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JUAN ANTONIO GONZÁLEZ FERNÁNDEZ ‘ JUANAN’
Squad Number 08/09: ?
Date of Birth: 27 April 1987
Birthplace: Palma de Mallorca
Nationality: Spain
Contract: ???? - ????
Transfer: Deportivo B
Previous Clubs: Deportivo B (2006-2008), San Francisco (2004-2006)
Buy-out Clause: ?
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Position: Defender (central)
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Central defender JUANAN was one of the few youth players included by coach Lotina for the 2008/2009 pre-season preparations. He has been a successful player in Deportivo B during the past two years and already had made his official debut in both the Intertoto matches against Bnei Sakhnin.
Juanan shares with striker Xisco that both were born at the island of Mallorca. It was from here that Juanan, aged 19, moved to La Coruńa to play at Deportivo for the season 2006/2007. The team achieved promotion to Segunda B that year. The 2007/2008 season in that league was quite successful too as the team led the competition for many weeks and were one of the best defensive teams. Eventually the play-off matches were reached where Ecija showed to be too strong. But in the mean time, several players had become familiar names to followers of the first team. An ordinary match of Deportivo B showed a defence consisting of Fabricio as goalkeeper and a defensive line with Laure at the right and Juanan, Chapi and Adrián López substituting each other in central defence. Three of them made their Liga debut that season, but Juanan not. It was a successful campaign though as he played most matches and even scored four goals. This didn’t go unnoticed by Lotina. For the Cop Galicia match against Racing Ferrol he formed a young defence together with Barragán, Adrián López and another youth defender: Juachi.
Lotina included Juanan in the preparations for the season 2008/2009. He started both matches during the tour in Denmark because of Coloccini still being away while Pablo Amo and Lopo had to cope with slightly injuries. Deportivo kept their three-men central defence and signed Zé Castro later that month. Lotina then announced that, because of the circumstances, Juanan was going to start the Intertoto away match in Israel against Bnei Sakhnin. “Juanan did well in Demark and I am pleased with him. I also liked David Rochela, who I didn’t know that much”. Left-footed Juanan did start that match and was decent at the back, being the left-sided central defender. His length (192 cm) already indicates that he’s superior in the aerial game, but he’s also very fast. Lotina also lined up Juanan in the return match against Bnei Sakhnin when Deportivo achieved qualification for the UEFA Cup tournament.
It seems that Juanan will get his chances in the season 2008/2009, but it’s unlikely that he will become a regular member of the first team for now. At the end of July the experts of last year (Coloccini, Pablo Amo and Lopo) are all still in Deportivo’s squad while Zé Castro already debuted and Adrián López has a head start towards Juanan. But Juanan, together with David Rochela, might become a future reference at Deportivo.
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