- The legend of Real Madrid, José Emilio Santamaría, has died a few hours before the team played against Bayern Munich
- Santamaria was part of the club’s golden era, alongside players like Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano
- Real Madrid will need to overturn a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich if they want to reach the semi-finals
Real Madrid has confirmed the death of one of the great masters, José Emilio Santamaría.
Source: Getty Images
Who was José Emilio Santamaría?
Santamaria was part of the club’s golden era, where he won six La Liga titles and four European titles, now known as the Champions League, between 1957 and 1965.
Born in Montevideo to Spanish parents, Santamaria played as a defender for Club Nacional de Football and won five national titles.
He joined Real Madrid in 1957, where he played over 200 matches for Los Blancos.
He played for the national team of Uruguay 20 times before switching his international allegiance and playing for Spain, for which he played 16 times. He played in the 1954 and 1962 World Cups for the two different countries.
After retirement, he moved into management, where he coached the Spanish national team between 1968 and 1971 before taking on the role of Espanyol. He later returned to coach Spain’s youth teams before being promoted to head coach in 1980.
He was leading the national team during the 1982 World Cup on home soil.
Source: UGC
Real Madrid mourns Jose Santamaria
In a heartfelt statement, Real Madrid mourned the former defender with club president Florentino Perez calling him one of the ‘great symbols of our club’. He died at the age of 96.
“Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences and love to his wife Nora, his children Nelson, Nora, Beatriz, José, Silvia, and Javier, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all his family, teammates, and loved ones.”
“Santamaría will always be remembered as one of the great symbols of our club. He was part of a team that will remain in the memories of all Madrid and football fans around the world. Together with Di Stéfano, Puskas, Gento, and Kopa, the team began to build the story of Real Madrid. Santamaría always showed the values of our club, and until his last moment, Real Madrid was the great passion of his club.”
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Santamaria’s death comes at a time when the club is preparing for its biggest match of the season. Álvaro Álbeloa and his team are in Germany for the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Germany.
The record champions need to overcome a 2-1 deficit in an effort to save their season. The Champions League is the only title they can win this season after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey, while Barcelona with a nine-point lead in La Liga.
Six Real Madrid players face suspension
At the same time, six Real Madrid players face the risk of being banned when they play with Bayern Munich.
Players opt for a one-match ban if they receive an odd number of three yellow cards thereafter before the semi-finals.
Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe are on the list
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