Juan Carlos León

Juan Carlos León
León in 2019
Personal information
Full name Juan Carlos León Zambrano
Date of birth (1975-01-24) 24 January 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Libertad FC (manager)
Youth career
Barcelona SC
Calvi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999 Audaz Octubrino 15 (0)
2000 Panamá 8 (0)
2001 Santos Ecuador 6 (2)
2002 Valle del Chota 10 (1)
2003 Paladín "S" 0 (0)
2004 9 de Octubre 0 (0)
2006 Liceo Cristiano 0 (0)
Managerial career
Barcelona SC (youth)
2009 Norte América (youth)
2009–2018 Independiente del Valle (youth)
2018–2019 Independiente Juniors
2020–2022 9 de Octubre
2022–2023 Orense
2024 9 de Octubre
2024– Libertad FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Carlos León Zambrano (born 24 January 1975) is an Ecuadorian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current manager of Libertad FC.

Career

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Born in Esmeraldas, León represented Barcelona SC, Calvi as a youth. After making his senior debut with Audaz Octubrino in 1999, he went on to play for Panamá, Santos Ecuador, Valle del Chota, Paladín "S", 9 de Octubre and Liceo Cristiano.[1]

After retiring, León worked for Barcelona and Norte América's youth categories before joining Independiente del Valle in the middle of 2009. After winning several titles with the under-16s and under-18s, he led the under-20s to the 2018 U-20 Copa Libertadores final, and was later named in charge of reserve team Alianza Cotopaxi for the 2018 Segunda Categoría.[2]

After winning the Segunda Categoría and promoting Alianza (later named Independiente Juniors) to the Serie B, León renewed his contract with the club.[3] On 2 January 2020, he was appointed manager of former team 9 de Octubre in the second division,[4] and led the side back to the Serie A after a 25-year absence, also winning the title for the first time.

On 2 August 2022, León was sacked by 9 de Octubre,[5] and took over fellow top tier side Orense eleven days later.[6] He left the latter on 3 December, after narrowly missing out a continental spot.[7]

León returned to 9 de Octubre for the 2024 season, but was appointed at the helm of Libertad FC on 19 April of that year.[8]

Honours

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Independiente Juniors

9 de Octubre

References

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  1. ^ "Tres entrenadores guiaron al Independiente del Valle en su juventud" [Three managers guided Independiente del Valle in their youth] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Cuatro entrenadores tricolores buscan el ascenso a la Serie B" [Four tricolor managers seek promotion to the Serie B] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Juan Carlos León es quien pule a los talentos del Independiente del Valle" [Juan Carlos León is the one who make the talents of Independiente del Valle jump] (in Spanish). Bendito Fútbol. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Se llevan a la gran estrella de la Serie B" [They take the biggest star of the Serie B] (in Spanish). FutbolEcuador. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  5. ^ "El director técnico del 9 de Octubre, Juan Carlos León, fue destituido" [9 de Octubre's manager, Juan Carlos León, was dismissed] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  6. ^ "OFICIAL: Juan Carlos 'Pechón' León, nuevo DT de Orense" [OFFICIAL: Juan Carlos Pechón León, new manager of Orense] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Juan Carlos León se despidió de Orense y afirmó: "Por ahora soy un desempleado más"" [Juan Carlos León bid farewell from Orense and said: "For now I am another unemployed man"] (in Spanish). Ecuagol. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Libertad anunció a Juan Carlos León como su nuevo entrenador" [Libertad announced Juan Carlos León as their new coach] (in Spanish). Olé. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
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