Javi Ruiz

Javi Ruiz
	Ruiz playing with Espanyol in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Francisco Javier Ruiz Bonilla
Date of birth	15 March 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Almería, Spain
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–2000	Barcelona C
1999–2006	Barcelona B
2001–2002	→ Gimnàstic (loan)
2002–2003	→ Almería (loan)
2004	→ Badalona (loan)
2006–2007	Sant Andreu
2007–2008	Adra
2008–2010	Espanyol
2010–2011	Poli Ejido
2011–2012	Roquetas
Total
International career
1998	Spain U18
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francisco Javier 'Javi' Ruiz Bonilla (born 15 March 1980) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Playing career

Born in Almería, Andalusia, Ruiz played for modest teams throughout the majority of his career (mostly in Catalonia), spending five seasons with FC Barcelona's reserves while occasionally training with their main squad.^[1]^[2]^[3] He also represented hometown's UD Almería in the Segunda División (only five games out of 42 in his only campaign).^[4]

Ruiz was bought by RCD Espanyol from AD Adra on 24 January 2008, as first-choice goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was away on international duty and backup Iñaki Lafuente injured.^[5]^[6] He left the club in June 2010, without any competitive appearances.^[7]

In October 2010, Ruiz signed for Polideportivo Ejido of Segunda División B.^[8] The following season he joined another side in that tier, CD Roquetas.^[9]

Ruiz won caps for Spain at under-18 level, starting over Iker Casillas who later starred for Real Madrid.^[10]

Coaching career

After retiring, Ruiz worked as a goalkeeper coach with K.A.S. Eupen under his compatriot Tintín Márquez,^[11] and Tianjin Tianhai F.C. under Paulo Sousa.^[12] In December 2023, following a spell in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 in the same role,^[13] he reunited with the former at the Qatar national team.^[14]

References

^ Javi Ruiz está a las órdenes de Bonet (Javi Ruiz is at Bonet's service); Mundo Deportivo, 10 January 2002 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz, meta del filial, con el primer equipo (Javi Ruiz, reserves goalie, with the first team); Mundo Deportivo, 11 November 2003 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz se desvincula y firmará por el Barça B (Javi Ruiz cuts ties and will sign for Barça B); Mundo Deportivo, 7 October 2004 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz se postula para suplir a Asta (Javi Ruiz poised to replace Asta); Diario de Almería, 5 October 2010 (in Spanish)
^ El Espanyol ficha a Javi Ruiz como tercer portero (Espanyol sign Javi Ruiz as third goalkeeper); Diario AS, 24 January 2008 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz fitxa per l'Espanyol (Javi Ruiz signs for Espanyol); RCD Espanyol, 24 January 2008 (in Catalan)
^ Descartado De Guzmán, el club busca más banda (With De Guzmán out of the picture, the club looks for more wingmen); Diario AS, 2 June 2010 (in Spanish)
^ El Poli ficha al meta Javi Ruiz (Poli sign goalie Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 20 October 2010 (in Spanish)
^ El Roquetas se hace con los servicios del meta Javi Ruiz (Roquetas acquire services of goalie Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 15 July 2011 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz, el meta que sentó a Iker Casillas (Javi Ruiz, the goalie who sat Iker Casillas); Sport, 2 February 2008 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz vuelve a disfrutar como preparador de porteros en Bélgica (Javi Ruiz having fun again as goalkeeper coach in Belgium); La Voz de Almería, 19 August 2014 (in Spanish)
^ La Escuela de Fútbol EDA crea un departamento de porteros con el exguardameta internacional Javi Ruiz (The EDA Football School creates a goalkeeping department with former international goalkeeper Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 16 September 2020 (in Spanish)
^ Javi Ruiz: «La acogida que hemos tenido en Túnez ha sido muy buena» (Javi Ruiz: "The reception they gave us in Tunis has been very good"); Marca, 12 March 2021 (in Spanish)
^ Former KAS Eupen players and coaches at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup; K.A.S. Eupen, 9 February 2024

External links

Javi Ruiz at BDFutbol
Javi Ruiz at Soccerway

[1] Javi Ruiz está a las órdenes de Bonet (Javi Ruiz is at Bonet's service); Mundo Deportivo, 10 January 2002 (in Spanish)

[2] Javi Ruiz, meta del filial, con el primer equipo (Javi Ruiz, reserves goalie, with the first team); Mundo Deportivo, 11 November 2003 (in Spanish)

[3] Javi Ruiz se desvincula y firmará por el Barça B (Javi Ruiz cuts ties and will sign for Barça B); Mundo Deportivo, 7 October 2004 (in Spanish)

[4] Javi Ruiz se postula para suplir a Asta (Javi Ruiz poised to replace Asta); Diario de Almería, 5 October 2010 (in Spanish)

[5] El Espanyol ficha a Javi Ruiz como tercer portero (Espanyol sign Javi Ruiz as third goalkeeper); Diario AS, 24 January 2008 (in Spanish)

[6] Javi Ruiz fitxa per l'Espanyol (Javi Ruiz signs for Espanyol); RCD Espanyol, 24 January 2008 (in Catalan)

[7] Descartado De Guzmán, el club busca más banda (With De Guzmán out of the picture, the club looks for more wingmen); Diario AS, 2 June 2010 (in Spanish)

[8] El Poli ficha al meta Javi Ruiz (Poli sign goalie Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 20 October 2010 (in Spanish)

[9] El Roquetas se hace con los servicios del meta Javi Ruiz (Roquetas acquire services of goalie Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 15 July 2011 (in Spanish)

[10] Javi Ruiz, el meta que sentó a Iker Casillas (Javi Ruiz, the goalie who sat Iker Casillas); Sport, 2 February 2008 (in Spanish)

[11] Javi Ruiz vuelve a disfrutar como preparador de porteros en Bélgica (Javi Ruiz having fun again as goalkeeper coach in Belgium); La Voz de Almería, 19 August 2014 (in Spanish)

[12] La Escuela de Fútbol EDA crea un departamento de porteros con el exguardameta internacional Javi Ruiz (The EDA Football School creates a goalkeeping department with former international goalkeeper Javi Ruiz); Diario de Almería, 16 September 2020 (in Spanish)

[13] Javi Ruiz: «La acogida que hemos tenido en Túnez ha sido muy buena» (Javi Ruiz: "The reception they gave us in Tunis has been very good"); Marca, 12 March 2021 (in Spanish)

[14] Former KAS Eupen players and coaches at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup; K.A.S. Eupen, 9 February 2024

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