Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Rudi García | ||
Date of birth | 20 February 1964 | ||
Place of birth | Nemours, France | ||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Playing position | Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
|
Marseille (manager) | ||
Youth career | |||
1970–1979 | l'ASCE | ||
1979–1982 | Viry-Châtillon | ||
1982–1983 | Lille | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1983–1988 | Lille | 64 | (4) |
1988–1991 | Caen | 57 | (1) |
1991–1992 | Martigues | 13 | (0) |
1991–1992 | l'ASCE | 13 | (0) |
Total | 134 | (5) | |
Teams managed | |||
1994–1998 | l'ASCE | ||
2001–2002 | Saint-Étienne | ||
2002–2007 | Dijon | ||
2007–2008 | Le Mans | ||
2008–2013 | Lille | ||
2013–2016 | Roma | ||
2016– | Marseille | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
Rudi García (born 20 February 1964) is a French football manager and former player, currently the coach of Ligue 1 side Marseille.
Rudi García's father, José, was a Spaniard expatriate who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque. His grandparents had left Andalusia for the Ardennes region during the Spanish Civil War.
When José became the coach of local team Corbeil-Essonnes, he drafted his son into the squad, where Rudi played until cadet level. As Corbeil did not have a national cadets side, Rudi joined the Viry-Châtillon team. He was 18 when he obtained his baccalauréat and signed for Lille, where he would spend two years as an intern and four as part of the professional squad.
Playing as an attacking midfielder, García's first goal for Lille was a notable affair. In December 1984, Lille travelled to the Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain. With both sides tied at 2–2, García netted to earn his side a win over the Parisian club. He made about 170 appearances for the Northern club, which he left in 1988.
After Lille, García joined Caen, where he was coached by Robert Nouzaret and Daniel Jeandupeux. In 1991, he opted to join Martigues rather than signing on with the Normandy club. Serious injuries to his back and knee forced him to retire from professional football at the age of 28, in 1992.