Javier Calleja
Calleja managing Villarreal in 2018
Personal information
Full name Javier Calleja Revilla
Date of birth (1978-05-12) 12 May 1978 (age 45)
Place of birth Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Real Madrid C 60 (11)
1998 Almería 3 (0)
1998–1999 Alcalá
1999–2000 Onda 29 (17)
1999–2006 Villarreal 124 (9)
2006–2009 Málaga 104 (5)
2009–2012 Osasuna 46 (1)
Total 366 (43)
International career
1993 Spain U16 1 (0)
Managerial career
2012–2017 Villarreal (youth)
2017 Villarreal B
2017–2018 Villarreal
2019–2020 Villarreal
2021 Alavés
2022–2024 Levante
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Javier Calleja Revilla (born 12 May 1978) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a left midfielder, currently a manager.

He amassed La Liga totals of 192 matches and nine goals over one decade, mainly with Villarreal (six seasons) and Osasuna (three). He also represented Málaga in the competition, in a professional career which lasted 16 years.

Calleja later managed Villarreal, his first stint being in 2017.

Playing career

After growing unsuccessfully through the ranks of Real Madrid and making his professional debut with lowly UD Almería, Alcalá de Henares-born Calleja signed with Villarreal CF, but spent some months with its farm team CD Onda.[1] He made his first-team debut in the second division, playing nine games in the 1999–2000 campaign as the side returned to La Liga and contributing one goal, in the 3–1 away loss against CA Osasuna.[2]

Calleja was a very important member for the Yellow Submarine in his first three seasons in that tier, scoring four goals in 35 matches in 2001–02. On 5 April 2003, he netted a penalty kick as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win over FC Barcelona, dedicating the goal to his mother who had died hours before.[3][4] However, the emergence of Santi Cazorla and two consecutive serious knee injuries limited him to just 25 appearances over the following three campaigns.[5]

Ahead of 2006–07, Calleja left Villarreal and joined Málaga CF.[6] He was an instant first choice in Andalusia, making 38 appearances in his second season as the club returned to the top flight after a two-year hiatus.[7]

After a serious injury to teammate Adriano Rossato, Calleja spent much of the following campaign playing as left-back.[8][9] On 12 June 2009, after his contract with Málaga expired, he moved to Osasuna in a 2+1 years deal.[10]

Coaching career

In September 2012, 34-year-old Calleja announced his retirement and immediately returned to his former club Villarreal, being appointed manager of the youth sides.[11] On 9 May 2017, he replaced Paco López at the helm of the reserves.[12]

Calleja was named manager of the first team on 25 September 2017, in place of fired Fran Escribá.[13] In his first season he led them to the fifth position, with the subsequent qualification for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.[14] On 20 May 2018, he extended his contract.[15]

On 10 December 2018, with the side just three points above the relegation zone and having managed only one win in the last nine league fixtures, Calleja was dismissed.[16] On 29 January 2019, however, he was reinstated in the post following the sacking of Luis García.[17] He left in July 2020, after a late run of form won the team a fifth-place finish and European qualification.[18]

On 5 April 2021, Calleja was appointed coach of last-placed Deportivo Alavés on a short-term deal.[19] Having achieved his target of avoiding relegation, he was rewarded with a two-year contract the following month.[20] He left at the turn of the calendar year with the Basque club in the relegation zone, having taken one point from the last 15 and been eliminated from the second round of the Copa del Rey by third-tier Linares Deportivo.[21]

Calleja was named manager of Levante UD on 16 October 2022.[22] He led the team to the playoff final in his first season, losing to his previous employers by a 129th-minute penalty.[23]

Calleja was relieved of his duties on 19 February 2024, after just three wins in the last 16 matches.[24]

Personal life

Calleja's brother Fernando, who was born over a decade after him, was also a footballer but never any higher than the third division.[25]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 18 February 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Villarreal B Spain 26 May 2017 25 September 2017 6 4 2 0 7 2 +5 066.67 [26]
Villarreal Spain 25 September 2017 10 December 2018 65 25 18 22 100 80 +20 038.46 [27]
Villarreal Spain 29 January 2019 19 July 2020 66 32 12 22 113 85 +28 048.48 [28]
Alavés Spain 5 April 2021 28 December 2021 29 9 6 14 31 41 −10 031.03 [29]
Levante Spain 16 October 2022 19 February 2024 68 29 27 12 85 61 +24 042.65 [30]
Career total 234 99 65 70 336 269 +67 042.31 —

