Salva Ballesta

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Salva
Salva Ballesta 29abr2007.jpg
Salva playing for Levante in 2007
Personal information
Full name Salvador Ballesta Vialcho [1]
Date of birth (1975-05-22) 22 May 1975 (age 50) [1]
Place of birth Zaragoza, Spain [1]
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Position Striker
Youth career
Sevilla
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1994–1996 Sevilla B 36 (10)
1995–1998 Sevilla 49 (15)
1996 → Écija (loan) 17 (6)
1998–2000 Racing Santander 52 (29)
2000–2001 Atlético Madrid 33 (21)
2001–2005 Valencia 24 (5)
2003 → Bolton Wanderers (loan) 6 (0)
2003–2004 → Málaga (loan) 34 (18)
2004–2005 → Atlético Madrid (loan) 28 (7)
2005–2009 Málaga 87 (28)
2007 → Levante (loan) 14 (4)
2009–2010 Albacete 23 (5)
Total403(148)
International career
1996–1998 Spain U21 9 (2)
1997 Spain U23 4 (2)
2000–2004 Spain 4 (0)
Managerial career
2013−2015 Málaga B
2017−2018 Jaén
2018−2019 Móstoles
2020−2021 Algeciras
2021–2022 UCAM Murcia
2022 San Fernando
2024 Estepona
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Salvador Ballesta Vialcho (born 22 May 1975), commonly known as Salva, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker, currently a manager.

Contents

A scorer noted for his flair and workrate, [2] he played for seven top-division clubs, most notably Atlético Madrid, Valencia – with whom he won his sole team trophy – and Málaga. He amassed totals of 235 games and 86 goals over 11 La Liga seasons, adding 126 matches and 52 goals in the Segunda División. [3]

Off the field, Salva was known for his nationalistic and militarist viewpoints. [4]

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. [5] 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. [6]

Salva joined Valencia in summer 2001, [7] 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. [8] 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, [9] [10] and Atlético Madrid, being subsequently released and signing with the former. [11]

In late January 2007, Salva joined top-tier strugglers Levante on loan from Málaga, now in the second division. [12] On 4 February, he played his first league match for them in an away victory over Real Madrid, scoring the game's only goal. [13] 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. [14]

As he spent most of 2008–09 hampered by recurrent injuries, [15] 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. [16] On 15 March, he added another brace against another neighbouring club, in a 2–2 home draw with former side Sevilla. [17] 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. [18] 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 [19] and retiring shortly after.

International career

Salva played four matches with Spain, [20] 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. [21] He earned one of those caps as a member of Atlético Madrid, then in the second tier. [22]

Coaching career

Shortly after retiring, Salva re-joined former team Málaga as a youth coach, alongside former teammate Francesc Arnau. [23] On 11 July 2013, he was appointed as the new manager of Málaga's reserves Atlético Malagueño, in the Tercera División. [24] He left two years later, as his contract was not renewed. [25]

Salva continued working in the lower leagues the following seasons, with Real Jaén, [26] Móstoles, [27] Algeciras, [28] UCAM Murcia [29] and San Fernando. [30]

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!). [4] Fans of Basque team Real Sociedad displayed a banner reading "Salva, muérete" (Salva, die) when he visited their Anoeta Stadium, and he also had a dislike for Barcelona defender Oleguer Presas, an outspoken left-winger and proponent of Catalan independence, saying that he had more respect for "dog crap" than for him. [4]

Although his footballing idol was Real Madrid's Hugo Sánchez, Salva's other heroes included Francoist fighter pilot Joaquín García Morato, Luftwaffe aviator Hans-Ulrich Rudel and Antonio Tejero, leader of the failed "23-F" right-wing coup. A self-declared Christian, he considered himself apolitical. [4]

Born to a family with a military background, Salva stated that he would be the first to serve in the Iraq War if conscripted by prime minister José María Aznar. He was a patron of his hometown's military helicopter school. [4]

In February 2013, Salva learnt that he was being turned down for the assistant coach job at Celta de Vigo over his political views. [31]

Managerial statistics

As of 5 May 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecordRef
GWDLGFGAGDWin %
Málaga B Flag of Spain.svg 12 July 20131 June 20158250151714977+72060.98 [32]
Jaén Flag of Spain.svg 26 September 201722 February 20182213363417+17059.09 [33]
Móstoles Flag of Spain.svg 19 June 201826 June 201942238114328+15054.76 [34]
Algeciras Flag of Spain.svg 20 January 202017 June 202133141093736+1042.42 [35]
UCAM Murcia Flag of Spain.svg 9 November 202120 March 2022174492428−4023.53 [36]
San Fernando Flag of Spain.svg 21 September 202211 December 2022123361115−4025.00 [37]
Estepona Flag of Spain.svg 9 April 202418 June 2024412122+0025.00 [38]
Total2121084559300203+97050.94—

