Francisco "Paco" Gallardo León (born 13 January 1980) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently a manager.

Playing career

Sevilla

Born in Seville, Andalusia, and a product of hometown club Sevilla's youth system, Gallardo made his first-team debut aged 20, being instrumental in their 2001 return to La Liga and proceeding to have a further two solid seasons with the main squad. In November of that year, he was fined and suspended by the Royal Spanish Football Federation for violating standards of "sporting dignity and decorum" after he congratulated teammate José Antonio Reyes, who had just scored, by bending down and biting on his penis. After a relatively successful loan at Getafe, helping the Madrid side to retain their newly acquired top-division status, Gallardo's career would be very irregular: he served two unassuming loans in early 2006, starting with Vitória de Guimarães from Portugal, then moved in the 2006–07 campaign to Real Murcia in the Segunda División, still on contract to Sevilla.

Murcia

Gallardo signed on a permanent basis prior to the start of 2007–08, but could only appear in ten league matches in an eventual relegation from the top flight. In the following season he was ousted from the squad alongside José María Movilla by manager Javier Clemente, and spent several months without a team, being reinstated in March 2009 after the coach's dismissal; he was finally released in June.

Later years

On 12 November 2009, Gallardo joined another club in the second tier, Huesca, after a successful week's trial. He finished his career at the age of 34, after three years in Hungary with two teams.

Coaching career

Gallardo returned to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in the summer of 2015, first being in charge of the academy and later being appointed at the helm of the amateur team in the Tercera División, with Carlos Marchena as his assistant. For three seasons, he then managed Sevilla Atlético in the Segunda División B (renamed Primera División RFEF for the 2021–22 season). In November 2022, Gallardo joined Premier League side Leeds United as first-team coach in Jesse Marsch's staff. Following the latter's dismissal, he was named co-interim alongside Chris Armas and Michael Skubala; shortly after, he was appointed their under-21 manager.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Sevilla