José Cevallos
Encyclopedia
José Francisco Cevallos Villavicencio (born April 17, 1971 in Ancón, Guayas
) is an Ecuador
ian retired football goalkeeper and current Minister of Sports in Ecuador. Nicknamed Las Manos del Ecuador (The hands of Ecuador), Cevallos is considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Ecuadorian football. He has won three national titles (1991, 1995, 1997) with Guayaquil
based club Barcelona
, with whom he has spent the majority of his professional career. As the goalkeeper for LDU Quito, he was a key figure in the team's 2008 Copa Libertadores title, where he saved three penalties in the deciding penalty shoot-out. That same year, he was voted as the Best Goalkeeper in South America by Montevideo
based newspaper El País
. As a member of the national team
, he has participated in four Copa América
s and Ecuador's first World Cup participation. Having represented his national team 89 times, he is the highest capped goalkeeper in the history of the team.
His most significant contribution to the club internationally came during the 1998 Copa Libertadores. In that season, Barcelona reached the finals for the second time in their history, but they would be the runner-up, again, after losing to Brazil
ian club Vasco da Gama.
in Colombia
, where he did not enjoy major success and he just completed one season there. After returning to Barcelona briefly, he went to Deportivo Azogues
where many believed that would be the end of his career. But at the club, kept his form and got back to being one of the best goalkeepers in Ecuador. Due to his outstanding performance in 2007, LDU Quito signed him for the following season.
club San Lorenzo by penalties, with Cevallos stopping a key shoot by Aureliano Torres
. In the semifinals, he kept a clean sheet again Mexican
club América
in Quito, helping LDU Quito advance to their first final. After a 4−2 win in Quito during the first leg, Cevallos let the club's superior goal difference against Brazil
ian club Fluminense
slip in the second leg, resulting in a decisive penalty shoot-out. Cevallos came out a hero in the end, blocking penalties by Darío Conca
, Thiago Neves
and Washington to give LDU Quito their first Copa Libertadores, which was also the first for the country. As a result of his performance in the tournament, he was elected as the best goalkeeper in South America and to the best eleven team for the tournament. IFFHS
even ranked his as one of the top-ten goalkeepers around the world, at number 6. Initially slated to be with the club for a year, he extended his plans with the squad until 2010.
On May 16, 2011, he announced his retirement from professional football to make way for younger players.
he was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
and in Copa América
1995
, 1997
with his brother,1999
, and 2001
He played 77 official games before announcing retirenment in 2004.
In 2008, he returned for the national team in an unofficial friendly match against LDU Quito to which he belonged. This was the first time that he played for Ecuador in 4 years. He played the first half of the 5-0 win until he was replaced by Espoli's Maximo Banguera.
Later he was called again to play 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
against Argentina
and Colombia
.
He was nicknamed by the Ecuadorian fans as "las manos del Ecuador" meaning "the hands of Ecuador" referring to his wonderful performances in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
.
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LDU Quito
used to play professionally as a goalkeeper as well. His son José Francisco, Jr.
is also a footballer for the same club as his father.
He is also known for having a foundation that helps young kids, especially in football.
Guayas Province
Guayas is a coastal province in Ecuador. It is bordered to the west by Manabí, Santa Elena, and the Pacific Ocean ; to the east by Los Ríos, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Cañar, and Azuay; to the north by Los Ríos and Bolívar; and to the south by El Oro and the Pacific Ocean.With a population of over 3...
) is an Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian retired football goalkeeper and current Minister of Sports in Ecuador. Nicknamed Las Manos del Ecuador (The hands of Ecuador), Cevallos is considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Ecuadorian football. He has won three national titles (1991, 1995, 1997) with Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
based club Barcelona
Barcelona Sporting Club
Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only team to have never been relegated.With...
, with whom he has spent the majority of his professional career. As the goalkeeper for LDU Quito, he was a key figure in the team's 2008 Copa Libertadores title, where he saved three penalties in the deciding penalty shoot-out. That same year, he was voted as the Best Goalkeeper in South America by Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
based newspaper El País
El País (Montevideo)
El País is a Uruguayan newspaper, published for the first time on September 14, 1918, and distributed nation-wide.Founded and published in Montevideo, El País was founded and directed by Leonel Aguirre, Eduardo Rodríguez Larreta and Washington Beltrán Barbat.Originally it was a political newspaper...
. As a member of the national team
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
, he has participated in four Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
s and Ecuador's first World Cup participation. Having represented his national team 89 times, he is the highest capped goalkeeper in the history of the team.
Barcelona
Cevallos join the Guayaquil based club in 1990, and has spent most of his career there, playing over 400 league matches. He was a key figure in the club's 1991, 1995, and 1997 national titles, which gave the club their record 13 titles.His most significant contribution to the club internationally came during the 1998 Copa Libertadores. In that season, Barcelona reached the finals for the second time in their history, but they would be the runner-up, again, after losing to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian club Vasco da Gama.
Once Caldas and Deportivo Azogues
In 2005, he was loaned to play for Once CaldasOnce Caldas
Corporación Deportiva Once Caldas is a Colombian association football team, based in Manizales. They were the surprise winners of Copa Libertadores de América in 2004, mainly due to the performances of Juan Carlos Henao and Jhon Viáfara...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where he did not enjoy major success and he just completed one season there. After returning to Barcelona briefly, he went to Deportivo Azogues
Deportivo Azogues
Deportivo Azogues is an Ecuadorian football club based in Azogues. It plays in the Serie B, the second tier of professional football in Ecuador-Stadium:...
where many believed that would be the end of his career. But at the club, kept his form and got back to being one of the best goalkeepers in Ecuador. Due to his outstanding performance in 2007, LDU Quito signed him for the following season.
