Xisco Muñoz

Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart (born 5 September 1980), known as Xisco, is a Spanish football manager and former player who played mainly as a left winger.

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

Xisco Muñoz
Xisco playing for Levante in 2011
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart[1]
Date of birth (1980-09-05) 5 September 1980[1]
Place of birth Manacor, Spain[1]
Height 1,75m [1]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 —
Youth career
Mallorca
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998 Mallorca B 10 (0)
1999–2003 Valencia B 39 (15)
2000–2001 → Recreativo (loan) 39 (10)
2001–2002 → Tenerife (loan) 28 (1)
2002–2003 → Recreativo (loan) 23 (6)
2003–2005 Valencia 44 (4)
2005–2009 Betis 73 (8)
2009–2011 Levante 54 (9)
2011–2014 Dinamo Tbilisi 98 (62)
2014–2016 Gimnàstic 25 (2)
Total 433 (117)
International career
1998 Spain U17 3 (1)
1998–1999 Spain U18 6 (2)
2000–2001 Spain U21 8 (2)
Managerial career
2017 Pobla Mafumet (interim)
2020 Dinamo Tbilisi
2020–2021 Watford
2021–2022 Huesca
2022–2023 Anorthosis
2023 Sheffield Wednesday
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He played 194 matches and scored 20 goals over nine seasons in La Liga, spending four years at Betis, also representing Valencia, Tenerife, Recreativo and Levante and winning the 2004 UEFA Cup with Valencia. Starting in 2011, he played four seasons in Georgia with Dinamo Tbilisi.

In 2019, Xisco rejoined Dinamo Tbilisi as part of the technical team, and in 2020 became their head coach. In December 2020, he was appointed at Watford, achieving promotion to the Premier League in his first season but being sacked in October 2021 despite the club sitting 15th. That same month, he became manager of Huesca before being replaced in June 2022. He signed for Anorthosis in October that year, but left three months later. In July 2023, he joined Sheffield Wednesday as head coach before being dismissed in October after failing to win any matches in charge.

Playing career

Valencia

Xisco was born in Manacor, Balearic Islands. He began in the youth ranks of local Mallorca, making ten senior appearances for the B team in the Segunda División B in 1998. After two years with Valencia's equivalent he moved on loan to Recreativo de Huelva of Segunda División,[2] scoring ten goals in his first season. He then joined Tenerife for 2001–02, before returning (always on loan) to his previous club for the 2002–03 campaign, still in La Liga.[3]

Xisco returned to Valencia in summer 2003 for two additional seasons, making 22 appearances as the Che conquered the 2004 league title; he scored once as a substitute on 2 November 2003 to conclude a 5–0 away win against Mallorca.[4] He added eight matches in their victorious run in the UEFA Cup also in that year, but remained on the bench in the final against Marseille.[5]

Betis

Xisco signed with Real Betis in 2005 on a six-year deal,[6] often delivering in various attacking positions and displaying all-around teamwork. He netted three times in 2006–07, including a couple of late goals against Racing de Santander[7] and Gimnàstic de Tarragona[8] as the Andalusians only avoided top-flight relegation in the last matchday.

In a rocky 2008–09 season, which ended in relegation,[9] Xisco only featured in nine games, scoring once.[10] Dark spots included being replaced after having himself been used as a substitute in a 2–1 home defeat to Málaga, on 11 January 2009.[11][12]

Levante and later years

In the dying minutes of the August 2009 transfer window, Xisco rescinded his Betis contract and joined Levante also in the second division, for two seasons.[13] In his first he played the most he had in years, also scoring eight goals[14] as the Valencian Community side returned to the top flight after a two-year absence.[15]

Xisco contributed 26 matches – 18 starts – in 2010–11, as Levante finally managed to stay afloat. On 22 January 2011, he scored his only goal of the campaign in a 4–1 away loss against Sevilla,[16] and was released in May.[17]

