, Casquero still appeared in 59 games combined, netting six goals as Getafe consecutively managed to retain its top flight status. Aged 36, he was released by the club in July 2012.
Late career
On 24 July 2012, Casquero signed a one-year contract with UD Almería. He was released on the very last day of the following year's January transfer window before signing with another side in division two, Sporting de Gijón, the following month.