Francisco Javier "Javi" de Pedro Falque (born 4 August 1973) is a Spanish retired footballer.
He played as a left midfielder, mainly with Real Sociedad, and possessed a thunderous left-foot shot.[2][3] He also played professionally in four other countries.
De Pedro was born in Logroño, La Rioja. A product of Real Sociedad's youth system, he first appeared with the main squad on 7 November 1993, coming on as a substitute in a 1–3 home defeat against UE Lleida. Subsequently, he became an essential element with the La Liga side, creating opportunities and scoring alike: in the 2002–03 season he contributed with 29 games and three goals as the Basques finished in second position, trailing eventual champions Real Madrid by only two points; in the subsequent edition of the UEFA Champions League, he scored a late consolation goal after coming on as a substitute in a 2–4 defeat away to Juventus FC.[4]
De Pedro joined Blackburn Rovers in mid-June 2004, after he had been refused a move to Southampton the previous year, playing out the remaining season of his contract undeterred.[5] He made his debut for his new team on 14 August in a 1–1 Premier League home draw against West Bromwich Albion, before being replaced by Tugay Kerimoğlu for the second half of the match.[6]
De Pedro started 2007–08, alongside former Real Sociedad and Spain teammate Agustín Aranzábal, with regional club CD Vera in the Canary Islands,[8] but was dismissed by the team's coach due to a lack of commitment. He retired from football after this experience, and subsequently focused on getting a coaching qualification.
In November 2009, de Pedro was arrested for driving under the influence and with an expired driver's licence.[14] In January 2018, he was arrested for domestic violence.[15]
^"Italia ya ganó un Europeo a España en el 1996" [Italy have already won European Championships against Spain in 1996] (in Spanish). Orgullo Bianconero. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.