Spanish footballer (1975?2021)
In this
Spanish name
, the first or paternal
surname
is
Arnau
and the second or maternal family name is
Grabalosa
.
Francesc Arnau
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Genera%C8%9Bia_de_Aur_vs_Barcelona_Legends_%280-2%29_2018_Sports_Festival_-_meciul_amintirilor._%2852809838847%29_%28cropped%29_2.jpg/220px-Genera%C8%9Bia_de_Aur_vs_Barcelona_Legends_%280-2%29_2018_Sports_Festival_-_meciul_amintirilor._%2852809838847%29_%28cropped%29_2.jpg) Arnau in 2018
|
|
Full name
|
Francesc Xavier Arnau Grabalosa
[1]
|
---|
Date of birth
|
(
1975-03-23
)
23 March 1975
[1]
|
---|
Place of birth
|
Les Planes
, Spain
[1]
|
---|
Date of death
|
22 May 2021
(2021-05-22)
(aged 46)
|
---|
Place of death
|
Oviedo
, Spain
|
---|
Height
|
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
[1]
|
---|
Position(s)
|
Goalkeeper
|
---|
|
1990?1995
|
Barcelona
|
---|
|
Years
|
Team
|
Apps
|
(
Gls
)
|
---|
1995?1999
|
Barcelona B
|
119
|
(0)
|
---|
1996?2001
|
Barcelona
|
24
|
(0)
|
---|
2001?2011
|
Malaga
|
131
|
(0)
|
---|
Total
|
|
274
|
(0)
|
---|
|
1996?1998
|
Spain U21
|
13
|
(0)
|
---|
1997
|
Spain U23
|
2
|
(0)
|
---|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
|
Francesc Xavier Arnau Grabalosa
(23 March 1975 ? 22 May 2021) was a Spanish
footballer
who played as a
goalkeeper
.
In a 16-year professional career he played for
Barcelona
and
Malaga
, appearing in 126
La Liga
games over the course of 12 seasons. He later worked as a
sporting director
.
Club career
[
edit
]
Barcelona
[
edit
]
Born in
Les Planes d'Hostoles
,
Girona
,
Catalonia
, Arnau was a youth graduate from
La Liga
powerhouse
Barcelona
. He made his first-team debut in
1996?97
, in a 3?3 home draw against
Atletico Madrid
on 9 November 1996.
[2]
Arnau was second choice to
Vitor Baia
,
Ruud Hesp
and
Pepe Reina
for several seasons, while also registered with
the reserves
.
[3]
Malaga
[
edit
]
For the
2001?02 campaign
, Arnau moved to
Malaga
for
€
2.1 million, also playing second-fiddle until the departure of
Pedro Contreras
to
Real Betis
in 2003. He would eventually become
team captain
,
[4]
[5]
but lost his job in
2007?08
in the
Segunda Division
, to
Inaki Goitia
.
[6]
[7]
Goitia was sold also to Betis in summer 2009, but
Gustavo Munua
and
Roberto Santamaria
were also acquired, so Arnau was demoted to as low as third choice. He eventually finished as backup to the
Uruguayan
, without making one single competitive appearance.
[8]
After Munua's departure, Arnau played the first game of the
2010?11 season
? a 3?1 home loss against
Valencia
? as
Rodrigo Galatto
was not yet eligible.
[9]
[10]
He continued appearing regularly for the side in the following weeks after the Brazilian performed poorly and another new signing,
Ruben
, went down with an injury.
[11]
Arnau played his last match as a professional on 21 May 2011, coming on as a
substitute
for
Willy Caballero
in the last minutes of a 1?3 home defeat to his first club Barcelona,
[12]
with Malaga finally retaining its top-flight status.
International career
[
edit
]
Arnau appeared for
Spain
at the
1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
, being named the tournament's MVP as the country emerged victorious.
[13]
Post-retirement
[
edit
]
After retiring at the age of 36, Arnau continued working with his last club as a youth coach, alongside former teammate
Salva
.
[14]
The former became Malaga's new
director of football
on 15 December 2015, in replacement of
Armando Husillos
.
[15]
In October 2017, after a poor start to
the season
saw the side placed last in the top tier, he was dismissed and replaced by his predecessor.
[16]
Arnau signed with
Real Oviedo
on 3 December 2019 in the same capacity, on a deal until June 2022.