Honours

Player

Villarreal

References

  1. ^ "El alcalaíno Javier Calleja, entrenador del Villareal [sic], protagonista de la información deportiva por su victoria ante el Madrid" [Alcalá-born Javier Calleja, manager of Villarreal, sports news protagonist for his win against Madrid]. Alcalá Hoy (in Spanish). 14 January 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  2. ^ Monreal, Félix (8 May 2000). "Osasuna se coloca en zona de ascenso" [Osasuna reach promotion zone]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  3. ^ Ros, Cayetano (5 April 2003). "El Villarreal obtiene su recompensa" [Villarreal get their reward]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Calleja vuelve ´a cien´ después de cerca de 10 meses sin jugar" [Calleja returns 'at full blast' after nearly 10 months without playing]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). 30 April 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Javier Calleja JUGADOR DEL VILLARREAL C. F.: "Ahora estoy seguro de que he hecho lo correcto al quedarme"" [Javier Calleja VILLARREAL C. F. PLAYER: "Now I am sure I did the right thing by staying"]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). 20 January 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ Criado, José (29 September 2006). ""Mi fútbol todavía tiene margen de mejora"" ["My football can still improve a lot"]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  7. ^ Malo, José Luis (2 November 2017). "Calleja: adversario pero no enemigo..." [Calleja: opponent but not an enemy...]. Málaga Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Calleja (Málaga): "Soy optimista, pero sé que la dificultad de ganar en el Bernabéu es muy grande"" [Calleja (Málaga): "I am optimistic, but I know it is very difficult to win at the Bernabéu] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. ^ Godoy, Félix (27 November 2008). ""Formamos una gran pareja de laterales"" ["We are a great set of full-backs"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. ^ Errasti, Rodrigo (12 June 2009). "Calleja refuerza la banda izquierda de Osasuna" [Calleja strengthens Osasuna's left flank]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2009.
  11. ^ Fabián, R. (5 September 2012). "Calleja vuelve a casa" [Calleja returns home]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  12. ^ Sales, Eric (9 May 2017). "Javi Calleja se perfila como nuevo entrenador del filial" [Javi Calleja poised as the new manager of the reserves] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Javi Calleja is the new Villarreal CF manager". Villarreal CF. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  14. ^ "Calleja renueva un año en el banquillo del Villarreal" [Calleja renews for one year in bench of Villarreal]. Sport (in Spanish). 20 May 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  15. ^ "El Villarreal CF renueva a Javi Calleja" [Villarreal CF renew Javi Calleja] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  16. ^ Franch, Víctor; Whelan, Padraig (10 December 2018). "Villarreal sack coach Javi Calleja". Marca. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Javi Calleja vuelve al Villarreal" [Javi Calleja returns to Villarreal] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Calleja no longer Villarreal manager – club statement". Reuters. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Javi Calleja, nuevo entrenador del Alavés" [Javi Calleja, new coach of Alavés]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 April 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  20. ^ Suárez, Gari (25 May 2021). "Javi Calleja renueva con el Alavés" [Javi Calleja renews with Alavés]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Javi Calleja dejará de ser entrenador del Alavés" [Javi Calleja will no longer be manager of Alavés] (in Spanish). EFE. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Javi Calleja, nuevo entrenador del Levante UD" [Javi Calleja, new manager of Levante UD] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Calleja: "Estoy hecho polvo, destrozado; el ascenso se nos fue de la manera más cruel"" [Calleja: "I'm crushed, destroyed; promotion was taken from us in the cruellest way"]. Marca (in Spanish). 18 June 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  24. ^ Rodilla, Noel (19 February 2024). "El Levante despide a Javi Calleja y Miñambres se hace cargo del equipo" [Levante sack Javi Calleja and Miñambres takes over the team]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  25. ^ De la Riva, Mario (2 May 2021). "El Unión Adarve logra el ascenso directo a Segunda División RFEF" [Unión Adarve achieve automatic promotion to Segunda División RFEF]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  26. ^ "Matches Javier Calleja, 2017–18 season". BDFutbol.
  27. ^ "Matches Javier Calleja, 2017–18 season". BDFutbol.
    "Matches Javier Calleja, 2018–19 season". BDFutbol.
  28. ^ "Matches Javier Calleja, 2018–19 season". BDFutbol.
    "Matches Javier Calleja, 2019–20 season". BDFutbol.
  29. ^ "Matches Javier Calleja, 2020–21 season". BDFutbol.
    "Matches Javier Calleja, 2021–22 season". BDFutbol.
  30. ^ "Matches Javier Calleja, 2022–23 season". BDFutbol.
    "Matches Javier Calleja, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol.

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