Already aged 30, Xisco moved abroad for the first time, signing with Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia and sharing teams with several compatriots.[18] In 2012–13, he won the Erovnuli Liga and also scored a career-best 22 goals, best in the competition.[19] The player and the team retained their titles a year later, and his goal concluded the 3–0 win at Sioni Bolnisi that confirmed it.[20]

On 14 December 2014, Xisco returned to his homeland after agreeing to an 18-month deal with third-tier Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[21] On 18 June 2016, he announced his retirement and became Vicente Moreno's assistant.[22] In September of the following year, he stood in as manager of farm team Pobla de Mafumet in the Tercera División, after the promotion of Rodri to the Nàstic job.[23]

Coaching career

Dinamo Tbilisi

Xisco returned to Dinamo Tbilisi in January 2019, as part of Zaur Svanadze's staff.[24] He left at the end of the year, after the team had recovered their league crown following a three-year absence.[25]

In August 2020, Xisco again returned to Dinamo, now as head coach of the club.[26] With several compatriots on the pitch and the bench, they won the league in December.[27]

Watford

Xisco was appointed as manager of Watford on 21 December 2020, after the dismissal of Vladimir Ivić.[28][29] His debut in the EFL Championship was five days later, a 1–0 home victory over leaders Norwich City.[30]

After a run of five straight wins, Xisco was awarded the Championship Manager of the Month award for March 2021.[31] On 24 April, his team achieved promotion to the Premier League with two games remaining, after a 1–0 win against Millwall at Vicarage Road.[32]

Xisco was sacked on 3 October 2021, despite the side being 15th after seven matches; it was the 13th change in the club's hotseat since the arrival of owner Gino Pozzo in 2012.[33] In an official statement, Watford wrote that the coach had been presiding over a "negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving".[34]

Huesca

On 26 October 2021, Xisco signed as coach of Huesca.[35] Having finished in 13th in his only season with nine wins out of 30,[36] he was replaced in June by José Ángel Ziganda.[37]

Anorthosis

On 4 October 2022, Xisco was appointed manager of Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis until the end of the season.[38] Three months later, after a series of five winless games, he was replaced by Vesko Mihajlović.[39][40]

Sheffield Wednesday

On 4 July 2023, Xisco joined Sheffield Wednesday as head coach;[41] he brought in his brother Miguel as assistant, Roberto Cuesta as first-team coach and Antonello Brambilla as goalkeeper coach, all of who he worked with at Watford.[42] His first competitive game in charge was at home to newly relegated Southampton, a 2–1 defeat.[43] Following a 1–0 away loss to West Bromwich Albion on 3 October, he led the Owls to their worst ever start to a season with just two points from the first ten matches.[44] A day later, he was dismissed.[45][46]

Personal life

Xisco is the older brother of another footballer, Toni Muñoz. He appeared once for Mallorca's first team,[47] but spent the vast majority of his career in the lower leagues of his country.

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[48][49]
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Recreativo (loan) 2000–01 Segunda División 391010—4010
Tenerife (loan) 2001–02 La Liga 28110—291
Recreativo (loan) 2002–03 La Liga 23691—327
Valencia 2003–04 La Liga 221328[lower-alpha 1]0333
2004–05 La Liga 2232[lower-alpha 2]010[lower-alpha 3]0343
Total 44452180676
Betis 2005–06 La Liga 2513[lower-alpha 2]08[lower-alpha 3]0363
2006–07 La Liga 17350—223
2007–08 La Liga 22331—254
2008–09 La Liga 9140—131
2009–10 Segunda División 0000—00
Total 73815180969
Levante 2009–10 Segunda División 28800—288
2010–11 La Liga 26131—292
Total 57941—6110
Dinamo Tbilisi 2011–12 Erovnuli Liga 3015205[lower-alpha 4]33718
2012–13 Erovnuli Liga 282485—3629
2013–14 Erovnuli Liga 28197[lower-alpha 5]55[lower-alpha 3]24026
2014–15 Erovnuli Liga 1242[lower-alpha 5]12[lower-alpha 6]0165
Total 9862191212512979
Gimnàstic 2014–15 Segunda División B 13100—131
2015–16 Segunda División 12110—131
Total 2511000261
Career total 364964616385448117
  1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
  2. Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
  3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League
  4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  5. Appearance(s) in Georgian Super Cup
  6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

