David Rocha

Not to be confused with David Mateos.

David Rocha
Personal information
Full name David Mateos Rocha
Date of birth (1985-02-07) 7 February 1985
Place of birth Cáceres, Spain
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 CD Extremadura (manager)
Youth career
Cacereño
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Cacereño 61 (8)
2005–2008 Villarreal B
2008 Cartagena 13 (2)
2008–2011 Cacereño 96 (17)
2011–2013 Albacete 79 (6)
2013–2016 Gimnàstic 99 (16)
2016 Houston Dynamo 4 (0)
2016–2018 Oviedo 63 (3)
2018–2019 Gimnàstic 18 (0)
2019 Almería 10 (0)
2019–2021 Extremadura UD 30 (1)
2021–2022 Mérida 28 (0)
Total 457 (44)
Managerial career
2023 Mérida (caretaker)
2023–2024 Mérida
2026– CD Extremadura
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mateos and the second or maternal family name is Rocha.

David Mateos Rocha (born 7 February 1985) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central midfielder, and is the current manager of CD Extremadura.

Playing career

Born in Cáceres, Extremadura, Rocha started playing football in CP Cacereño's youth system, and made his debuts as a senior in the 2002–03 campaign, in Segunda División B. In 2005, he moved to Villarreal CF B in Tercera División, appearing regularly for the side.

On 11 January 2008 Rocha joined FC Cartagena in the third level.[1] On 15 July he returned to Cacereño, with the side now in the fourth division,[2] winning promotion in his first season.

On 14 July 2011 Rocha signed for Albacete Balompié, after being team captain at his previous club.[3] On 26 June 2013 he moved to fellow third division side Gimnàstic de Tarragona, signing a two-year deal.[4]

On 19 June 2015, after winning promotion to Segunda División with Nàstic, Rocha renewed his link until 2018.[5] He made his professional debut on 23 August, starting in a 2–2 home draw against former club Albacete.[6]

On 21 January 2016 Rocha moved abroad for the first time in his career, after agreeing to a three-year deal with Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo.[7] On 6 July 2016, he mutually terminated his contract with Dynamo after alleging "family reasons".[8]

On 11 July 2016 Rocha returned to Spain and its second tier, after agreeing to a two-year deal with Real Oviedo.[9] On 4 July 2018 he terminated his contract,[10] and returned to Gimnàstic just hours later.[11]

Rocha cut ties with Nàstic on 24 January 2019,[12] and signed a short-term deal with fellow league team UD Almería just hours later.[13] On 2 July, he signed a two-year contract with Extremadura UD, still in the second division.[14]

Unregistered for the first half of the 2020–21 season due to an injury,[15] and moved to Mérida AD on 13 January 2021.[16] He agreed to a new one-year deal with the latter on 10 June,[17] but retired at the age of 36 on 3 February 2022, immediately joining Mérida's backroom staff.[18]

Managerial career

After working as a sporting director at his last club Mérida, Rocha was named caretaker manager on 9 October 2023, after Rai Rosa was sacked.[19] He returned to his previous role after the appointment of Manuel Ruano, but was appointed in charge of the club until the end of the season on 12 December.[20]

On 24 May 2024, after avoiding relegation, Rocha returned to his sporting director role.[21] He left the Romans on 12 June 2025,[22] before being appointed CD Extremadura manager the following 12 January.[23]

On 7 May 2026, after helping Extremadura to achieve their first-ever promotion to division three, Rocha renewed his contract for a further year.[24]

Managerial statistics

As of 26 April 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Mérida (caretaker) 9 October 2023 31 October 2023 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 000.00 [25]
Mérida 12 December 2023 24 May 2024 22 9 8 5 26 23 +3 040.91 [25]
Extremadura 12 January 2026 Present 15 9 5 1 26 12 +14 060.00 [26]
Total 40 18 14 8 54 39 +15 045.00 —

References

  1. ^ "Rocha, nuevo interior diestro del Cartagena" [Rocha, new right winger of Cartagena] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  2. ^ "El CP Cacereño presenta oficialmente a sus dos primeros refuerzos, Rocha y Rai" [CP Cacereño officially presents its two first additions, Rocha and Rai] (in Spanish). Hoy. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  3. ^ "David Rocha, ya excapitán del Cacereño, firma por el Albacete" [David Rocha, already former captain of Cacereño, signs for Albacete] (in Spanish). El Periódico de Extremadura. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  4. ^ "David Mateos Rocha es converteix en jugador del Nàstic" [David Mateos Rocha becomes a Nàstic player] (in Catalan). Gimnàstic's official website. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. ^ "David Rocha, renovado" [David Rocha, renewed] (in Spanish). Gimnàstic's official website. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  6. ^ "El Gimnástic remonta in extremis al Albacete" [Gimnástic comes back in extremis against Albacete] (in Spanish). Marca. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ "David Rocha se despide de la familia grana" [David Rocha bids farewell from the grana family] (in Spanish). Gimnàstic's official website. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  8. ^ "Houston Dynamo part ways with David Rocha; Leonel Miranda loan expires". Houston Dynamo. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  9. ^ "David Rocha, nuevo jugador del Real Oviedo" [David Rocha, new player of Real Oviedo] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  10. ^ "Rescisión de David Rocha" [Rescision of David Rocha] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  11. ^ "David Rocha torna al Gimnàstic de Tarragona" [David Rocha returns to Gimnàstic de Tarragona] (in Catalan). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  12. ^ "El Nàstic i David Rocha rescindeixen el contracte" [Nàstic and David Rocha rescind the contract] (in Catalan). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  13. ^ "David Rocha se convierte en el segundo fichaje del mercado de invierno" [David Rocha becomes the second winter signing] (in Spanish). UD Almería. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  14. ^ "David Rocha es azulgrana" [David Rocha is red-and-blue] (in Spanish). Extremadura UD. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Estos dos fichajes del Extremadura UD se han quedado sin ficha" [These two Extremadura UD signings ended up unregistered] (in Spanish). Golsmedia. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  16. ^ "David Rocha ya es jugador del Mérida" [David Rocha is already a Mérida player] (in Spanish). El Periódico Extremadura. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  17. ^ "David Rocha, renovación ilusionante para el Mérida" [David Rocha, an exciting renewal for Mérida] (in Spanish). El Periódico Extremadura. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  18. ^ "El Mérida oficializa la retirada de David Rocha, que pasa a los despachos" [Mérida officially announce the retirement of David Rocha, who moves into an administrative role] (in Spanish). El Periódico Extremadura. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  19. ^ "David Rocha, interino en el banquillo del Mérida tras la destitución de Rai" [David Rocha, interim on the bench of Mérida after the dismissal of Rai] (in Spanish). El Periódico Extremadura. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  20. ^ "David Rocha será el entrenador hasta el final de temporada" [David Rocha will be the manager until the end of the season] (in Spanish). Mérida AD. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  21. ^ "La AD Mérida cambia al entrenador que logró la permanencia" [AD Mérida change the manager who secured the permanence] (in Spanish). Golsmedia. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  22. ^ "David Rocha no continuará en el Mérida" [David Rocha will not continue at Mérida] (in Spanish). Mérida AD. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  23. ^ "David Rocha, nuevo entrenador del CD Extremadura" [David Rocha, new manager of CD Extremadura] (in Spanish). CD Extremadura. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  24. ^ "El CD Extremadura anuncia la renovación de David Rocha" [El CD Extremadura announce the renewal of David Rocha] (in Spanish). CD Extremadura. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  25. ^ a b "Matches David Rocha, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  26. ^ "Matches David Rocha, 2025–26 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
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