Francisco "Paco" Gallardo León (born 13 January 1980) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the u21 manager at Leeds United. Club career Sevilla Born in Seville, Andalusia, and a product of hometown club Sevilla FC'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 a disrespectful celebration biting him. After a relatively successful loan at Getafe CF, helping the Madrid side 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 S.C. from Portugal, then moved in the 2006–07 campaign to Real Murcia in 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 level, SD Huesca, after a successful week's trial. He finished his career at the age of 34, after three years in Hungary with two teams. 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 Tercera División, with Carlos Marchena as his assistant. In November 2022 Gallardo joined Premier League side Leeds United as a 1st team coach working with Jesse Marsch. Gallardo was named co-interim head coach alongside Michael Skubala and Chris Armas following the sacking of Jesse Marsch in February. Gallardo oversaw a 2-2 draw with Manchester United Managerial statistics References External links 1980 births Living people Footballers from Seville Spanish footballers Association football midfielders La Liga players Segunda División players Segunda División B players Sevilla Atlético players Sevilla FC players