Alejandro "Álex" García Casañas (born 14 January 1970) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a central defender, and the current assistant manager of UD Las Palmas.
He was associated to Barcelona during his early years – although he appeared rarely for the first team – but spent most of his career in the lower leagues, representing Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
Subsequently, García worked as a manager, including with his first club (youth only).
Playing career Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, García joined FC Barcelona's youth system at the age of 14. He played two full seasons in Segunda División with their reserves, after having appeared in one game in that tier in 1988–89.
In the 1990–91 campaign, García played three matches for the Blaugrana's main squad, both legs in the season's Supercopa de España against Real Madrid (0–1 home loss, 1–4 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, playing the full 90 minutes on both occasions)Alex, ¿sucesor de Alex...anco? (Alex, after Alex...anco?); Mundo Deportivo, 5 December 1990 Otra noche para la leyenda negra (Another night for the dark legend); Mundo Deportivo, 6 December 1990 Cuando el Barça va de “picnic” (When Barça are on a “picnic”); Mundo Deportivo, 13 December 1990 and 28 minutes in a 3–2 away win over FC Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, after coming on as a second-half substitute for Michael Laudrup;El Barça también golea en Europa (Barça also rout in Europe); Mundo Deportivo, 7 March 1991 after leaving in 1993 he resumed his career with Rayo Vallecano and Palamós CF, suffering team relegation with both clubs, the former being his first and only experience in the top level, in 1993–94.Pineda decide para el Racing (Pineda decides for Racing); Mundo Deportivo, 6 September 1993
Until his retirement in 2001 at the age of 31, García spent five seasons in Segunda División B, with Cádiz CF, Granada CF and Gimnàstic de Tarragona, returning to his native region for one final year with amateurs UE Cornellà.
Coaching career García begun working as a manager immediately after retiring, first being in charge of youth sides at Barcelona.Bandera rojiblanca en Can Barça (Red-and-white flag at Can Barça) ; Ideal, 26 September 2009 In late June 2011, nearly two years after leaving, he was appointed at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, replacing the fired Kakha Kacharava.Alex Garcia:" I want to attract fans with our playing"; World Sport, 23 June 2011
In January 2012, the board of directors of the Georgian club decided to dismiss García after a friendly loss with BSC Young Boys.Alex Garcia dismissed from FC Dinamo Tbilisi; Rustavi2, 30 January 2012 He then returned to the Camp Nou, working as a scout for the first team under Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino.Los pesos pesados deciden (Heavyweights decide); Mundo Deportivo, 29 May 2014
On 24 November 2014, García signed a contract until the end of the season at CE Sabadell FC.Álex García, de entrenar a Messi a nuevo tècnico del CE Sabadell (Álex García, from coaching Messi to new manager of CE Sabadell); Sport, 24 November 2014 The following February, however, after only one win in nine second-tier matches, he resigned.El entrenador del Sabadell Álex García dimite como técnico arlequinado (Sabadell manager Álex García resigns as harlequin coach); Mundo Deportivo, 5 February 2015
In June 2020, García returned to Barcelona after being named head scout. He left the club roughly one year later, and became García Pimienta's assistant at UD Las Palmas on 24 January 2022.
References
External links
Stats at Cadistas1910