Antonio Hidalgo (footballer, born 1979)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Hidalgo and the second or maternal family name is Morilla.

Antonio Hidalgo

Hidalgo with AEK Larnaca in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Antonio Hidalgo Morilla
Date of birth	(1979-02-06) 6 February 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Granollers, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Huesca (manager)
Youth career
1989–1993	Granollers
1993–1997	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1999	Barcelona C	43	(10)
1998–2000	Barcelona B	66	(4)
2000–2005	Tenerife	91	(8)
2005–2008	Málaga	109	(28)
2008–2009	Zaragoza	16	(0)
2009	→ Osasuna (loan)	12	(0)
2009–2010	Albacete	33	(9)
2010–2011	Tenerife	29	(3)
2012–2015	Sabadell	114	(11)
2015	Cornellà	5	(0)
Total		518	(73)
International career
1997	Spain U17	4	(0)
1997	Spain U18	2	(0)
Managerial career
2016	Granollers
2016–2019	AEK Larnaca (assistant)
2019–2021	Sabadell
2022–2023	Sevilla B
2023–	Huesca
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antonio Hidalgo Morilla (born 6 February 1979) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central midfielder, currently manager of SD Huesca.

Over 17 seasons as a professional, he appeared in 412 games in the Segunda División, scoring 57 goals for six clubs, mainly Tenerife (five years) and Sabadell (four). In La Liga, he represented Tenerife, Málaga and Osasuna.

Playing career

Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Hidalgo began starting professionally with FC Barcelona's reserves, then went on to represent CD Tenerife for five seasons. After being an important element during the team's 2001 promotion, he played ten games in the following campaign's La Liga.

Hidalgo moved to Málaga CF in the summer of 2005, appearing in 35 matches in his first year as the Andalusia side finished bottom and were relegated. On 15 June 2008, he scored two goals in a 2–1 victory over former club Tenerife, granting top-flight promotion after a two-year absence at the expense of Real Sociedad;[1] he finished the season with 14 league goals, best in the squad.[2]

Hidalgo stayed in the Segunda División, however, signing a two-year deal with Real Zaragoza.[3] In late January 2009, he joined struggling CA Osasuna on loan until the end of the campaign,[4] and appeared regularly although very rarely as a starter as the Navarrese eventually stayed in the top division.

Upon his return to Aragon, Hidalgo was deemed surplus to requirements. In the dying minutes of the August 2009 transfer window he arranged a 1+1 deal with second-tier club Albacete Balompié; at the end of his only season, the 31-year-old was one of 14 players who were not given a contract extension, being released.[5]

Hidalgo then had a spell at CD Tenerife, suffering relegation in his sole season before joining CE Sabadell FC of his native region in January 2012, shortly before turning 33.[6] In March 2014, the captain extended his stay with the Arlequinats for another year.[7] When his contract ended, he played for several weeks with UE Cornellà in the Segunda División B before retiring in November 2015, immediately becoming a youth team coach.[8]

Coaching career

In April 2016, Hidalgo assumed his first senior management job at EC Granollers.[9] After avoiding the drop, he left the Tercera División side at the end of the campaign a month later, joining his compatriot Imanol Idiakez's staff at AEK Larnaca FC in the Cypriot First Division.[10][11]

Hidalgo left his Larnaca contract a year early in April 2019, tasked with keeping former club Sabadell in the third level with seven games to go.[12] He achieved it and, the following season, he ended a five-year exile from the second tier on 26 July 2020 with a 2–1 playoff final win over Barcelona B.[13]

Sabadell were relegated back to division three at the end of the 2020–21 campaign by the margin of a single point. Hidalgo kept his job, but on 20 November 2021, with the team in the Primera División RFEF relegation places, he was dismissed.[14]

On 19 October 2022, Hidalgo was appointed manager of Sevilla Atlético, bottom in the Segunda Federación,[15] eventually managing to avoid relegation.[16] He returned to the second tier one year later, signing for SD Huesca.[17]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 25 January 2025

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record								Ref
			G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Granollers	12 April 2016	25 May 2016	5	2	1	2	7	8	−1	040.00	[18]
Sabadell	2 April 2019	20 November 2021	96	33	29	34	100	100	+0	034.38	[19]
Sevilla Atlético	19 October 2022	11 October 2023	33	16	7	10	41	24	+17	048.48	[20]
Huesca	11 October 2023	Present	62	25	19	18	70	45	+25	040.32	[21]
Career total			196	76	56	64	218	177	+41	038.78	—

