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Francisco Palencia
	Palencia in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Juan Francisco Palencia Hernández
Date of birth	28 April 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	Mexico City, Mexico
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1994–2003	Cruz Azul
2001–2002	→ Espanyol (loan)
2003–2005	Guadalajara
2005–2006	Chivas USA
2007–2011	UNAM
Total
International career
1996–2009	Mexico
Managerial career
2016–2017	UNAM
2018–2019	Lobos BUAP
2020	Mazatlán
2021	Tec Academy Barcelona
2023–2024	Sporting F.C.
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Mexico
FIFA Confederations Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Copa América
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Francisco Palencia Hernández (born 28 April 1973) is a Mexican professional football manager and former footballer.

Club career

Cruz Azul

Palencia trained with the Cruz Azul youth system at age 13 and made his debut in the Primera División (First Division) in 1994 at age 21. After finishing the 1995–1996 season with highly anticipated performances, Palencia was awarded the "Rookie of the Year Award", for most outstanding young player in the First Division. Palencia would go on to play seven seasons, captaining and scoring 91 goals for Mexico City's Club Deportivo Cruz Azul, and leading them to two championship titles in the CONCACAF Tournaments of 1996 and 1997, one championship title in the First Division in 1997, and second place in the Copa Libertadores of 2001.

After finishing second place to Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores, Palencia departed from Cruz Azul at the end of the 2000–2001 season and went to Spain (on loan) to play for RCD Espanyol in La Liga, where he played 35 matches and scored six goals. After his one-year contract expired, Palencia returned to Mexico in late 2002 to play one more season with his old club, Cruz Azul.

Guadalajara

In late 2003, Palencia joined another club of Mexican football, this time to the "All Mexican Team", Club Deportivo Guadalajara. He continued on with his success displaying his excellent form, taking the team into the semi-finals of the 2005 Copa Libertadores tournament and registering 5 goals.

Chivas USA

Palencia was originally slated to join C.D. Chivas USA for the start of their inaugural season, but he enjoyed so much success with Guadalajara that his arrival to the United States team was delayed until August 19, 2005. In his American debut, he promptly displayed his fine form and scored two goals. In 2006, Palencia was the team captain of Chivas USA and was also the highest paid player in MLS at that time, earning US$1,360,000 a year.^[2]

UNAM Pumas

In January 2007, Palencia signed to UNAM Pumas at the age of 33.

Palencia had another opportunity to play in the Copa Libertadores on May 3 and 8 of 2007. Club Toluca signed him on loan for a couple of games to reinforce its squad against Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo in both matches of the Round of 16. Unfortunately for Toluca, Cúcuta Deportivo won the first match at home 5–1, even though Toluca scored first on the very first minute of the game. This match was followed by a 2-0 Toluca victory over Cúcuta Deportivo, also starting Palencia. Toluca was eliminated from the tournament and Palencia did not have another opportunity to play in Latin America's biggest club championship event due to retirement.^[3]^[4]^[5]

International career

Palencia made his international debut for the Mexico national team on June 8, 1996, against Bolivia national team at the U.S. Cup tournament in Dallas, Texas, scoring the winning goal.

Palencia played in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, taking his side to the quarterfinals where they were defeated by Nigeria, the eventual winners. He was a member of the national team for the 1996, 1998 and 2003 Gold Cup tournaments and the 1999 Confederations Cup tournament, where he helped Mexico win all four competitions. Palencia also played in two FIFA World Cups, France'98 and Korea-Japan 2002, but could only help his team reach the "Round of 16" of the tournaments before being eliminated. He has also represented his country in three Copa América tournaments in 1997, 1999 and 2004, as well as two Confederations Cup appearances in 1997 and 1999.

In 2006, the veteran striker missed out on selection in Mexico's 23 man squad for the World Cup.

On February 7, Palencia was called up by coach Hugo Sánchez to represent his country and play a friendly game against the United States. The Mexicans lost the match 0–2. However, Palencia played against Paraguay on March 25 and Ecuador on March 28, Mexico winning both matches and Palencia score a goal.

Managerial career

Palencia started his managerial career with Sant Cugat Juvenil in Spain.^[6]

On 11 June Palencia was presented as Mazatlán's manager for the 2020–21 season.^[7]

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
1994–95	Cruz Azul	Primera División	1	0	2	0	-	-	3	0
1995–96			33	8	3	0	-	-	36	8
1996 –97			32	9	3	0	4	2	39	11
1997 –98			38	10	-	-	3	1	41	11
1998 –99			36	21	1	2	-	-	37	23
1999 –00			38	22	3	0	-	-	42	22
2000 –01			28	14	4	0	20	9	52	23
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
2001-02	Espanyol	La Liga	30	6	-	-	-	-	30	6
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
2002-03	Cruz Azul	Primera División	33	7	3	1	10	3	46	11
2003-04	Guadalajara		39	5	3	0	-	-	42	5
2004-05	Guadalajara		34	8	3	0	14	5	51	13
USA			League		Open Cup		North America		Total
2005	Chivas USA	Major League Soccer	15	4	-	-	-	-	15	4
2006	Chivas USA	Major League Soccer	19	4	-	-	-	-	19	4
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
2007	UNAM	Primera División	16	3	-	-	-	-	16	3
2007-08			28	2	3	0	-	-	31	2
2008-09			33	6	-	-	5	5	38	11
2009-10			33	1	-	-	5	4	38	5
2010-11			40	5	-	-	-	-	40	5
2011			15	2	-	-	2	0	18	2
Total	Mexico		477	123	27	3	64	29	568	158
	Spain		30	6	-	-	-	-	30	6
	USA		34	8	-	-	-	-	34	8
Career total			541	137	27	3	64	29	632	169

International goals


No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	14 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	1–0	5–0	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
2	14 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	2–0	5–0	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
3	4 February 1998	Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, United States	Trinidad & Tobago	3–1	4–2	1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
4.	24 February 1998	Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States	Netherlands	1–3	2–3	Friendly
5	17 July 1999	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Chile	1–0	2–1	1999 Copa América
6	29 July 1999	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Bolivia	1–0	1–0	1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
7	13 February 2000	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	4–0	4–0	2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup
8	11 November 2001	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Honduras	2–0	3–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	16 May 2002	3Com Park at Candlestick Point, San Francisco, United States	Bolivia	1–0	1–0	Friendly
10	19 June 2004	Alamodome, San Antonio, United States	Dominica	10–0	10–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	28 March 2007	McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, United States	Ecuador	1–0	4–2	Friendly
12	10 October 2009	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	El Salvador	3–0	4–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Cruz Azul

UNAM

Mexican Primera División: Clausura 2009, Clausura 2011

Mexico

FIFA Confederations Cup: 1999
CONCACAF Gold Cup: 1996, 1998, 2003

References

^ "FutbolTotal.com.mx". Francisco Palencia, nuevo DT del Tec Academy Barcelona. March 18, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
^ "Washingtonpost.com". Palencia has Richest MLS Salary. April 27, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2006.
^ "Yahoo.com". Toluca va ante Cúcuta reforzado por mexicano Palencia y argentino Scocco. Retrieved May 30, 2007.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Conmebol.com". Cúcuta Deportivo-CD Toluca. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
^ "Conmebol.com". CD Toluca-Cúcuta Deportivo. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
^ Entrevista con Juan Francisco Palencia embajadoresaztecas.org
^ "Mazatlán FC anuncia a Paco Palencia como el primer entrenador de su historia". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.