Francisco Javier Sánchez Broto

Infobox Football biography
playername = Javier Sánchez Broto
fullname = Francisco Javier Sánchez Broto


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|8|25
cityofbirth = Extremadura
countryofbirth = Spain
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = height|m=1.85
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs = Real Zaragoza
years =

1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2003
2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005
clubs = Villarreal
Castellón
Málaga
Airdrieonians
Livingston
Celtic
Real Murcia
Getafe
Hércules
caps(goals) =


23 (0)
47 (0)
08 (0)
09 (0)
21 (0)
03 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears =
managerclubs =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Francisco Javier Sánchez Broto (born August 25, 1971) is a Spanish former football goalkeeper. He started his career with Real Zaragoza and played for various Spanish clubs, most notably Villarreal, Castellón and Málaga, before heading to Scotland, where he played for Airdrieonians, Livingston and Celtic.

Career

Born in Extremadura, Sánchez Broto joined the Real Zaragoza academy at 14. His failure to make an impression as an attacker led to his being used as a goalkeeper. He subsequently moved to Málaga, where he won a Segunda División medal. [cite web | title=The man with no game puts the team first | url= http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=537152003 | publisher=Scotsman | accessdate=2007-09-10]

In 2000 Sánchez Broto moved to Scottish side Airdrie on a Bosman transfer. [cite web | title=Archibald kicks off Spanish revolution | url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-63588718.html | publisher=Daily Record| accessdate=2007-09-10] During Sánchez Broto's first season in Scotland, Airdrie won the Scottish Challenge Cup after Broto saved three penalties in a penalty shoot-out. [cite web | title=Airdrie lift Challenge Cup | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/scotland/1031544.stml | publisher=BBC| accessdate=2007-09-10] When the club ran into financial problems, Sánchez Broto joined Livingston. He was an important member of the Scottish first division-winning Livingston side in 2001, earning himself the SPFA Player of the Season Award.

In January 2003, he joined Celtic, who required a goalkeeper following injuries to Rab Douglas and Magnus Hedman. [cite web | title=Safety first as O'Neill gets Broto on board | url= http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=92852003 | publisher=Scotsman| accessdate=2007-09-10]

After losing a bet, Sánchez Broto once donated a pair of goalkeeper gloves to every goalkeeper in Spain's lower divisions. [cite web | title=Hands up if you love Getafe | url= http://football.guardian.co.uk/continentalfootball/story/0,15758,1462604,00.html?gusrc=rss | publisher=Guardian | accessdate=2007-09-10]

Despite being called up for international duty by Spain a total of three times, Sánchez Broto never once featured for his home country, only ever appearing amongst the substitutes.

Sánchez Broto left Celtic at the end of the 2002-03 season, citing a desire to return home. He returned to Spain with Real Murcia for the 2003-04 season, moving on to Getafe for the 2004-05 season. At Getafe his performances resulted in Diario Marca rating him the third best goalkeeper in Spain for that season. [cite web | title=Broto: My horror at Parkhead's stingy pay offer | url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20050313/ai_n12944627 | publisher=Sunday Mirror| accessdate=2007-09-10] He subsequently moved to Hércules of Alicante for the 2005-06 season. After injuries sustained in the third match of that season, he retired from professional football.

He expressed regret at having to retire so young, and despite his popularity throughout his career, remained self-effacing when looking back. In a 2006 interview given to Sport EQUIPO, He remarked that he had "enjoyed soccer as a little person of the game and would like to thank everyone who has made it all possible". [ [http://www.diarioequipo.com/noticias/noticia.asp?noticia_id=10101 Sánchez Broto: " pasión es el mundo del portero" - Sport EQUIPO. Diario Deportivo Aragonés ] ]

Honours

Málaga
*Segunda División championship: 1998-99

Airdrie
*Scottish Challenge Cup winner: 2000-01

Livingston
*Scottish First Division championship: 2000-01

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=21395|name=Javier Sánchez Broto (incomplete)