LDU Quito
Cevallos joined the Quito club at the start of the 2008 season to help the club defend their 2007 title and to become an instrumental part of the clubs Copa Libertadores campaign. Again, as he did with Barcelona in 1998, Cevallos saw his role elevated to prominence. In the quarterfinals, LDU Quito eliminated ArgentineArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
club San Lorenzo by penalties, with Cevallos stopping a key shoot by Aureliano Torres
Aureliano Torres
Aureliano Torres Román is a Paraguayan footballer who plays for Toluca in Mexico. Although naturally a midfielder, actually he has been a regular left back....
. In the semifinals, he kept a clean sheet again Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
in Quito, helping LDU Quito advance to their first final. After a 4−2 win in Quito during the first leg, Cevallos let the club's superior goal difference against Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian club Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
slip in the second leg, resulting in a decisive penalty shoot-out. Cevallos came out a hero in the end, blocking penalties by Darío Conca
Darío Conca
Darío Leonardo Conca or simply Darío Conca is an Argentine professional football attacking midfielder...
, Thiago Neves
Thiago Neves Augusto
Thiago Neves Augusto, commonly known as Thiago Neves , is a left foot Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo on loan from Al-Hilal.-Club career:...
and Washington to give LDU Quito their first Copa Libertadores, which was also the first for the country. As a result of his performance in the tournament, he was elected as the best goalkeeper in South America and to the best eleven team for the tournament. IFFHS
International Federation of Football History & Statistics
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
even ranked his as one of the top-ten goalkeepers around the world, at number 6. Initially slated to be with the club for a year, he extended his plans with the squad until 2010.
On May 16, 2011, he announced his retirement from professional football to make way for younger players.
International career
During his first era with the Ecuador national football teamEcuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
he was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and in Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
1995
Copa América 1995
The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams....
, 1997
Copa América 1997
Bolivia hosted the Copa América for the second time in its 38th edition. It was held from June 11 to June 29, 1997. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
with his brother,1999
Copa América 1999
The 1999 Copa América was a football tournament held in Paraguay, from June 29 to July 18, 1999. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
, and 2001
Copa América 2001
The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body....
He played 77 official games before announcing retirenment in 2004.
In 2008, he returned for the national team in an unofficial friendly match against LDU Quito to which he belonged. This was the first time that he played for Ecuador in 4 years. He played the first half of the 5-0 win until he was replaced by Espoli's Maximo Banguera.
Later he was called again to play 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
.
He was nicknamed by the Ecuadorian fans as "las manos del Ecuador" meaning "the hands of Ecuador" referring to his wonderful performances in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition....
.
Statistics
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|2009||17||0||5||0||22||0
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|2010
2010 LDU Quito season
Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito's 2010 season was the club's 80th year of existence, the 57th year in professional football, and the 50th in the top level of professional football in Ecuador. Former manager Edgardo Bauza returns to the position after Jorge Fossati left to sign with...
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|2011||4||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|}
Club
BarcelonaBarcelona Sporting Club
Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only team to have never been relegated.With...
- Serie A: 1991, 1995, 1997
LDU Quito
- Serie A: 20102010 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie AThe 2010 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A was the 52nd season of the Serie A, Ecuador's premier football league. It ran from February 7 to December 12....
- Copa Libertadores: 2008
- Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 2009, 20102010 Recopa SudamericanaThe 2010 Recopa Sudamericana de Clubes was a two-legged tie that determined the winner of the Recopa Sudamericana, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana competitions. It was contested between Argentine club Estudiantes de La... - Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
: 20092009 Copa SudamericanaThe 2009 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes is the 8th edition of the CONMEBOL's secondary international club tournament. Internacional were the defending champions, having won the trophy the previous season...
Nation
EcuadorEcuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
- Korea CupKorea CupKorea Cup was a football competition held annually in the South Korea from 1971 to 1999. The cup, hosted by the Korea Football Association, was contested between South Korea and guest teams....
: 1995 - Canada CupCanada Cup (soccer)The Canada Cup or Maple Cup was a men's invitational international football tournament for national football teams. Its first edition was the 1995 Canada Cup. Three nations competed: Canada, Chile and Northern Ireland...
: 19991999 Canada Cup-Canada vs Guatemala:-Ecuador vs Guatemala:-Canada vs Iran:-Iran vs Guatemala:-Canada vs Ecuador:-References:*...
Political career
On May 23, 2011, Cevallos was picked to succeed Sandra Vela as the Minister of Sports in Ecuador. He assumed office the following day.Personal life
Cevallos' older brother AlexAlex Cevallos
Alejandro Manuel Cevallos Villaciencio is an Ecuadorian football goalkeeper that played most of his career for Emelec and played for the Ecuador national football team. He is now retired and is the current goalkeeper coach of Emelec. He is the older brother of José Francisco Cevallos.-External...
used to play professionally as a goalkeeper as well. His son José Francisco, Jr.
José Francisco Cevallos, Jr.
José Francisco Cevallos Enríquez, commonly referred to as José Francisco Cevallos, Jr., is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a midfielder for LDU Quito. Having been through the club's youth system, he was promoted to the senior squad in 2010. He earned his first professional cap on January 30,...
is also a footballer for the same club as his father.
He is also known for having a foundation that helps young kids, especially in football.
External links
- FEF's Player Card
- Career details at National Football Teams