[17]
Death
[
edit
]
On 22 May 2021, Arnau was found dead in
Oviedo
's railway station of La Corredoria, aged 46.
[18]
[19]
It was later revealed that he committed
suicide
.
[20]
Honours
[
edit
]
Barcelona
Spain U21
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Francesc ARNAU Grabalosa"
.
El Mundo
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
23 May
2021
.
- ^
Besa, Ramon (10 November 1996).
"Un brindis por el futbol"
[A toast to football].
El Pais
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
Sarmiento, Sandra (9 July 2008).
"Tres porteros desde el inicio"
[Three goalkeepers from the start] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona
. Retrieved
23 May
2021
.
- ^
"Arnau: "La plantilla apoyara la huelga de futbolistas por solidaridad"
"
[Arnau: "The squad will be supportive of the footballers' strike out of solidarity"].
Diario AS
(in Spanish). 12 April 2010
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
"Arnau, Gamez, Juanito y Fernando, capitanes"
[Arnau, Gamez, Juanito and Fernando, captains] (in Spanish). Malaga CF. 19 August 2010
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
"Un error de Arnau hunde un poco mas al Malaga"
[Arnau mistake sinks Malaga a little more].
El Mundo
(in Spanish). 19 March 2006
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
"El Malaga es el tercer equipo mas goleado de Primera"
[Malaga are the team with the third-most goals conceded in
Primera
] (in Spanish). Viva Futbol. December 2008
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
"Arnau regreso a la titularidad un ano y 89 dias despues"
[Arnau started again one year and 89 days later].
Malaga Hoy
(in Spanish). 30 August 2010
. Retrieved
23 May
2021
.
- ^
"Galatto, baja ante el Valencia al no haber recibido el transfer"
[Galatto, unavailable against Valencia after transfer failed to arrive].
Marca
(in Spanish). 28 August 2010
. Retrieved
11 November
2015
.
- ^
"Valencia shrug off departures"
.
ESPN Soccernet
. 28 August 2010
. Retrieved
9 August
2012
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Rodriguez, Justo (18 November 2010).
"¿Un portero? ¡Pero si ya hay tres!"
[A goalkeeper? They have three already!].
Diario AS
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
23 May
2021
.
- ^
"Second XI ease to win"
. ESPN Soccernet. 21 May 2011. Archived from
the original
on 25 October 2012
. Retrieved
21 May
2011
.
- ^
"1998: Francesc Arnau"
. UEFA. 1 June 1998
. Retrieved
20 February
2015
.
- ^
Gamez, Miguel (23 March 2011).
"El Malaga cuenta con Arnau y Salva como entrenadores de cantera para La Academia"
[Malaga count with Arnau and Salva as youth coaches for the Academy].
La Opinion de Malaga
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
26 March
2011
.
- ^
"Francesc Arnau, nuevo director deportivo del Malaga"
[Francesc Arnau, Malaga's new sporting director].
Diario AS
(in Spanish). 15 December 2015
. Retrieved
30 January
2017
.
- ^
Gongora, Antonio (13 October 2017).
"Sheikh Al-Thani sacks Francesc Arnau as sporting director"
.
Diario Sur
. Retrieved
11 April
2020
.
- ^
"Francesc Arnau, nuevo director deportivo"
[Francesc Arnau, new sporting director] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 3 December 2019
. Retrieved
11 April
2020
.
- ^
"Former Barcelona goalkeeper Francesc Arnau dies"
.
Diario AS
. 22 May 2021
. Retrieved
23 May
2024
.
- ^
Urbon, I. (22 May 2021).
"Muere Arnau, director deportivo del Oviedo y ex del Barcelona"
[Death of Arnau, sporting director of Oviedo and formerly with Barcelona].
Diario AS
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
23 May
2021
.
- ^
"La muerte de Arnau fue mas tragica de lo que se creia: se arrojo a las vias del tren"
[Arnau's death was more tragic than was believed: he threw himself onto the train tracks] (in Spanish). Sport Cartagena. 23 May 2021
. Retrieved
27 September
2021
.
- ^
"1998 Under-21 EURO: Ivan Perez applies finishing touch"
. UEFA. 1 June 1998
. Retrieved
12 May
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Golden player
| |
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Top goalscorer
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