José Manuel Ochotorena facts for kids
Ochotorena in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Manuel Ochotorena Santacruz | ||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Hernani, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 26 October 2025 (aged 64) | ||
| Place of death | Valencia, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1970–1976 | Hernani | ||
| 1976–1979 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1984 | Castilla | 76 | (0) |
| 1982–1988 | Real Madrid | 29 | (0) |
| 1988–1992 | Valencia | 105 | (0) |
| 1992–1994 | Tenerife | 12 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Logroñés | 20 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Racing Santander | 1 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Logroñés | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 243 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989 | Spain | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Manuel Ochotorena Santacruz (born January 16, 1961, and passed away on October 26, 2025) was a talented Spanish professional football player. He was known for his skills as a goalkeeper. He played in 167 matches in Spain's top football league, La Liga, over 11 seasons.
During his career, he played for famous clubs like Real Madrid, Valencia, Tenerife, Logroñés, and Racing de Santander. He even won four important titles with Real Madrid. José Manuel also represented Spain in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After his playing days, he became a respected goalkeeper coach, working with teams like Liverpool in England's Premier League.
Contents
A Young Star at Real Madrid
José Manuel Ochotorena was born in Hernani, a town in Spain. He started his football journey in the youth teams of Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He worked hard and eventually joined the main team. His first game for Real Madrid's senior team was during the 1981–82 season. This happened because many professional players were on strike.
He became a regular starter in the 1985–86 season. That year was very successful! He helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title (Spain's top league) and the UEFA Cup (a big European competition). However, in the next season, a new goalkeeper named Francisco Buyo joined the team, and José Manuel played less often.
Moving to Valencia and Other Teams
After his time at Real Madrid, Ochotorena moved to Valencia. In his first year there, he won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy. This award is given to the goalkeeper who has the best goals-to-games ratio in La Liga. He played well for three seasons at Valencia.
Later, he played for other teams like Tenerife, Logroñés, and Racing de Santander. He played many games for Logroñés in the 1994–95 season, but unfortunately, the team was moved down to a lower league that year. José Manuel Ochotorena stopped playing professional football in 1998 when he was 37 years old.
Playing for Spain
José Manuel Ochotorena had the honor of playing for the Spanish national team. He played his first and only international game (called a "cap") on September 20, 1989. He came on as a substitute for the last ten minutes of a friendly match against Poland. He was also chosen to be part of Spain's squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world!
A Coach for Goalkeepers
After he finished playing, José Manuel Ochotorena decided to share his knowledge and became a goalkeeping coach. He worked with both Valencia and the Spanish national team. In July 2004, he joined Liverpool, a famous club in England's Premier League, when his friend Rafael Benítez became the manager there.
He returned to Valencia in 2007 to continue his coaching work. He also kept coaching for the Spanish national team until February 2021, helping many young goalkeepers improve their skills.
Remembering José Manuel Ochotorena
José Manuel Ochotorena passed away in Valencia on October 26, 2025, at the age of 64. He will be remembered as a dedicated footballer and a respected coach who contributed a lot to the sport.
Achievements and Awards
José Manuel Ochotorena achieved several important titles during his career:
With Castilla (Real Madrid's Reserve Team)
- Segunda División: 1983–84 (This is Spain's second-highest football league)
With Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1985–86, 1987–88 (Spain's top football league)
- Copa de la Liga: 1985 (A Spanish cup competition)
- UEFA Cup: 1985–86 (A major European club competition)
Individual Award
- Ricardo Zamora Trophy: 1988–89 (Award for the best goalkeeper in La Liga)
See also
In Spanish: José Manuel Ochotorena para niños
