Gustavo Munúa

Gustavo Munúa

Personal information
Full name	Gustavo Adolfo Munúa Vera
Date of birth	27 January 1978 (1978-01-27) (age 33)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Levante
Number	1
Youth career
1986–1997	Nacional
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–2003	Nacional	102	(3)
2003–2009	Deportivo La Coruña	27	(0)
2009–2010	Málaga	38	(0)
2010–	Levante	31	(0)
National team
1998–2004	Uruguay	21	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Munúa and the second or maternal family name is Vera.

Gustavo Adolfo Munúa Vera (born 27 January 1978) is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for Levante UD in the Spanish first division, as a goalkeeper.

He spent most of his professional career in Spain, namely at Deportivo de La Coruña, where he could never impose himself.

Club career

Born in Montevideo, Munúa started his career at local Club Nacional de Football, where he won four Uruguyan league titles in a row. In Nacional, he established the record for the longest time without conceding a goal at 963 minutes, and also held the record of being the first goalkeeper to score in Uruguayan football, when he netted from a free-kick in a league win against Central Español. He also scored some goals from penalties, both in the league and the Libertadores Cup.

Munúa left Nacional in 2003, joining La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruña on a six year-link,^[1] where he struggled to gain first-choice goalkeeper status: from 2003–06, he was topped by Spanish international José Francisco Molina. Subsequently, he faced stiff competition from Israel's Dudu Aouate.

In January 2008, after regaining first-choice from Aouate, both goalkeepers were involved in a post-training punching session that resulted in both being suspended for the match against Villarreal CF, as well as subsequent league games.^[2] In February, due to B-team keeper Fabri's inexperience, both players were reinstated in the squad, although the Israeli regained his lost spot.

After having started the following campaign, as Aouate, deemed surplus to requirements, Munúa eventually returned to back-up status, as Aouate was sold to RCD Mallorca and Fabri returned to the reserves. On 25 January 2009, to due the forced absence of new first-choice Daniel Aranzubia (sent off the previous week against FC Barcelona), he returned to first team action, in a 0–1 loss at Real Madrid (his only appearance in the campaign).

On 28 June 2009, Munúa signed a one-year contract with Málaga CF.^[3] At his new club he was an instant first-choice, appearing in all the league games in his debut season, as the Andalusians barely avoided relegation (17th position).

After only one season, Munúa rejected a new contract offer and was released by the club, on 26 May 2010.^[4] On August 6, he signed with Levante UD, returned to the top level after two years.^[5] He made his official debut on 28 August, in a 1–4 home defeat against Sevilla FC.

International career

Munúa made his debut for Uruguay aged 20, in a friendly match against Chile on 24 May 1998. As a backup, he would represent the nation at the 2001 Copa América and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Club statistics

^[6]

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Uruguay			League		Cup		League Cup		South America		Total
1997	Nacional	Uruguayan League	1	0	–	–	–	–	?	?	1	0
1998			11	0	–	–	–	–	?	?	11	0
1999			11	0	–	–	–	–	?	?	11	0
2000			0	0	–	–	–	–	?	?	0	0
2001			27	0	–	–	–	–	?	?	27	0
2002			33	1	–	–	–	–	?	?	33	1
2003			19	2	–	–	–	–	?	?	19	2
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Copa de la Liga		Europe		Total
2003–04	Deportivo	Spanish League	5	0	4	0	–	–	1	0	10	0
2004–05			16	0	2	0	–	–	2	0	20	0
2005–06			0	0	0	0	–	–	0	0	0	0
2006–07			0	0	6	0	–	–	–	–	6	0
2007–08			4	0	2	0	–	–	–	–	6	0
2008–09			1	0	0	0	–	–	0	0	1	0
2009–10	Málaga		38	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	38	0
2010–11	Levante		20	0	4	0	–	–	–	–	24	0
Total	Uruguay		102	3	–	–	–	–	?	?	102	3
	Spain		84	0	18	0	–	–	3	0	105	0
Career total			186	3	18	0	–	–	3	0	207	3

Honors

Club

Nacional

• Uruguayan League: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002

Deportivo

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008

Country

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: Runner-up 1997

References

1. ^ Deportivo dive in for Munúa; UEFA.com, 26 August 2003
2. ^ Deportivo keepers axed after fight; CNN, 11 January 2008
3. ^ "Duo make Málaga moves". Sky Sports. 28 June 2009. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12875_5404068,00.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009. 
4. ^ "El Málaga no renovará a Munúa [Málaga will not renew Munúa]" (in Spanish). Diario Sur. 26 May 2010. http://malagacf.sur.es/noticias/2010-05-26/malaga-renovara-munua-20100526.html. Retrieved 26 May 2010. 
5. ^ "El Levante UD llega a un acuerdo con Munúa para la próxima temporada y será presentado esta misma tarde [Levante UD reach an agreement with Munua for the next season and he will be presented this afternoon]" (in Spanish). Levante's official website. 6 August 2010. http://es.levanteud.com/noticias/levante11308.html. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
6. ^ WorldSoccer stats

External links

• Levante official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Gustavo Munúa at National-Football-Teams.com
• Gustavo Munúa – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile
• Official website (Spanish)

Persondata
Name	Munua, Gustavo
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	27 January 1978
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death
Place of death