José Mari

José Mari, full name José María Romero Poyón (born December 10, 1978 in Seville), is a Spain Football (soccer) of Romani origin
who plays for Real Betis, who was a member of the national squad competing at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He plays as a striker or midfielder.

After growing through the ranks of local Sevilla FC (first appearing with the main side aged just 18, on March 5, 1997, in a 0-2 defeat at Rayo Vallecano, and making 21 appearances with 7 goals during La Liga 1996-97, as Sevilla was finally relegated) and Spain national football team status in Atlético Madrid (scoring 18 league goals in his first two seasons combined), José Mari failed to settle in Italy when he moved to A.C. Milan in January 2000, and was subsequently loaned out to the Atlético Madrid during the La Liga 2002-03.

He moved to Villarreal CF in the summer of 2003 and went on to play a key role in the Intertoto Cup triumph and the club's best ever league finish (third in La Liga 2004-05, with 4 goals in 30 matches).

In 2007, after falling out of favour at Villarreal with the arrival of Giuseppe Rossi and the recovery of longtime injury absentee Nihat Kahveci, José Mari returned to Seville, joining Real Betis Balompié on a one-year deal.

He scored his first goal for Betis more than a year after his arrival, on September 24, 2008, in a 2-3 defeat at FC Barcelona.