Rudi García

• published: 12 Dec 2015
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Rudi García Rudi García (born 20 February 1964) is a French football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Italian club Roma. Rudi García's father, José, was a Spaniard expatriate who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque.[2] Rudi García's grandparents had left Andalusia for the Ardennes region during the Spanish Civil War.[3] When José became the coach of local team Corbeil-Essonnes, he drafted his son into the squad, where Rudi played until cadet level. As Corbeil didn't have a national cadets side, Rudi joined the Viry-Châtillon team. He was 18 when he obtained his baccalauréat and signed for Lille, where he would spend two years as an intern and four as part of the professional squad. Playing as an attacking midfielder, Rudi García's first goal for Lille was a notable affair. In December 1984, Lille travelled to the Parc des Princes to faceParis Saint-Germain. With both sides tied at 2-2, García netted to earn his side a win over the Parisian club. He made about 170 appearances for the Northern club which he left in 1988. After Lille, Rudi García joined Stade Malherbe Caen, where he was coached by Robert Nouzaret and Daniel Jeandupeux. In 1991, he opted to join Martigues rather than signing on with the Normandy club. Serious injuries to his back and knee forced him to retire from professional football at the age of 28, in 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, García stayed away from football pitches. He enrolled for university, and gained a DEUG and a STAPS degree at Orsay, as well as French qualifications that entitled him to manage a youth training centre. In parallel, he worked for CanalSatellitle, first as a reporter for post-match interviews, and then as a studio pundit.