Manuel Zúñiga Fernández (born 29 June 1960) is úña Spanish retired football right midfielder and manager.

He amassed La Liga totals of 323 games and 20 goals over 12 seasons, mainly with Espanyol (nine years) but also Sevilla. He subsequently worked as a coach in the lower leagues.

Manuel Zúñiga

Club career

Zúñiga was born in Luciana, Ciudad Real. After starting professionally with lowly CD Calvo Sotelo in the Segunda División B, he signed for RCD Español in 1979, being immediately cast in the team's rotation at the age of 19.

Manuel Zúñiga

After only three appearances in his second season, which also included a loan to Cádiz CF to perform his military service, Zúñiga went on to average more than 30 La Liga matches per campaign, including 43 – with two goals – in 1986–87 as the Catalans qualified for the UEFA Cup. He helped them to reach the final in the subsequent continental competition, but missed his penalty in the shootout in an eventual loss against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Manuel Zúñiga

In the following three years, Zúñiga played with fellow top-flight club Sevilla FC, where he still was regularly used. After 1991–92, spent with CE Sabadell FC in the Segunda División, he moved to Écija Balompié, helping it to promote to division two in 1995 and partnering Real Betis and Real Madrid legend Rafael Gordillo in 1995–96, retiring aged 36.

Subsequently, Zúñiga worked as a manager, never in higher than the third tier.

International career

A longtime Spain under-21 international, Zúñiga never earned a cap for the full side. He did represent the nation at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

References

External links

Stats and bio at Cadistas1910

1960 births

Living people

Sportspeople from the Province of Ciudad Real

Spanish men's footballers

Men's association football midfielders

La Liga players

Segunda División players

Segunda División B players

CD Puertollano footballers

RCD Espanyol footballers

Cádiz CF players

Sevilla FC players

CE Sabadell FC footballers

Écija Balompié players

Spain men's youth international footballers

Spain men's under-21 international footballers

Spain men's under-23 international footballers

Spain men's amateur international footballers

Olympic footballers for Spain

Footballers at the 1980 Summer Olympics

Spanish football managers

Segunda División B managers

Écija Balompié managers

CD Puertollano managers