Honours

Valencia

Spain U21

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Salvador Ballesta Vialcho, "SALVA"". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, un ejemplo. Manel Casanova, un fracaso" [Salva Ballesta, an example. Manel Casanova, a failure] (in Spanish). Merchán en Directo. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Casado, Edu (26 September 2013). "Qué fue de… Salva Ballesta: el goleador "patriota"" [What happened to… Salva Ballesta: the "patriotic" scorer]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Morenilla, Juan (14 March 2007). ""Me gustaría conocer a Tejero"" [I would like to meet Tejero]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 Bravo, Luis Javier; Sillipp, Bernhard; Torre, Raúl; Di Maggio, Roberto. "Spain – List of Topscorers ("Pichichi") 1929–2015". RSSSF . Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "El gol del Atlético" [Atlético's goal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Villalba, Juan M. (28 July 2001). "El Valencia ficha a Salva y cede a Diego Alonso al Atlético" [Valencia sign Salva and loan Diego Alonso to Atlético]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Bolton find solution in Ballesta". UEFA. 30 January 2003. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  9. ↑ Guisasola, Carlos (3 December 2003). "El Málaga deja en coma al Barcelona antes del clásico" [Málaga leave Barcelona in a coma before clásico]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  10. ↑ Hall, Andy (18 March 2004). "Salva's Spanish goal". UEFA. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "Málaga make Salva signing". UEFA. 14 July 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  12. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, cedido al Levante" [Salva Ballesta, loaned to Levante] (in Spanish). Fichajes. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Zárate, Óscar (5 February 2007). "Pañolada galáctica" [Galactic pañolada]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  14. ↑ Mata, Jesús (20 April 2018). "Un técnico de Primera, un jugador del Newcastle, un campeón de Europa... así era el último Málaga de Segunda" [A Primera manager, a Newcastle player, a European champion... meet the last Málaga of Segunda]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Parte médico del Málaga C. F." [Málaga C. F. medical press release] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Málaga 3–2 Almeria". ESPN Soccernet. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Málaga 2–2 Sevilla FC". ESPN Soccernet. 15 March 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  18. ↑ "Salva ficha por el Albacete" [Salva signs for Albacete]. Marca (in Spanish). 31 August 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  19. ↑ Castelo, Luis (23 June 2010). "El Albacete da la baja a 14 jugadores, entre ellos a Salva" [Albacete release 14 players, Salva included]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, Ito Álvarez y Eugenio Leal, los embajadores de Leyendas España en el partido de la Selección en Granada" [Salva Ballesta, Ito Álvarez and Eugenio Leal, Leyendas España ambassadors in the national team match in Granada] (in Spanish). Spanish Association of International Footballers. September 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "España dota de argumentos a Camacho con otra goleada" [Spain give reasons to Camacho with another rout]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 January 2000. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  22. ↑ "Salva, quinto futbolista de Segunda en la selección" [Salva, fifth Segunda footballer in the national team]. ABC (in Spanish). 20 April 2001. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  23. ↑ Gámez, Miguel (23 March 2011). "El Málaga cuenta con Arnau y Salva como entrenadores de cantera para La Academia" [Málaga count with Arnau and Salva as youth coaches for the Academy]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  24. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, nuevo entrenador del Atlético Malagueño" [Salva Ballesta, new manager of Atlético Malagueño]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). 11 July 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  25. ↑ "Salva Ballesta no seguirá como entrenador del filial del Málaga" [Salva Ballesta will not continue as manager of Málaga reserves]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). 1 June 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  26. ↑ "Salva Ballesta firma por dos años como entrenador del Real Jaén" [Salva Ballesta signs for two years as manager of Real Jaén]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  27. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, nuevo entrenador del CD Móstoles" [Salva Ballesta, new manager of CD Móstoles]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 19 June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  28. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, nuevo entrenador del Algeciras" [Salva Ballesta, new manager of Algeciras] (in Spanish). Europa Sur. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "Salva Ballesta, destituido" [Salva Ballesta, dismissed]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 20 March 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  30. ↑ Cabeza, José F. (11 December 2022). "Salva Ballesta, segundo entrenador cesado por el San Fernando CD en la presente temporada" [Salva Ballesta, second coach fired by San Fernando CD in current season] (in Spanish). Viva Sevilla. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  31. ↑ "Celta turn down Salva Ballesta for 'political reasons'". Inside Spanish Football. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  32. ↑ "Tercera División (Grupo 9) 2013–14" [Tercera División (Group 9) 2013–14] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
    "Fase de ascenso a Segunda División B 2013–14" [Promotion phase to Segunda División B 2013–14] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
    "Tercera División (Grupo 9) 2014–15" [Tercera División (Group 9) 2014–15] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
    "Fase de ascenso a Segunda División B 2014–15" [Promotion phase to Segunda División B 2014–15] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  33. ↑ "Real Jaén" (in Spanish). Resultados Fútbol. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  34. ↑ "CD Móstoles" (in Spanish). Resultados Fútbol. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  35. ↑ "Matches Salva Ballesta, 2019–20 season". BDFutbol.
    "Matches Salva Ballesta, 2020–21 season". BDFutbol.
  36. ↑ "Matches Salva Ballesta, 2021–22 season". BDFutbol.
  37. ↑ "Matches Salva Ballesta, 2022–23 season". BDFutbol.
  38. ↑ "Matches Salva Ballesta, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol.
  39. ↑ "Hace 15 años una victoria épica impulsó una Liga" [An epic victory propelled a League 15 years ago] (in Spanish). Valencia CF. 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  40. ↑ "FOTO INTERACTIVA: Los campeones de Europa Sub-21 en 1998" [INTERACTIVE PHOTO: The Under-21 European champions in 1998] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  41. ↑ "Salva: "No vengo a competir con Fernando Torres"" [Salva: "I'm not here to compete with Fernando Torres"]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 August 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
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