Bartolomé Plaza Muela (21 February 1949 – 11 June 2000) was a Spanish football player and manager.

Tolo Plaza
Personal information
Full name Bartolomé Plaza Muela
Date of birth (1949-02-21)21 February 1949
Place of birth La Carolina, Spain
Date of death 11 June 2000(2000-06-11) (aged 51)
Place of death Valencia, Spain
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1969–1970 Castellón 9 (0)
1970–1971 Recreativo Huelva 2 (1)
1971–1972 Castellón 5 (0)
1972–1974 Linares 31+ (8+)
1974–1978 Sevilla 44 (11)
1977–1978 Sevilla Atlético 17 (3)
1978Recreativo Huelva (loan) 4 (0)
1978–1979 Algeciras 25 (2)
1979–1982 Linares 83 (15)
Total 220+ (40+)
Managerial career
1984–1985 Sevilla Atlético
1985–1987 Utrera
1988 Atlético Marbella
1988–1989 Jaén
1989–1990 Linares
1991–1992 Jaén
1992–1993 Córdoba
1993–1996 Jaén
1997 Málaga
1998–2000 Elche
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Born in La Carolina in the Province of Jaén, Plaza played as a forward for Sevilla in La Liga (21 games, 6 goals) and for five teams including the former in the Segunda División (148 games, 19 goals).[1] On 4 January 1976, he came on as a substitute for Rafael Martínez after 35 minutes, and eight minutes later scored the opening goal for Sevilla in a 2–0 home win over Real Betis in the Seville derby.[2] In April 1978, he was loaned to a Recreativo de Huelva side chasing promotion to the top flight with five games remaining.[3]

Plaza played 32 games and scored 11 goals in 1979–80 as Linares won their Segunda División B group. His tally included a goal in the final match on 1 June, a 4–2 win at Calvo Sotelo.[4]

Managerial career

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Plaza managed Real Jaén in a record 229 games in the 1990s, in Segunda División B.[1] He also led Córdoba in 1992–93.[5] In 1996–97, he left halfway through a promotion-winning season to join Málaga,[6] but was fired after 13 games of the following campaign with the team in 7th place, with three points less than leaders Granada; the season ended with promotion under his successor Ismael Díaz.[7]

Elche appointed Plaza in 1998 and he led the team to promotion to the Segunda División via the playoffs.[8] He was sacked in January 2000 with the team in the relegation zone.[9]

Personal life

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Plaza had a son of the same name, who played in lower-league football.[10]

Plaza died on 11 June 2000 at hospital in Valencia, aged 51. He had been diagnosed with lymphatic cancer for the third time.[11] Real Jaén, Málaga and Elche held a pre-season tournament in his memory.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Moreno, Gilberto (30 August 2023). "Entrenadores con sello blanco" [Managers with a white stamp]. Diario Jaén (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  2. ^ "2-0: El Sevilla se llevó el "derby andaluz"" [2-0: Sevilla took the "Andalusian derby"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 5 January 1976. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  3. ^ Llorden, Plácio (13 April 1978). "El sevillista Plaza, al club onubense" [Sevilla player Plaza, to the club from Huelva]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  4. ^ Mendoza, Ángel (5 May 2010). "Homenaje al ascenso del Linares a Segunda de 1980" [Homage to Linares's promotion to the Segunda División in 1980]. Ideal (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  5. ^ "El recuerdo a 'Tolo' Plaza del nuevo entrenador del Córdoba" [The memory of 'Tolo' Plaza of Córdoba's new manager] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Real Jaén CF". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 August 1997. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  7. ^ Cariño, Carlos (9 November 2023). "El espinoso camino al ascenso desde el mundo del bronce" [The thorny promotion path from the world of bronze]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  8. ^ Mata, Jesús (5 June 2017). "Así era el último 'Elche de Bronce': jugaban Vilanova, Lafuente, Nino..." [This was the last 'Bronze Elche': Vilanova, Lafuente and Nino were playing...]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  9. ^ Romero, Juan Carlos (11 January 2000). "'Tolo' Plaza, el noveno en caer" ['Tolo' Plaza, the ninth to fall]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  10. ^ González, Alessio (8 July 2008). "La Unión se interesa por Tolo Plaza" [Unión interested in Tolo Plaza]. Europa Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  11. ^ "El técnico Tolo Plaza fallece en Valencia" [Manager Tolo Plaza dies in Valencia]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 13 June 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Dorado, cerca del Córdoba" [Dorado, near Córdoba]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 21 June 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
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