Chema (footballer, born 1976)


José Manuel Jiménez Sancho, known as Chema, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right midfielder.

Club career

Chema was born in Pamplona, Navarre. After an unsuccessful stint with Atlético Madrid he signed for Real Valladolid in 1997, going on to amass 264 overall appearances for the Castile and León side. He also played during a good number of games as an attacking right back, and made his La Liga debut on 18 October 1997 by playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting de Gijón.
In the 2006–07 season, Chema helped the team return to the top flight after a three-year absence, appearing in 13 matches. He was released in June 2007 and joined neighbouring Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in the third division, playing three solid campaigns and being released at the age of 34, after which he moved to another club in that tier and region, CD Guijuelo.