Managerial statistics
As of match played 3 October 2023[50][49]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Dinamo Tbilisi Georgia (country) 24 August 2020 20 December 2020 11 8 0 3 19 12 +7 072.73
Watford England 20 December 2020 3 October 2021 36 21 4 11 49 29 +20 058.33
Huesca Spain 26 October 2021 13 June 2022 32 10 12 10 36 32 +4 031.25
Anorthosis Cyprus 4 October 2022 5 January 2023 13 4 2 7 12 15 −3 030.77
Sheffield Wednesday England 4 July 2023 4 October 2023 12 0 4 8 7 20 −13 000.00
Total 104 43 22 39 123 108 +15 041.35

Honours

Player

Valencia

Dinamo Tbilisi

Individual

  • Erovnuli Liga top scorer: 2012–13,[19] 2013–14
  • Erovnuli Liga Player of the Year: 2013–14

Manager

Dinamo Tbilisi

Watford

Individual

References
  1. "Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart, XISCO". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  2. "El Valencia cede a Xisco al Recreativo de Huelva" [Valencia loan Xisco to Recreativo de Huelva]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 31 July 2002. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  3. "El Levante UD cierra su plantilla con el fichaje de Xisco Muñoz" [Levante UD complete their squad with signing of Xisco Muñoz] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  4. Ros, Cayetano (3 November 2003). "Oliveira se destapa en Son Moix" [Oliveira runs wild at Son Moix]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  5. "Valencia 2–0 Marseille". BBC Sport. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  6. "Xisco the kid for Betis". UEFA. 4 July 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  7. "Real Betis 1–1 Racing Santander". ESPN Soccernet. 21 January 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  8. "Real Betis 1–1 Gimnastic de Tarragona". ESPN Soccernet. 19 May 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  9. Mérida, Javier (3 June 2009). "La plantilla del Betis, uno a uno" [The Betis squad, one by one]. Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  10. "El Betis revive de la mano de Sergio García ante un Valladolid impreciso (1–3)" [Betis come to life courtesy of Sergio García against iffy Valladolid (1–3)]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 18 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  11. "Real Betis 1–2 Málaga". ESPN Soccernet. 11 January 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  12. Moscoso, Álvaro (12 January 2009). "Xisco, Babic y Juanlu, apartados; el caso llega a Jabugo" [Xisco, Babic and Juanlu, ousted; affair reaches Jabugo] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  13. "Mercado: El Levante ficha al bético Xisco" [Market: Levante sign bético Xisco] (in Spanish). Goal. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  14. "Xisco Muñoz: se retira el cañón del último ascenso" [Xisco Muñoz: top gun in last promotion retires] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  15. "El Levante celebra el centenario con un ascenso" [Levante celebrate century with promotion]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 June 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  16. "Fabiano treble sinks Levante". ESPN Soccernet. 22 January 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  17. Algarra, Ismael (26 May 2011). "Xisco Muñoz se marcha "muy triste y agradecido"" [Xisco Muñoz leaves "with great sadness and appreciation"]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  18. "El Dinamo Tbilisi georgiano ficha a 'Xisco' Muñoz, Coto y Yagüe" [Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi sign 'Xisco' Muñoz, Coto and Yagüe] (in Spanish). Terra. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  19. Alemany, Luc (6 May 2013). "Xisco Muñoz, campeón de liga y máximo goleador en Georgia" [Xisco Muñoz, league champion and top scorer in Georgia] (in Spanish). Som Balears. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  20. "El Dínamo retiene el título" [Dinamo retain title] (in Spanish). UEFA. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  21. "Xisco Muñoz, nuevo fichaje grana" [Xisco Muñoz, new grana signing] (in Spanish). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  22. "Xisco Muñoz cuelga las botas y formará parte del cuerpo técnico grana" [Xisco Muñoz hangs up boots and will be a part of the grana staff] (in Spanish). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  23. "Xisco Muñoz i Manel Cazorla substitueixen a Rodri a La Pobla" [Xisco Muñoz and Manel Cazorla replace Rodri at La Pobla] (in Catalan). Futbol Catalunya. