Salva Ballesta

Club career Salva was born in Zaragoza, Aragon. After making his professional debut with Sevilla, he won the Pichichi Trophy in the 1999–2000 season, scoring 27 goals to lead La Liga's scoring charts for Racing de Santander. He then moved to Segunda División with Atlético Madrid (recently relegated) and proceeded to lead the side with 21 goals, although the Colchoneros did not return to the top flight.

Salva joined Valencia in summer 2001, netting five goals to help the club become league champions after a 31-year drought. He was rarely used the following season, and was subsequently briefly part of the Bolton Wanderers squad that avoided Premier League relegation in 2003. He had another two loan stints from 2003 to 2005, with Málaga for which he scored 21 competitive goals, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 league home win against Barcelona on 3 December 2003, and Atlético Madrid, being subsequently released and signing with the former.

In late January 2007, Salva joined top-tier strugglers Levante on loan from Málaga, now in the second division. On 4 February, he played his first league match for them in an away victory over Real Madrid, scoring the game's only goal. After the season's end, with the Valencians managing to retain their status, he returned to Málaga, and netted seven times to help to promotion.

As he spent most of 2008–09 hampered by recurrent injuries, Salva was still able to contribute, notably coming off the bench against neighbours Almería and helping turn the score from 2–0 to a 3–2 home win with two goals, on 8 February 2009. On 15 March, he added another brace against another neighbouring club, in a 2–2 home draw with former side Sevilla. He was released after his contract expired.

In the dying hours of the 2009 August transfer window, Salva signed a 1+1 deal with Albacete, aged 34. At the end of his first season, where he appeared almost exclusively as a backup, he was one of 14 players who were not offered an extension, being released and retiring shortly after.

International career Salva played four matches with Spain, the first being a friendly against Poland on 26 January 2000, coming on for Ismael Urzaiz in the 70th minute of an eventual 3–0 win in Cartagena. He earned one of those caps as a member of Atlético Madrid, then in the second tier.

Coaching career Shortly after retiring, Salva re-joined former team Málaga as a youth coach, alongside former teammate Francesc Arnau. On 11 July 2013, he was appointed as the new manager of Málaga's reserves Atlético Malagueño, in the Tercera División. He left two years later, as his contract was not renewed.

Salva continued working in the lower leagues the following seasons, with Real Jaén, Móstoles, Algeciras, UCAM Murcia and San Fernando.

Personal life Off the pitch, Salva was notorious for his outspoken personality and his political beliefs, far to the right of most of his peers'. A nationalist who put his love for the "fatherland" over that for his own family, he displayed the nation's flag on his boots; when sent off for Málaga against Osasuna, whose fans include supporters of Basque independence, he shouted to them "¡Que viva España, hijos de puta!" (Long live Spain, sons of bitches!).

Managerial statistics

+ Managerial record by team and tenure TeamNatFromToRecord Málaga B12 July 20131 June 2015

Honours Valencia La Liga: 2001–02

Spain U21 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1998

Individual Pichichi Trophy: 1999–2000