Real Madrid | Nacho, the fifth ‘One Club Man’ of Real Madrid

The name ‘One Club Man’ is applied to those soccer players who throughout their professional careers have always defended the same shirt, a symbol of fidelity to the colors that it is increasingly difficult to maintain as the commercialization of soccer and the generous inflow of money from televisions has broken the barriers of all imaginable prices (the 222 million that PSG paid for Neymar is the best proof of it). Since 2015, this recognition as ‘One Club Man’ has always been staged in San Mamés (Accompanied by José Angel Iribar, the player in Athletic history with the most games). It started that year with English Le Tissier, 17 seasons at Southampton (1985-2002). In 2016 it was the turn of Paolo Maldini, who played in Milan for no less than 25 seasons (1984-2009). In 2017, turn to Sepp Maier, the German goalkeeper who was at Bayern Munich from 1966 to 1979. In 2018 it was his turn to Carles Puyol, who played for Barça from 1999 to 2014 (593 games). And last year the Scottish received it in the Cathedral Billy McNeill, who played for Celtic 18 seasons (822 games!).

In the case of Real Madrid, in its 118-year history, we find only four players who have fulfilled the requirement of spending the entire career at the club at a professional level. (It is not accounted if young people came to Madrid from an amateur or youth league). Those requirements are met only José María Zárraga (1951-62), José Antonio Camacho (1973-89), Miguel Porlán ‘Chendo’ (1981-98) and Manuel Sanchis (1983-2001). Currently, only Nacho Fernández could enter that elitist Club Five having belonged to Madrid from its lower categories.

ZÁRRAGA

The Biscayan midfielder played in the Third Division at Arenas de Guecho, his hometown. Madrid signed him in 1949 for his filial team, Plus Ultra. Two years later he made his debut in the Madrid first team and ended his career there eleven years later, being one of the few who can boast of having won the five consecutive European Cups (1956-1960) and having started in all the finals. . He played 303 games with Real Madrid (5 goals).

CAMACHO

Cieza’s (1955) came to Madrid in 1973 after standing out as a youth player in Albacete, in the Murcian youth team and in the Spanish team. In the La Mancha team he played for a few months in the regional category. Madrid recruited him in 1973 for Castilla, but his strength and power made him make the leap to the first team that same season, making his individual marking to Cruyff famous in a Madrid-Barça match at the Bernabéu (1-0) in which the Dutchman barely touched the ball. He remained 16 years at the club of his life, defending his shirt 577 times (a serious injury of almost two years prevented him from being on the podium of the three with the most games played). It is one of the symbols of the player’s claw and courage with pure white DNA.

CHENDO

Also from Murcia, but from Totana (1961). From the youth of his town, he jumped directly to Real Madrid (1977), thanks to that powerful career he had on the right wing and his great speed. He was part of that famous Castilla that was able to play the final of the Copa del Rey before his older ‘brothers’ in the remembered game played at the Bernabéu in 1980 (6-1). He debuted with the first team in Castellón in 1982, along with Míchel, in the famous game of the footballers’ strike. And so until 1998, being part of the squad that won the Seventh in Amsterdam to Juventus de Zidane. He played 496 games of white (3 goals).

MANUEL SANCHIS (SON)

The son of Manuel Sanchis (the father played in Madrid from 1965 to 1971 and won the Ye-Yés European Cup) was from the youth in the discipline of Real Madrid. Along with Butragueño, Míchel, Martín Vázquez and Pardeza he was part of the legendary Quinta del Buitre, debuting in Condomina de Murcia achieving the winning goal. In Madrid he remained from 1983 to 2001, which allowed him to boast of being the only one in the Quinta who lifted the coveted Champions League (in 1998 and 2000), and above all did so as captain. He played 710 games in white, only surpassed by Raúl (741) and Casillas (725).

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NACHO FERNÁNDEZ

The man from Madrid from Alcalá de Henares has reached his thirties with the pride of always having in Madrid, the team his childhood passion. His brother Álex plays in Cádiz. Precisely in 2012 he achieved with Castilla the promotion to Second A after eliminating the people of Cádiz in a great double-match tie. With 111 matches, he is the youth player who has defended the subsidiary’s shirt the most times. He debuted with Mourinho at Mestalla against e Valencia in 2011 with a great win (3-6). With Madrid he already has four Champions and is only one of his 200 official matches in white. You have one year left on your contract. As long as he remains here, he will be the great candidate to be the fifth ‘One Club Man’ in club history.

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OTHER CASES

There are other players who have gone down in the history of the entity but who for small circumstances are not in such a prestigious club. The legendary Paco Gento He stayed 18 years at the Bernabéu (1953-1971) and won 6 European Cups, but in the 1952-53 season he played in the First Division with Racing Santander. Ramón Moreno Grosso He was in Madrid always, except for a few months in 1964 when he was loaned to Atlético, avoiding the descent of the rojiblancos to Segunda with nine goals. José Luis Peinado ‘Pepe Goals’ played in Madrid from 1967 to 1976, but was three seasons before successfully loaned at Rayo Vallecano. The goalkeeper Miguel Ángel, ‘El Gato’, He was from 1966 to 1985 in the club, but his first three courses in white were distributed on assignments to Orense and Castellón. Manolo Velázquez, illustrious youth squad of the years 69 and 70, could not certify his period of One Club Man when leaving in 1976 towards Canadian soccer (Toronto, 1978-79). Previously and he had also been assigned to Rayo Vallecano and Malaga.

Same case of Ignacio Zoco (he was signed from Osasuna in 1962), Goyo Benito (played on loan at Rayo Vallecano from 1966 to 1968), Forest (had transfers in Castellón and Córdoba) or García Remón (he played in Second with Oviedo in 1970-71). Others who could be and did not go to finish their careers in other clubs were Pirri (to Puebla de México in 1980), Butragueño (to Atlético Celaya Azteca in 1993), Michel (to Puebla in 1996), Raul (to Schalke in 2010 and then to Al-Sadd), Guti (to Besiktas in 2010) and Casillas (to Porto in 2015). They have all made history, but for the moment only four (plus Nacho) can be identified as ALWAYS WHITE.

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