Rafael Jordà Ruiz de Assin (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈrafa ʝoɾˈða];[a] born 1 January 1984) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.

Rafa Jordà
Jordá in action for Levante in 2011
Personal information
Full name Rafael Jordà Ruiz de Assin
Date of birth (1984-01-01) 1 January 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Santa Perpètua, Spain
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-forward
Youth career
2000–2001 Damm
2001–2002 Valencia
2002–2003 Numancia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 Numancia B
2004–2008 Numancia 47 (7)
2004Peralta (loan) 17 (8)
2006Benidorm (loan) 18 (9)
2008–2009 Alicante 13 (3)
2009 Hércules 0 (0)
2010–2012 Levante 36 (7)
2012–2013 Guizhou Renhe 55 (17)
2014 Siena 10 (2)
2014 Dinamo Tbilisi 0 (0)
2015 Wuhan Zall 26 (6)
2016 Rapid București 8 (3)
2016–2017 Llagostera 18 (1)
2017–2018 Mumbai City 11 (1)
International career
2010– Catalonia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 June 2018

Club career edit

Born in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Barcelona, Catalonia, Jordà finished his development with CD Numancia then made his senior debut with their reserves. He was subsequently loaned to Segunda División B club CM Peralta and, after appearing in three La Liga games with the former's first team towards the end of the 2004–05 season, the first being on 6 February 2005 as he featured the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away loss against Getafe CF,[1] was again loaned out to another side in the third level, Benidorm CF.[2]

Jordà scored his first competitive goal for Numancia on 3 June 2007, heading a 26th-minute cross in a 3–1 home win over Polideportivo Ejido in the Segunda División.[3] He contributed with six goals in 27 matches in the 2007–08 campaign, as the club from Soria returned to the top flight as champions.[4][5]

In June 2008, news arose of Jordà signing for Alicante CF in division two[6] and he eventually joined during that summer, switching to neighbouring Hércules CF at the end of the season, which ended in relegation.[7] In late January 2010, after only three Copa del Rey appearances with the latter, he signed a two-year contract with Levante UD still in the second tier,[8] netting in his debut two days later to help to a 2–1 league home defeat of Villarreal CF B;[9] he repeated the feat in the following two rounds, at Cádiz CF (4–2 away win) and RC Celta de Vigo (1–0, home).[10]

In March 2012, aged 28, Jordà moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Chinese Super League side Guizhou Renhe F.C. and sharing teams with countrymen Nano and Rubén Suárez as the first two became the first Spaniards to play in the country.[11] In the semi-finals of the Chinese FA Cup against Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, he scored once and provided an assist in an eventual qualification on the away goals rule.[12]

After leaving in January 2014 as a free agent, Jordà represented in quick succession A.C. Siena,[13] FC Dinamo Tbilisi and Wuhan Zall FC.[14] On 4 August 2017, the 33-year-old signed for Indian Super League franchise Mumbai City FC from UE Llagostera.[15]

Career statistics edit

As of match played on 11 February 2018[16][17][18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Numancia 2004–05 La Liga 3 0 2 0 5 0
2005–06 Segunda División 4 0 0 0 4 0
2006–07 Segunda División 13 1 1 0 14 1
2007–08 Segunda División 27 6 1 0 28 6
Total 47 7 4 0 51 7
Peralta (loan) 2004–05 Segunda División B 17 8 2 0 19 8
Benidorm (loan) 2005–06 Segunda División B 18 9 0 0 18 9
Alicante 2008–09 Segunda División 13 3 0 0 13 3
Hércules 2009–10 Segunda División 0 0 3 0 3 0
Levante 2009–10 Segunda División 17 5 0 0 17 5
2010–11 La Liga 17 2 3 0 20 2
2011–12 La Liga 2 0 4 0 6 0
Total 36 7 7 0 43 7
Guizhou Renhe 2012 Chinese Super League 26 7 7 6 33 13
2013 Chinese Super League 29 10 5 0 34 10
Total 55 17 12 6 67 23
Siena 2013–14 Serie B 10 2 0 0 10 2
Dinamo Tbilisi 2014–15 Umaglesi Liga 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0
Wuhan Zall 2015 China League One 26 6 0 0 26 6
Rapid București 2015–16 Liga II 8 3 0 0 8 3
Llagostera 2016–17 Segunda División B 18 1 0 0 18 1
Mumbai City 2017–18 Indian Super League 9 0 9 0
Career total 257 63 28 6 2 0 287 69

Honours edit

Numancia

Guizhou Renhe

Notes edit

  1. ^ In isolation, Jordà is pronounced [ɟʝoɾˈða].

References edit

  1. ^ "El Getafe gana 'su final' al colista" [Getafe win 'their final' to bottom-placed]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 6 February 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Rafa Jordà, un 'gigante' de alta cotización que plantea dudas" [Rafa Jordà, a highly valued 'giant' that raises questions] (in Spanish). Sport Cartagena. 19 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  3. ^ "El conjunto almeriense hizo méritos para conseguir un mejor resultado" [Side from Almería deserved better scoreline]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 4 June 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  4. ^ "La plantilla quiere hacer valer sus diez ascensos" [Squad wants to make ten promotions count for something]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 April 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia]. Desde Soria (in Spanish). 29 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Jordà, cerca de fichar" [Jordà, close to signing]. Diario Información (in Spanish). 28 June 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Rafa Jordá alimenta el trasvase entre Alicante y Hércules un verano más" [Rafa Jordá feeds flow between Alicante and Hércules yet another summer]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 13 July 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Rafa Jordá ficha dos temporadas por el Levante" [Rafa Jordá signs with Levante for two seasons]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Jordà debuta a lo grande" [Jordà has stylish debut]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 January 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Rafa Jordà marca gol cada vez que salta al terreno de juego" [Rafa Jordà scores a goal every time he takes the field]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). 16 February 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  11. ^ "A la conquista de China" [Out to conquer China]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 13 March 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Rafa Jordà dirige al Guizhou Renhe a la final de la Copa China" [Rafa Jordà leads Guizhou Renhe to Chinese Cup final]. Marca (in Spanish). 26 September 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Siena, preso lo svincolato Rafa Jordà, dal campionato cinese" [Siena, free agent Rafa Jordà from Chinese League acquired]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 10 February 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Rafa Jordà, el trotamundos español que disfruta de otros países a través del fútbol" [Rafa Jordà, the Spanish globetrotter who enjoys other countries through football]. La Información (in Spanish). 4 March 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Mumbai City FC secure Spanish striker Rafa Jorda's services". Mumbai Live. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Rafa Jordà: Rafael Jordà Ruiz de Assín". BDFutbol. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Rafa Jordà". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  18. ^ 拉法 [Rafa Jordà] (in Chinese). Soda Soccer. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  19. ^ "El Numancia, campeón de Segunda división" [Numancia, Second division champions]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 June 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  20. ^ "足协杯-人和总分3–2恒大队史首夺冠 恒大三冠梦碎" (in Chinese). Sina. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

External links edit