Gustavo Munúa

Málaga and Levante

On 28 June 2009, Munúa signed a one-year deal with Málaga. He was first choice from the beginning at his new club, appearing in all the league games in his first year as the Andalusians barely avoided relegation (17th position).

After only one season, Munúa rejected a new contract offer and was released on 26 May 2010. On 6 August he signed with Levante, returned to the top flight after two years, making his official debut on 28 August in a 1–4 home defeat to Sevilla.

Munúa was a starter for the Valencian Community side throughout the vast majority of his spell.

Later years In January 2014, after a brief spell with Fiorentina which consisted of two UEFA Europa League appearances, the 36-year-old Munúa returned to his country and Nacional.

International career Munúa made his debut for Uruguay aged 20, in a friendly match with Chile on 24 May 1998. As a backup, he represented the nation at the 2001 Copa América and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Coaching career After winning the 2015 national championship with the latter, as team captain, Munúa was announced as Álvaro Gutiérrez's replacement as head coach. The following season, he resigned in June 2016 due to a poor showing in the Clausura tournament.

In December 2016, Munúa was named manager of Ecuador's L.D.U. Quito. He was dismissed at the end of July, having won one of 20 league matches, but also reached the knockout stages of the Copa Sudamericana with victories over Defensor Sporting and Club Bolívar.

On 7 November 2017, Munúa returned to his former club Deportivo as manager of their reserves in the Segunda División B. In his one season in the dugout, the club reached the play-offs where they lost on away goals to Extremadura after a 3–3 aggregate draw.

Munúa joined fellow third division side Cartagena on 10 July 2018. He again took his team to the post-season, this time being eliminated 3–1 in the semi-finals by Ponferradina.

On 22 December 2019, Munúa took advantage of a contract clause allowing him to leave for a top-flight or foreign team, and returned to Nacional for the upcoming season; he mentioned the necessity of being nearer his two teenage children. He was relieved of his job on 15 October 2020, after losing the Apertura final to Rentistas.

In October 2021, Munúa was hired at Unión de Santa Fe, ranked 14th in the Argentine Primera División. He led the team to the last 16 of the 2022 Copa Sudamericana, losing 4–1 on aggregate to his former team Nacional. On 4 April 2023, he was dismissed, with one win and four losses leaving the team second from bottom after nine games of the new season.

Career statistics Total—

Honours Nacional Uruguayan Primera División: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2014–15

Uruguay FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 1997