José Mari

This article is about the Spanish footballer. For another Spanish footballer, see José Mari (footballer, born 1987). For the Filipino actor, see Jose Mari (actor).
José Mari
Personal information
Full name José Maria Romero Poyón
Date of birth (1978-12-10) 10 December 1978
Place of birth Seville, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1994–1995 Lledón
1995–1996 Sevilla
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1996–1997 Sevilla B 25 (13)
1997 Sevilla 21 (7)
1997–1999 Atlético Madrid 84 (20)
2000–2003 Milan 52 (5)
2002–2003 → Atlético Madrid (loan) 31 (6)
2003–2007 Villarreal 113 (15)
2007–2008 Betis 21 (1)
2009–2010 Gimnàstic 49 (8)
2010–2013 Xerez 80 (27)
Total 476 (102)
National team
1996–1997 Spain U18 7 (6)
1998–2000 Spain U21 12 (5)
2000 Spain U23 5 (3)
2001–2003 Spain 4 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)
Olympic medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's Football
2000 Sydney Team Competition
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Romero and the second or maternal family name is Poyón.

José María Romero Poyón (born 10 December 1978), known as José Mari, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward.

Over the course of 11 seasons he amassed La Liga totals of 270 games and 49 goals, mainly with Atlético Madrid – for which he signed at the age of 18 from Sevilla, going on to score 34 times in 144 appearances – and Villarreal (four years apiece). He also played professionally in Italy for Milan.

Club career

José Mari was born in Seville, Andalusia. After growing through the ranks of local Sevilla FC (first appearing with the main side aged just 18, in a 0–2 defeat at Rayo Vallecano on 5 March 1997, and making 21 La Liga appearances with seven goals during that season, as his team was finally relegated), he moved to Atlético Madrid.

At Atlético, José Mari scored 18 league goals in his first two seasons combined. Highlights included scoring at both home and away wins against Real Madrid in the year 1999 (separate seasons, both by 3–1); these happened to be Atlético's only competitive victories in the Madrid derby in a span covering almost 20 years.[1][2]

José Mari failed to settle in Italy after a big-money move to A.C. Milan in January 2000 – Atlético were relegated at the end of that season – and was subsequently loaned out to the Colchoneros during 2002–03, their first back in the top flight after a two-year absence.[3] His second spell there was less successful, with the high point being a hat-trick in a 3–3 home draw against Athletic Bilbao on 10 November 2002.[4]

José Mari moved to Villarreal CF in the summer of 2003, for an undisclosed fee,[5] and went on to play a key role in that year's UEFA Intertoto Cup triumph and the club's best ever league finish (third in 2004–05, with four goals in 30 matches).

In 2007, after falling out of favour at Villarreal with the arrival of Giuseppe Rossi and the recovery of longtime injury absentee Nihat Kahveci, José Mari returned to Seville, joining Real Betis on a one-year deal.[6] He scored his first goal for his new club more than a year after his arrival, on 24 September 2008, in a 2–3 defeat at FC Barcelona;[7] despite still having a contract running until June 2010, he was released in late December and, late in the following month, moved to the second division and joined Gimnàstic de Tarragona.

In June 2010, after one 1/2 seasons of regular playing time, with six league goals in his last year, José Mari's contract expired and he was released.[8] In the following month, the 31-year-old signed for Xerez CD, freshly relegated into level two.[9] He netted a career-best 17 goals in his first season – 33 games, all starts – helping his team to the eighth position.

International career

José Mari represented Spain on four occasions in a two-year span. His debut came on 25 April 2001 as he played the second half of a 1–0 friendly win over Japan, in Córdoba.[10]

Previously, José Mari was a member of the national squad which won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He scored three goals during the competition.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 20 November 2002 Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain  Bulgaria 1–0 1–0 Friendly

Honours

Club

Villarreal

Country

Spain U23

References

  1. ↑ Más palo al Real (Real gets beat up again); Mundo Deportivo, 13 June 1999 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Lorenzo, vaya vergüenza! (Lorenzo, shame on you!); Mundo Deportivo, 31 October 1999 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Atlético move for Milan duo; UEFA.com, 5 July 2002
  4. ↑ 'El pupas' fue Urzaiz (Urzaiz was the 'Pupas'); Mundo Deportivo, 11 November 2002 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ José Mari joins Villarreal; UEFA.com, 16 July 2003
  6. ↑ José Mari secures Betis homecoming; UEFA.com, 1 September 2007
  7. ↑ "Barcelona 3–2 Real Betis". ESPN Soccernet. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "Deu baixes segures" [Ten certain releases] (in Catalan). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  9. ↑ "José Mari, olfato de gol para el ataque azulino" [José Mari, goal flair for azulino attack] (in Spanish). Xerez CD. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  10. ↑ Ensayo inquietante (Troubling rehearsal); Mundo Deportivo, 26 April 2001 (Spanish)

External links

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