José Mejías

Pepe Mejías
Personal information
Full name	José Manuel Mejías López
Date of birth	21 January 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth	Cádiz, Spain
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Cádiz
Senior career*
Years	Team
1976–1977	Cádiz B
1977–1986	Cádiz
1977–1978	→ Jerez Industrial (loan)
1986–1988	Zaragoza
1988–1989	Murcia
1989–1990	Rayo Vallecano
1990–1992	Cádiz
1992–1993	Elche
1993–1994	San Fernando
1994–1995	Conil
Total
International career
1985	Spain U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Manuel 'Pepe' Mejías López (born 21 January 1959) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

His career was closely associated to Cádiz, for which he appeared in 304 games both major levels of Spanish football combined, scoring 66 goals.

In La Liga, Mejía also represented Zaragoza, Murcia and Rayo Vallecano, totalling 263 matches and 42 goals in the competition over ten seasons.

Club career

Born in Cádiz, Andalusia, Mejías spent most of his 19-year senior career with Cádiz CF. After starting out with the reserves he was loaned to neighbouring amateurs Jerez Industrial CF, returning in January 1978 and going on to remain with his main club a further eight full seasons; he made his La Liga debut on 9 April 1978, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–4 home loss against RCD Español.^[1]

During his first spell, Mejías constantly alternated between the top division and the Segunda División, promoting three times to the former and being relegated to the latter in 1982 and 1984.^[2] In the 1982–83 campaign he scored a career-best 15 goals, helping the Gaditanos return to the top flight.^[3]

Mejías left Cádiz in the summer of 1986, joining fellow league side Real Zaragoza. He continued to compete at that level the following years, with Real Murcia (also started 1989–90 with the club in the second tier) and Rayo Vallecano; he appeared with the first in the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup, netting once in seven games – the 2–0 away victory over Vitosha Sofia^[4]– to help the Aragonese team reach the semi-finals.

After two more seasons with Cádiz in division two, 33-year-old Mejías retired from professional football and moved to the lower leagues, retiring three years later.

Personal life

Mejías' younger brother, Salvador, was also a footballer. They coincided in several teams during their careers.^[5]

References

^ Sanchis, Alberto (10 April 1978). "2–4: Dos positivos de oro para el Español" [2–4: Two golden positives for Español]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 February 2014.
^ García, Sergio (22 November 2016). "Especialistas en descensos. Cap. 1: La Liga" [Specialists in relegations. Chap. 1: La Liga]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2018.
^ "3–1: ¡Carranza fue una fiesta!" [3–1: Party at Carranza!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 May 1983. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
^ Andrés, Mariano (19 March 1987). "0–2: ¡El Zaragoza, a lo grande!" [0–2: Zaragoza, in style!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 February 2014.
^ Funcia, Carlos (23 November 1984). "Los hermanos Mejías, la alegría del Cádiz" [The Mejías brothers, the joy of Cádiz]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2018.

External links

Pepe Mejías at BDFutbol
Stats at Cadistas1910 (in Spanish)

[1] Sanchis, Alberto (10 April 1978). "2–4: Dos positivos de oro para el Español" [2–4: Two golden positives for Español]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 February 2014.

[2] García, Sergio (22 November 2016). "Especialistas en descensos. Cap. 1: La Liga" [Specialists in relegations. Chap. 1: La Liga]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2018.

[3] "3–1: ¡Carranza fue una fiesta!" [3–1: Party at Carranza!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 May 1983. Retrieved 3 March 2014.

[4] Andrés, Mariano (19 March 1987). "0–2: ¡El Zaragoza, a lo grande!" [0–2: Zaragoza, in style!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 February 2014.

[5] Funcia, Carlos (23 November 1984). "Los hermanos Mejías, la alegría del Cádiz" [The Mejías brothers, the joy of Cádiz]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]