Place of birth Aldaia, Spain Name Juan Moreno Playing position Role Footballer | Years Team Height 1.72 m 1991–1993 Valencia B Position Forward | |
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Full name Juan Gines Sanchez Moreno Date of birth (1972-05-15) 15 May 1972 (age 43) | ||
Juan Ginés Sánchez Moreno (born 15 May 1972) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.
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In a career almost entirely associated to Valencia – which he helped to two La Liga titles – and Celta, he scored nearly 90 goals as a professional in 361 games.
Club career
Born in Aldaia, Valencian Community, Sánchez started playing professionally for Valencia CF, and his first La Liga appearance was on 25 October 1992 in a 0–3 loss at FC Barcelona. In the season's closing stages he scored his first goal(s) for the Che, having come on as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win over RCD Español.
After a successful loan stint in the second division with RCD Mallorca, Sánchez left for Celta de Vigo, becoming an important offensive element in the Galicians' domestic and European consolidation. In his last two seasons combined, as Celta finished respectively sixth and fifth, he netted 22 times, eventually returning to his first club.
During the second campaign of his second spell, Sánchez scored 12 league goals (notably back-to-back braces against CD Numancia (3–0) and UD Las Palmas (5–1)), adding a further two in the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg against Leeds United (one with his hand, for a 3–0 home win), subsequently being replaced in the final loss against FC Bayern Munich.
Subsequently, after having appeared in 25 games in Valencia's 2001–02 league conquest, Sánchez's importance lessened dramatically in his final season (where he played in only ten matches for the champions, no complete ones). He retired aged 34 after a second spell at Celta, which he helped achieve a return to the top level.
Afterwards, Sánchez became Valencia's sporting director, succeeding Miguel Ángel Ruiz and leaving the post in August 2008. In June 2009 he moved to R.E. Mouscron in Belgium, in the same capacity, rejoining former Valencia teammates Amedeo Carboni and Miroslav Đukić (the latter being signed as head coach).
International career
Sánchez gained one cap for Spain, playing 12 minutes in a 2–2 friendly match against Italy on 18 November 1998, in Salerno.