Jesús Diego Cota

Cota
Personal information
Full name	Jesús Diego Cota
Date of birth	28 July 1967 (age 56)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
	Rayo Vallecano
Senior career*
Years	Team
1984–1985	Rayo Vallecano B
1985–2002	Rayo Vallecano
1986–1987	→ Pegaso (loan)
Total
International career
1985	Spain U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jesús Diego Cota (born 28 July 1967), known as just Cota, is a Spanish footballer who last played as a defender for Rayo Vallecano.

Club career[edit]

Born in Madrid, Cota was a youth graduate of Rayo Vallecano.^[1] After playing with the reserves, he made his first team debut on 17 March 1985, starting in a 1–0 Segunda División B home win over CD Alcoyano.^[2]

After only one Copa del Rey appearance in the entire 1985–86 season, Cota spent the 1986–87 campaign on loan at Tercera División side CD Pegaso. Upon returning, he only became a regular starter for Rayo during the 1988–89 season, as the club achieved promotion to La Liga.

Cota made his top tier debut on 29 October 1989, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 home loss to Real Sociedad. He continued to feature regularly for the side in the following years, suffering three relegations and achieving three promotions, being also a team captain.^[3]

Cota was still a first-choice during the 1999–2000 season, as Rayo achieved a UEFA Cup spot due to the fair play award. He played in both the club's wins over Andorran side Constel·lació Esportiva, before breaking his tibia in the second leg and being sidelined for the entire 2000–01 campaign.^[2]^[4]

Cota retired in 2002, aged 35,^[5] after playing 402 league matches for Rayo.^[6]

References[edit]

^ "Jesús Diego Cota - El Pais article".
^ ^a ^b "Cota: "Fue el día más feliz de mi carrera deportiva"" [Cota: "It was the happiest day of my sporting career"] (in Spanish). Futbol Retro.es.
^ "Cota: "Cunningham me decía que yo habría sido internacional con Cruyff de entrenador"" [Cota: "Cunningham used to tell me that I would have been an international with Cruyff as manager"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 10 April 2020.
^ "La desgracia de un héroe de barrio" [The disgrace of a neighbourhood here] (in Spanish). El País. 28 August 2000. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
^ "Qué fue de... Cota" [What happened to... Cota] (in Spanish). La Liga. 30 December 2013.
^ "Felines: "Cota, Míchel, Uceda, Alcázar y yo somos símbolos"" [Felines: "Cota, Míchel, Uceda, Alcázar and I are symbols"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2023.

External links[edit]

Jesús Diego Cota at BDFutbol

This biographical article relating to Spanish football is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Jesús Diego Cota - El Pais article".

[FR-2] "Cota: "Fue el día más feliz de mi carrera deportiva"" [Cota: "It was the happiest day of my sporting career"] (in Spanish). Futbol Retro.es.

[3] "Cota: "Cunningham me decía que yo habría sido internacional con Cruyff de entrenador"" [Cota: "Cunningham used to tell me that I would have been an international with Cruyff as manager"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 10 April 2020.

[4] "La desgracia de un héroe de barrio" [The disgrace of a neighbourhood here] (in Spanish). El País. 28 August 2000. Retrieved 1 September 2023.

[5] "Qué fue de... Cota" [What happened to... Cota] (in Spanish). La Liga. 30 December 2013.

[6] "Felines: "Cota, Míchel, Uceda, Alcázar y yo somos símbolos"" [Felines: "Cota, Míchel, Uceda, Alcázar and I are symbols"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2023.

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