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  24. "Xisco Muñoz regresa al Dinamo Tiflis" [Xisco Muñoz returns to Dinamo Tbilisi] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  25. "Vicente y Xisco dejan el Dinamo Tiflis tras ganar la liga georgiana" [Vicente and Xisco leave Dinamo Tbilisi after winning the Georgian league]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 20 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  26. Manchón, Martín (31 August 2020). "Xisco Muñoz regresa al Dinamo Tbilisi, su segunda casa" [Xisco returns to Dinamo Tbilisi, his second home]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  27. "Xisco Muñoz hace campeón al Dinamo de Tiflis" [Xisco Muñoz makes Dinamo Tbilisi into champions]. Última Hora (in Spanish). 10 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  28. "Official: Xisco Muñoz appointed head coach". Watford F.C. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  29. "Xisco Munoz: Watford appoint Spaniard as new head coach following sacking of Vladimir Ivic". Sky Sports. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  30. Gray, Ryan (26 December 2020). "Xisco Munoz delighted by Watford win over Norwich City". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  31. Affleck, Kevin (9 April 2021). "Muñoz wins Manager Of The Month: "It's for everyone"". Watford F.C. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  32. Stevens, Rob (24 April 2021). "Watford 1–0 Millwall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  33. "Xisco Munoz: Watford sack manager after poor spell". BBC Sport. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  34. "Club statement: Xisco Muñoz". Watford F.C. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  35. Bengoa, Javier (26 October 2021). "Xisco Muñoz, nuevo entrenador del Huesca" [Xisco Muñoz, new Huesca manager]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  36. Barluenga, Miguel (29 May 2022). "Xisco Muñoz: "No se ha logrado el objetivo, hay que pedir disculpas y reflexionar"" [Xisco Muñoz: "The objective hasn't been achieved, we have to apologise and reflect"]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  37. Barluenga, Miguel (13 June 2022). "Cuco Ziganda da el "sí, quiero" a la SD Huesca" [Cuco Ziganda gives the "yes, I do" to SD Huesca"]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  38. Matthews, Anthony (4 October 2022). "Ex-Watford boss Munoz takes over at Anorthosis Famagusta in Cyprus". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  39. "Με Βέσκο κόντρα σε ΑΕΚ" [With Vesko against AEK] (in Greek). Protathlima. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  40. "Gorka Santamaría ya tiene nuevo equipo y Xisco Muñoz es cesado en Chipre" [Gorka Santamaría already has a new team and Xisco Muñoz is sacked in Cyprus] (in Spanish). Huelva 24. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  41. "Owls appoint Xisco Muñoz as first team manager". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  42. "Xisco adds to coaching team". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  43. Charlesworth, Ricky (4 August 2023). "Sheffield Wednesday 1 Southampton 2 highlights as ex-Blades striker Che Adams bags later winner". Yorkshire Examiner. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  44. "Xisco Munoz has now led Sheffield Wednesday to worst start in their history after loss to West Brom". The Yorkshire Post. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  45. "Club statement". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  46. "Xisco Munoz: Sheffield Wednesday sack boss after winless start in Championship". BBC Sport. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  47. "El Murcia derrota al Larissa en la presentación ante su público" [Murcia defeat Larissa in presentation to home crowd]. Marca (in Spanish). 18 August 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  48. "Xisco: Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart". BDFutbol. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  49. Xisco Muñoz at FootballDatabase.eu
  50. "Xisco Muñoz". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  51. "Xisco Muñoz firma el doblete en Georgia" [Xisco Muñoz signs double in Georgia] (in Spanish). Fútbol Balear. 27 May 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  52. "Xisco da al Dinamo Tiflis su undécima Copa y el doblete" [Xisco gives Dinamo Tbilisi their eleventh Cup and double]. El Día (in Spanish). 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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