Francisco Jovel

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José Francisco Jovel Cruz (born 26 May 1951 in Usulután, El Salvador) is a former football defender who played for El Salvador and appeared in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. He was nicknamed "El Kaiser" for his Beckenbauer-like style.

Club career
Jovel began in youth football with Calaveras Usulután (1965–1972). He spent most of his career with Salvadoran clubs: CD Luis Ángel Firpo (1972–1978 and 1984–1987) and CD Águila (1979–1983), where he won his only league title. He formed a strong on-field partnership with Brazilian Luis Nelson De Moraes.

International career
He debuted for El Salvador in 1976 and earned 46 official caps (0 goals). He played in 22 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and appeared in all three matches at the 1982 World Cup Finals. Including unofficial matches, he played about 110 times for the national team. He also represented El Salvador at the 1975 Pan American Games.

Personal life and later roles
After retiring, Jovel worked as a social worker in San Miguel. He is married with three children; his son Carlos Francisco Jovel Navas played for Luis Ángel Firpo. In football management, he served as Luis Ángel Firpo’s sports director (2017–2019) and was interim manager in 2018.