Esteve Padilla

Esteve Gerardo Padilla Velasco (born 16 September 1975) is a former Mexican professional footballer who played as a defender for Liga MX and he is currently the assistant manager of the Sonora.

Club career
He started in the minor categories of Atlas F.C., making his debut in Liga MX in the 93–94 season with the rojinegros. In Winter '97 he moved to Toros Neza, where his participation has not enjoyed the continuity that he had in Atlas. He had a brief stint with the Ascenso MX Club Zacatepec where he remained for six months on loan, where he contributed with a goal in the 1999 Winter final although it was not enough to achieve promotion. After his acceptable time with the Cañeros he returned to Mexico's highest category with the Toros where he is regular in some matches to suffer relegation with the club and he spent some seasons with them in the promotion division and then signed with the Club Irapuato for winter 2001. However, due to the change of headquarters of the strawberry team, he continued his career in the franchise that moved to Veracruz with the nickname of Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz, being his last club in the first division to culminate his career in the second highest category, including his returns in the clubs of Zacatepec and Irapuato also played for Jaguares de Tapachula and Delfines de Coatzacoalcos of the same division.

International career
He has been international with the Mexico national football team between 1995 and 1996 and played 4 international matches.

Managerial career
In 2017 he started as an assistant for Morelia. In 2020, Padilla was named assistant coach of UAT. In 2021, Padilla was part of the coaching staff that won the championship with Malacateco. In 2022, he was appointed as assistant of Sonora.