Francisco Javier Chica
Encyclopedia
Francisco Javier "Javi" Chica Torres (born 17 May 1985 in Barcelona
, Catalonia
) is a Spanish
footballer who plays for Real Betis
in La Liga
.
Capable of appearing as both a right or left defender, his main asset is his physical strength.
's youth system, Chica made his first team debut on 15 October 2006, in a 0–0 away draw against Villarreal CF
. In his debut year, he appeared in 27 La Liga
contests, adding ten as the Spanish
went all the way to the UEFA Cup final
, losing it to fellow league side Sevilla FC
(he did not play in the decisive match itself).
Never an undisputed starter in the following seasons, Chica continued to be regularly used at Espanyol, appearing in an average of more than 20 matches per season, as either a right or a left-back.
In late May 2011, the free agent
signed for Real Betis
, freshly returned to the top division
. He made his official debut on 27 August, starting at right defender in a 1–0 away win against Granada CF
.
Spain U19
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
) is a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
.
Capable of appearing as both a right or left defender, his main asset is his physical strength.
Club career
A product of RCD EspanyolRCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
's youth system, Chica made his first team debut on 15 October 2006, in a 0–0 away draw against Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
. In his debut year, he appeared in 27 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
contests, adding ten as the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
went all the way to the UEFA Cup final
2007 UEFA Cup Final
-Match statistics:*-See also:*2006–07 UEFA Cup*UEFA Intertoto Cup*2007 UEFA Champions League Final...
, losing it to fellow league side Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
(he did not play in the decisive match itself).
Never an undisputed starter in the following seasons, Chica continued to be regularly used at Espanyol, appearing in an average of more than 20 matches per season, as either a right or a left-back.
In late May 2011, the free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
signed for Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
, freshly returned to the top division
2010–11 Segunda División
-Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:||style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=11 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-Positions by round:Source: -Results:...
. He made his official debut on 27 August, starting at right defender in a 1–0 away win against Granada CF
Granada CF
Granada Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 14 April 1931, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes....
.
Honours
Espanyol- UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2006–07
Spain U19
- UEFA U-19 ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
: 20042004 UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe 2004 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship was held in Switzerland from 13 to 24 July 2004. Players born after 1 January 1985 can participate in this competition...