Mista

Spain

Born in Caravaca de la Cruz, Region of Murcia, Mista was a protégé of Rafael Benítez. The pair worked together at tenerife and Valencia. At Tenerife, Mista – along with Curro Torres and Luis García – was a key member of the team that promoted to La Liga in 2001. He subsequently signed for Valencia, and was a prominent member of the successful sides that won two league titles and the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, where he scored the second goal in the 2–0 win against Marseille. On 21 March 2004, he netted a hat-trick for the eventual champions in a 5–1 home victory over Mallorca, but his goal rate decreased drastically after the 2004–05 campaign. In July 2006, Mista joined Atlético Madrid, playing 29 games in his first season but almost absolutely no part in the following. In July 2008, the free agent moved to fellow top-division club Deportivo de La Coruña on a three-year contract, scoring in his competitive debut by netting the first in a 2–1 defeat of Real Madrid on 31 August; constantly troubled by injuries and a loss of form, his second league goal came more than a year later (7 November 2009) in a 2–0 away victory against Getafe.

Toronto FC

After only two official goals for Deportivo in two seasons, Mista signed with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer on 6 July 2010, in a deal running until the end of the season. He first took the field in a friendly against Bolton Wanderers on the 21st, and made his competitive debut in a 1–1 draw against FC Dallas also at…

Mista made his debut with Spain on 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win against China in Salamanca. He added another cap seven months later, in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Mista began working as a coach at youth level, first with Valencia then with Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano. On 11 February 2020, he was announced as the first manager of Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa at the club's official launch event. After the COVID-19 pandemic, he finally made his managerial debut on 15 August in a 2–2 draw with York9 at the neutral Prince Edward Island; the team from the capital finished the season in seventh place, one above last. After a last-place finish in the 2021 campaign, Mista announced that he would not be returning.

Valencia

La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04 UEFA Cup: 2003–04 UEFA Super Cup: 2004 Atlético Madrid

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007 Deportivo

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008 Toronto FC

Canadian Championship: 2010