Miguel García (Spanish footballer)

Miguel Ángel García Tébar (born 26 September 1979), known as Miguel García, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García and the second or maternal family name is Tébar.

Miguel García
García in training with Las Palmas
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ángel García Tébar
Date of birth (1979-09-26) 26 September 1979
Place of birth Albacete, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Albacete
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 Albacete B
1999–2002 Albacete 15 (0)
2000–2001 → Deportivo B (loan) 27 (2)
2002–2004 Zaragoza B 52 (6)
2004–2005 Ponferradina 35 (4)
2005–2006 Castellón 32 (0)
2006–2008 Cádiz 45 (5)
2008–2010 Las Palmas 63 (1)
2010 Salamanca 8 (1)
Total 277 (19)
International career
1995–1996 Spain U16 2 (0)
1998 Spain U18 1 (0)
1998 Spain U20 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ten years of his professional career – cut short at 31 due to heart problems – were spent in the Segunda División, where he collected 163 appearances for five teams.

Club career

Born in Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha, García made his professional debut with hometown club Albacete Balompié. He could only make 15 first-team appearances in four seasons, which also included a short spell with Deportivo de La Coruña's reserves in the Segunda División B, on loan.

García then played three years in the third tier, with Deportivo Aragón and SD Ponferradina. In 2005, aged 26, he signed with CD Castellón of Segunda División,[1] spending a further two seasons with another team in that league, Cádiz CF, arriving as the Andalusians had just been relegated from La Liga; in 2008, with the player only appearing in 14 matches (out of 42), it would drop down another division.[2]

After two years with UD Las Palmas,[3] the 31-year-old García joined UD Salamanca also in the second division.[4] On 24 October 2010, during a home game against Real Betis (0–3 home loss), he suffered a cardiac arrest in the 57th minute and collapsed. He was attended by doctors of both teams, who revived him with cardiac massage and the use of a defibrillator; he left the stadium in a stable condition, subsequently undergoing tests at the Salamanca University Hospital.[5]

After the event, in which his heart reportedly stopped beating for "about 25 seconds",[6] García's club praised the "rapid and efficient intervention" of doctors from both Salamanca and Betis, credited with saving the player's life.[7] Shortly before he left the hospital facilities, it was announced by the medical staff he would have to retire from football with immediate effect.[8]

References
  1. "Miguel García, el último refuerzo albinegro" [Miguel García, last white-and-black addition]. Levante-EMV (in Spanish). 1 September 2005. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  2. León, José Joaquín (16 June 2008). "Un descenso para la historia del fútbol" [A relegation in the history of football]. Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  3. Artiles Castellano, Alberto (2 September 2008). "El centrocampista Miguel García, nuevo refuerzo amarillo" [Midfielder Miguel García, new yellow addition]. Canarias7 (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  4. "El Salamanca ficha al centrocampista Miguel García" [Salamanca sign midfielder Miguel García]. Marca (in Spanish). 2 August 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  5. "Horror as player has heart attack". Irish Independent. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  6. "Miguel García abandonará la UCI en las próximas horas" [Miguel García to leave ICU in next hours]. Marca (in Spanish). 25 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  7. "El jugador Miguel García se recupera tras sufrir un infarto" [Footballer Miguel García is recovering after suffering a heart attack]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). 24 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  8. "Los cardiólogos anuncian a Miguel García que no podrá volver a jugar" [Cardiologists tell Miguel García he will not be able to play again]. Marca (in Spanish). 25 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
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