Javier Matilla
Matilla in 2013
Personal information
Full name Javier Magro Matilla
Date of birth (1988-08-16) 16 August 1988
Place of birth Quero, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Athens Kallithea
Number 8
Youth career
Albacete
Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Villarreal B 101 (11)
2009–2011 Villarreal 14 (0)
2011–2016 Betis 52 (1)
2012–2013 → Murcia (loan) 34 (12)
2016–2017 Elche 14 (3)
2018 Gimnàstic 10 (0)
2018–2022 Aris 118 (7)
2022–2023 Volos 13 (0)
2023– Athens Kallithea 25 (2)
International career
2009 Spain U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:53, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Javier Magro Matilla (born 16 August 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Super League Greece 2 club Athens Kallithea FC.

Club career

Spain

Matilla was born in Quero, Province of Toledo. After finishing his football development at Villarreal CF, he made his debut for the main squad on 4 April 2009: he started and finished the La Liga away match against UD Almería, but his team lost 3–0.[1] In addition, he spent three full seasons with the reserves, one in the Segunda División and two in the Segunda División B.

On 28 June 2011, Matilla signed for Real Betis, recently returned to the top flight, for 3+1 years and €1.3 million.[2] He made his official debut on 18 September, coming on as a substitute for Beñat Etxebarria in the dying minutes of a 3–2 away win over Athletic Bilbao.[3]

Matilla was irregularly put to use during his four-and-a-half-year tenure in Andalusia, contributing 15 games and one goal[4] as the club promoted in 2015. In the 2012–13 campaign, also in the second tier, he scored a career-best 12 goals whilst on loan to Real Murcia,[5][6] including one in a 1–0 home victory against UD Las Palmas in the last matchday that certified survival.[7]

In mid-October 2013, Matilla's contract was further extended until 2017,[8] but it was mutually terminated on 15 January 2016 as the player was still nursing a serious knee injury.[9] Subsequently, he went on trial with English Championship side Reading,[10] but nothing came of it.

On 6 July 2016, Matilla signed for Elche CF in division two.[11] After suffering relegation, he spent six months without a club before joining Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[12]

Greece

On 10 July 2018, Matilla moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Aris Thessaloniki F.C. on a one-year contract with the possibility of an additional season.[13] On 14 January 2019, his first goal for the Greek team was scored through an injury-time free kick to help the hosts beat PAS Lamia 1964 1–0,[14] and he repeated the feat on 17 February, this time against Panionios F.C. and also for the Super League and at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium (1–1).[15]

On 15 August 2019, Matilla opened an eventual 3–1 home win over Molde FK in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, but his side was eliminated due to a 3–0 loss in the first leg.[16] From 2020 to 2022, he helped them to finish third in the domestic front.[17][18][19]

Matilla remained in Greece after leaving Aris, with Volos FC (top division) and Athens Kallithea FC (Super League 2).[20][21]

International career

Matilla's only cap with the Spain under-21 team arrived on 4 September 2009, as he played 15 minutes in a 2–0 win over Poland for the 2009 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign, in Oviedo.[22]

References

  1. ↑ Almeria 3–0 Villarreal Archived 12 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 4 April 2009
  2. ↑ Matilla llega al Betis por 1.350.000 euros (Matilla arrives at Betis for 1.350.000 euros); Marca, 28 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ Betis maintain 100% record; ESPN Soccernet, 18 September 2011
  4. ↑ 2–3: El Betis sufre al final para sumar los tres primeros puntos (2–3: Betis suffer in the end to get first three points); Mundo Deportivo, 24 August 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ Matilla llega al Real Murcia "para jugar muchos minutos, crecer y disfrutar" (Matilla arrives at Real Murcia "to play a lot of minutes, grow and have fun") Archived 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine; ABC, 30 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ "Matilla: "Mi primer año fue error mio y vengo con ganas de revancha"" [Matilla: "My first year was my bad and I come for revenge"] (in Spanish). El Correo de Andalucía. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Matilla salva al Murcia con un golazo y Las Palmas promociona (Matilla saves Murcia with wonder goal and Las Palmas go to promotion); Diario AS, 8 June 2013 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ Matilla, bético hasta 2017 (Matilla, bético until 2017); Diario de Sevilla, 17 October 2013 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ El Betis anuncia la rescisión del contrato de Javier Matilla (Betis announce contract termination of Javier Matilla); Marca, 15 January 2016 (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ "Reading FC transfers: Javier Matilla on trial as Royals weigh up midfielder swoop". Reading Post. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Matilla refuerza la medular franjiverde (Matilla bolsters franjiverde midfield); Elche CF, 6 July 2016 (in Spanish)
  12. ↑ "Llegan Matilla y César Arzo al Nástic; Toscano, sale cedido" [Matilla and César Arzo arrive at Nàstic; Toscano, out on loan] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "Επισημοποιήθηκε η συμφωνία Άρη-Ματίγια!" [Aris-Matilla agreement finalised] (in Greek). Gazzetta. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Άρης – Λαμία 1–0: Νίκη "πεντάδας" στο 90+2' για τους "κίτρινους"" (in Greek). Sport 24. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Άρης – Πανιώνιος 1–1: Έχασε έδαφος με δέκα παίκτες" [Aris – Panionios 1–1: Overpowered with ten players] (in Greek). Sport 24. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "Άρης – Μόλντε 3–1: Ήταν παλικάρι, αλλά δεν άντεξε" [Aris – Molde 3–1: It was a boy, but he could not live long] (in Greek). Sport 24. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Άρης: Τα 4+2 ρεκόρ του Άκη Μάντζιου" [Aris: Akis Mantzios' 4+2 records] (in Greek). Nova Sports. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "El Aris se vuelve 'invencible': "Con 'El Mono' Burgos nos sentimos capaces de todo"" [Aris become 'invincible': "With 'Monkey' Burgos we feel we can accomplish anything"] (in Spanish). Marca. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "El Aris prescinde de Germán Burgos a pesar de ganar 12 de 18 partidos" [Aris release Germán Burgos in spite of winning 12 of 18 matches] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Javier Matilla joins Athens Kallithea FC". Athens Kallithea F.C. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "Javier Matilla extends contract". Athens Kallithea F.C. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  22. ↑ "Crónica del España – Polonia; 2–0" [Spain – Poland match report; 2–0] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
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