Julián Rubio

Playing career

Born in Montealegre del Castillo, Province of Albacete, Rubio started playing for local Albacete Balompié. He made his senior debuts with Ontinyent CF, spending two of his three seasons in the second division, then switched to Sevilla FC in the same category, promoting to La Liga in 1975.

Rubio made his top level debut on 6 September 1975, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 home win against UD Las Palmas, and finished his first year with 26 games (all starts) and three goals as the Andalusians ranked in 11th position. After three more seasons, always as first-choice, he signed with FC Barcelona.

At the Camp Nou, having to compete with the likes of Juan Manuel Asensi and Jesús Landáburu – and later Bernd Schuster – Rubio was nothing but a fringe player over the course of two seasons, all of his league appearances coming in his debut campaign. He returned to Albacete in the summer of 1981, promoting to the third level in his first season, and retiring after three years at the age of 32.

Manager career

Immediately after retiring, Rubio begun coaching precisely with his last club, achieving promotiong to division two in his first season but being immediately relegated back. In 1987 he joined amateurs CD Maspalomas, returning to his previous team after one season.

In 1991, after one-year spells with Recreativo de Huelva (second division, relegation) and SD Ibiza (regional leagues), Rubio returned to Albacete once again, now as director of football. As Benito Floro joined Real Madrid in the summer of 1992 after the team's top flight overachiements, he was named his successor, being sacked after the 15th round and replaced by former Sevilla teammate Víctor Espárrago.

In late April 1999, following spells with three teams, including Sevilla FC in which he was one of three managers in 1996–97 and four in the following season, and Club Bolívar in Bolivia, Rubio returned for the fourth time as Albacete coach, replacing Luigi Maifredi late into the second level campaign and leading the Castile-La Mancha outfit to the 15th position out of 22 teams. In the following seven years he worked in the same category, with Albacete, Elche CF (two spells), Polideportivo Ejido, Ciudad de Murcia and Cádiz CF; additionally, late into 1999–2000 with Albacete, he had to take a forced four-game break from coaching to undergo surgery due to a serious illness.

Rubio started the 2009–10 season at the helm of CF Atlético Ciudad in the third division, leaving the club – who would be eventually relegated due to financial irregularities – in late November. He was appointed at Albacete the following month in substitution of Pepe Murcia, and both coaches and a third one, David Vidal, were in charge for 14 games as the club eventually retained its second level status.

On 21 June 2011, Rubio became the first Spaniard to coach in the Albanian Superliga, joining KF Tirana on a one-year contract. He helped the team to the season's Albanian Supercup, a 1–0 win against KF Skënderbeu Korçë, adding the Albanian Cup the following year against the same rival.

On 7 June 2012, following his successful first year, Rubio was due to extend his link with Tirana for the following two seasons. He did not sign the contract officially however, due to some clauses on which himself and the club did not agree, and eventually left, agreeing terms with another club in the country, Flamurtari Vlorë.

After only three months in charge, Rubio was relieved of his duties due to poor results.