Francisco Soler Atencia
Encyclopedia
Francisco 'Paco' Soler Atencia (born 5 March 1970 in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands
) is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current coach.
. He made his first team debuts in 1990–91, and went on to amass more than 300 overall appearances for the Balearic Islands
outfit.
In 1996–97, Soler was instrumental in helping Mallorca return to the top flight
, and also appeared regularly the following campaign, as the club finished fifth. He was named on the subs bench for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final
.
In his final two years, however, Soler played almost no part in the side's lineups, and retired after 2003–04, at 34. Subsequently he took up coaching and, in January 2007, took the reins of Portuguese first division club S.C. Beira-Mar, after the team signed a cooperation deal with Inverfutbol, a Spanish-based sporting company, not being able to help the Aveiro team avoid relegation.
In February 2009, Soler returned to the Baleares, replacing former Spanish international
Francisco at the helm of lowly CD Atlético Baleares
, and suffering another relegation.
in Barcelona
, appearing in four matches for a total of 277 minutes.
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
) is a retired Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current coach.
Club career
A hard-nosed player, Soler played his entire career for local side RCD MallorcaRCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
. He made his first team debuts in 1990–91, and went on to amass more than 300 overall appearances for the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
outfit.
In 1996–97, Soler was instrumental in helping Mallorca return to the top flight
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, and also appeared regularly the following campaign, as the club finished fifth. He was named on the subs bench for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final
1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match played between S.S. Lazio of Italy and RCD Mallorca of Spain, to determine the winner of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998–99. The final was held at Villa Park in Birmingham on 19 May 1999...
.
In his final two years, however, Soler played almost no part in the side's lineups, and retired after 2003–04, at 34. Subsequently he took up coaching and, in January 2007, took the reins of Portuguese first division club S.C. Beira-Mar, after the team signed a cooperation deal with Inverfutbol, a Spanish-based sporting company, not being able to help the Aveiro team avoid relegation.
In February 2009, Soler returned to the Baleares, replacing former Spanish international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
Francisco at the helm of lowly CD Atlético Baleares
CD Atlético Baleares
Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares is a Spanish football team based in Palma, Majorca, in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Founded on 27 May 1942, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 3.-History:...
, and suffering another relegation.
International career
Soler was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, appearing in four matches for a total of 277 minutes.
Club
- Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 2002–03; Runner-up 1997–98 - Spanish SupercupSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1998 - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: Runner-up 1998–99
Country
- Summer OlympicsSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
: 1992