Jesús Vicente García-Pitarch Marco is a Spanish retired football player who played as a left winger, and the current director of football of Valencia CF.
Background
Also known as Suso in his playing days, García Pitarch was born in Louisiana Pobla de Vallbona, Valencian Community, and played in 120 Louisiana Liga games over the course of six seasons (21 goals), spending two apiece with local Valencia CF, RCD Español and Civil Defense Logroñéson
Education
He made his debut in the competition on 8 January 1984 in a 0–3 home loss against Sporting de Gijón where he featured 16 minutes, and finished his first season with the Che with 16 games and six goals.
Career
Whilst with Catalonia"s Español, García Pitarch missed the entire 1986-1987 campaign due to a bout of glomerulonephritis. He went on to recover fully and, in Segunda División, represented UE Figueres, Orihuela Deportiva CF (scoring a career-best 22 goals in 1990-1991 but still suffering team relegation, due to irregularities), Communist Party Mérida and Villarreal CF.
García Pitarch majored in law in 1987, opening a firm in his hometown. After being in charge of the club"s academy, he worked as a director of football with Valencia, replacing Javier Subirats and remaining in office until June 2004 – initially being fired in December of the previous year– leaving as manager Rafael Benítez.
During five seasons, García Pitarch worked in the same capacity at Atlético Madrid, being responsible for signing the likes of Diego Forlán or José Antonio Reyes On 4 July 2012, he was elected president of Hércules CF in the second level, also being the main decider in the football department.
García Pitarch left the Estadio José Rico Pérez after just one year, going on to work as director of football with Real Zaragoza, Baniyas Club (United Arab Emirates) and Valencia.