Real Madrid announced on Wednesday morning the passing of club legend José Emilio Santamaría at the age of 96, who notably served as the manager of the Spain national team during the 1982 World Cup.
“Santamaría will forever be remembered as one of the great symbols of our club. He was part of a team that will remain etched in the memories of all Madridistas and football fans globally. Alongside legends such as Di Stéfano, Puskas, Gento, and Kopa, that team started to forge the myth of Real Madrid. Santamaría embodied the values of our club, and until his final moments, Real Madrid was his greatest passion,” stated Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid.
Icon of Real Madrid’s First Great Era
After establishing his reputation at Nacional in Uruguay, he joined Real Madrid in 1966. During his time there, he won four European Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, six league titles, and one Copa de España, playing a total of 337 matches.
As a coach, Santamaría guided Spain’s Olympic team in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and he managed the national team during the World Cup in his homeland in 1982.
Starting in 1971, he took charge of Espanyol, where he became the coach with the most official matches in the club’s history, totaling 252 games.
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