References

1. Jiménez, Juan (16 June 2008). "El Málaga vuelve al jardín de los ricos" [Málaga return to garden of Eden]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
2. Pastor, C.; Malo, José Luis (22 June 2008). "Un gran bloque con el estilete de Antonio Hidalgo" [A solid block with Antonio Hidalgo's signature mark]. Málaga Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2011.
3. "Antonio Hidalgo ficha por el Zaragoza para las dos próximas temporadas" [Antonio Hidalgo signs with Zaragoza for the following two seasons]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 1 July 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
4. "Antonio Hidalgo llega cedido a Osasuna" [Antonio Hidalgo arrives at Osasuna on loan]. Marca (in Spanish). 27 January 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
5. 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 8 August 2024.
6. "El Sabadell hace oficial el fichaje de Antonio Hidalgo" [Sabadell make official the signing of Antonio Hidalgo]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 January 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
7. "El Sabadell renova el seu capità, Antonio Hidalgo" [Sabadell renew their captain, Antonio Hidalgo]. Ara (in Catalan). 21 March 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
8. González, José Raúl (9 November 2015). "Se retira Antonio Hidalgo" [Antonio Hidalgo retires] (in Spanish). La Segunda B. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
9. Macías, Roger (15 April 2016). "Antonio Hidalgo asume las riendas del Granollers" [Antonio Hidalgo takes the reins at Granollers] (in Spanish). Diario La Grada. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
10. "Antonio Hidalgo no dirigirá al Granollers" [Antonio Hidalgo will not manage Granollers] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
11. Puga, Manu (10 February 2019). "¿Qué fue de Antonio Hidalgo?" [¿Qué fue de Antonio Hidalgo?]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2020.
12. Figueras, Pere (2 April 2019). "Antonio Hidalgo és el nou entrenador del Centre d'Esports Sabadell" [Antonio Hidalgo is the new manager of Centre d'Esports Sabadell]. Diari de Sabadell (in Catalan). Retrieved 11 November 2019.
13. Montilla, Manel (26 July 2020). "Antonio Hidalgo: "Para algunos jugadores esto es como ganar la Champions"" [Antonio Hidalgo: "For some players this is like winning the Champions"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 November 2020.
14. Blanch, Joan (20 November 2021). "El Sabadell destituye a Antonio Hidalgo" [Sabadell dismiss Antonio Hidalgo]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
15. Pérez, P. (19 October 2022). "Antonio Hidalgo será el nuevo entrenador del Sevilla Atlético, que echó al malagueño Acejo" [Antonio Hidalgo will be the new manager of Sevilla Atlético, who sacked Málaga-born Acejo]. Málaga Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
16. Ruiz, Fernando (14 May 2023). "La 'paliza' de Del Nido Carrasco y la "tranquilidad" de Antonio Hidalgo" [Del Nido Carrasco's 'beating' and Antonio Hidalgo's "tranquility"]. Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
17. "Antonio Hidalgo, nuevo entrenador de la SD Huesca" [Antonio Hidalgo, new manager of SD Huesca] (in Spanish). SD Huesca. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
18. "EC Granollers" (in Spanish). Resultados Fútbol. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
19. "Antonio Hidalgo: Antonio Hidalgo Morilla: Matches 2018–19". BDFutbol. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
    "Antonio Hidalgo: Antonio Hidalgo Morilla: Matches 2019–20". BDFutbol. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
    "Antonio Hidalgo: Antonio Hidalgo Morilla: Matches 2020–21". BDFutbol. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
    "Antonio Hidalgo: Antonio Hidalgo Morilla: Matches 2021–22". BDFutbol. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
20. "Antonio Hidalgo: Antonio Hidalgo Morilla: Matches 2022–23". BDFutbol. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
    "Matches Antonio Hidalgo, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol.
21. "Matches Antonio Hidalgo, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol.

External links

• Antonio Hidalgo at BDFutbol
• Antonio Hidalgo manager profile at BDFutbol
• Antonio Hidalgo at Futbolme (in Spanish)
• Antonio Hidalgo at Soccerway