Francisco Piedra
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier Piedra Menéndez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1950 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Zulueta, Villa Clara, Cuba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1977 | Azucareros | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1977 | Cuba | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Francisco Javier Piedra Menéndez (born 3 December 1950) is a retired Cuban footballer. Nicknamed "Chino",[1] he played for Azucareros as a forward throughout the 1970s. He also represented his native country of Cuba throughout the decade, participating in many tournaments.
Club career
Beginning his career at the age of 10, he played youth football until receiving his first professional contract with Azucareros in 1967 where he remained for the rest of his career.[2]
International career
Piedra was first called up for the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games where Cuba would receive their first title after nearly 30 years. He also made appearances in the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games, the 1971 Pan American Games where Cuba won bronze, the 1971 CONCACAF Championship and the 1975 Pan American Games with his international career concluding with the 1977 CONCACAF Championship qualification after narrowly failing to qualify against Haiti.[2]
Throughout his career, he scored 18 goals for the Diablos Rojos, tying with Cuban defender Yénier Márquez as being the eighth top-scorer of all time for the club.[3]
Personal life
Born into a family of athletes, Francisco is the older brother of fellow footballer Pedro Piedra.[4]
Alongside Alexander Driggs and Pedro Pablo Báez Chala, he was also invited to the XIII Congress of the Football Association of Cuba.[5]
References
- ^ Osendi, Julia (16 January 2018). "José Francisco Reinoso: "Yo no me retiré. A mí me retiraron"". Ciber Cuba (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Honrar, honra: Francisco Javier Piedra Menéndez". Teveo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "FÚTBOL EN CUBA". Anotando Fútbol (in Spanish). 12 July 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Galano Solís, Lázaro Rayde (23 September 2022). "Pedro Piedra: "mi generación no creció pensando en el profesionalismo ni en el dinero"". Playoff Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Hernández Lima, Raúl (1 February 2024). "Sesionó XIII Congreso de la Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba". JIT (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 March 2026.