Juan Merino

Juan Merino

Merino in 2016
Personal information
Full name Juan Merino Ruiz
Date of birth (1970-08-24) 24 August 1970
Place of birth La Línea, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Betis B (coach)
Youth career
Betis
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1990 Betis B
1990–2002 Betis 315 (3)
2002–2007 Recreativo 137 (1)
Total 452 (4)
National team
1991 Spain U21 1 (0)
1991–1992 Spain U23 6 (1)
Teams managed
2010–2011 Recreativo (assistant)
2011 Xerez
2014– Betis B
2014 Betis (caretaker)
2016 Betis

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


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Merino and the second or maternal family name is Ruiz.

Juan Merino Ruiz (born 24 August 1970) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a central defender.

During his 17-year professional career he played solely in Andalusia, with Betis and Recreativo, appearing in more than 200 matches in both the first and second divisions of Spanish football.

Subsequently, Merino went on to work extensively as a manager with the former club (although his first head coach experience arrived with precisely the latter).

Playing career

Born in La Línea de la Concepción, Province of Cádiz, Merino joined Real Betis's first team in 1990, becoming club captain in later years. Out of his twelve years at the club eight were in La Liga, and he appeared in 203 games in that division, scoring two goals and surpassing overall 300 appearances; in the 1996–97 season, he contributed with 36 matches as Betis finished fourth.

In 2002–03, staying in Andalusia, Merino joined Recreativo de Huelva. In his first season the club was relegated, regaining top flight status in 2006. After featuring in 23 games in the 2006–07 campaign he retired from football, with more than 500 official matches played – both major divisions combined.

Coaching career

Immediately after retiring, Merino rejoined Betis as director of football. He was named assistant coach in 2009, going on to work with two different managers.[1][2]

In the 2010–11 season, Merino cut ties with Betis and returned to Recre as assistant to Pablo Alfaro – a former Sevilla FC defender – with the club in the second division. In mid-October, after only eight games (four draws and four losses), Alfaro was sacked but he stayed with his successor Carlos Ríos, in the same predicament.

On 14 June 2011, Merino was named manager of Xerez CD. He was sacked on 5 December, due to poor results.[3]

References

  1. ↑ José María Nogués se hace cargo del primer equipo (José María Nogués charged with first team); Real Betis, 6 April 2009 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Merino será el segundo de Tapia (Merino will be Tapia's assistant); Al Final de la Palmera, 10 June 2009 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ "Official: Xerez axe Merino"; Football Press, 5 December 2011
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