José Antonio Camacho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Antonio Camacho

Camacho in 2011
Personal information
Full name	José Antonio Camacho Alfaro
Date of birth	(1955-06-08) 8 June 1955 (age 70)
Place of birth	Cieza, Spain
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
	Albacete
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1972–1973	Albacete
1973–1974	Castilla
1974–1989	Real Madrid	414	(9)
International career
1973	Spain U18	3	(0)
1975–1976	Spain amateur	2	(0)
1975–1988	Spain	81	(0)
Managerial career
1989–1992	Real Madrid (assistant)
1992–1993	Rayo Vallecano
1993–1996	Espanyol
1996–1997	Sevilla
1997–1998	Espanyol
1998	Real Madrid
1998–2002	Spain
2002–2004	Benfica
2004	Real Madrid
2007–2008	Benfica
2008–2011	Osasuna
2011–2013	China
2016–2018	Gabon
Medal record Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1984 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Antonio Camacho Alfaro (born on June 8, 1955) is a Spanish former football player and manager. He was known for playing as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field.

Camacho spent 15 years playing for Real Madrid, one of the biggest football clubs in the world. He played in over 500 official matches for them. During his time there, he helped the team win 19 major trophies, including nine La Liga championships.

After his playing career, he became a football manager. He managed several clubs and even the Spanish national team. He led Spain to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup. Camacho also played more than 80 games for Spain, representing his country in two World Cups and two European Championships.

Playing Career: A Real Madrid Legend

José Antonio Camacho was born in Cieza, Murcia, Spain. He started playing youth football at Albacete. When he was 18, he joined Real Madrid, a very famous club in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He quickly became a regular player in the first team. His first game was on March 3, 1974.

During his time at Real Madrid, Camacho played in 577 official matches. He played 414 of those matches in the league alone. He formed a strong partnership on the left side of the field with Rafael Gordillo, another famous player. In 1978, Camacho had a serious injury during training. This kept him from playing for almost two years. However, he came back strong and helped Real Madrid win two UEFA Cups in a row.

International Career: Playing for Spain

Camacho played 81 games for the Spanish national team. He made his first appearance when he was just 19 years old. This happened on February 5, 1975, in a game against Scotland in Valencia.

For the next 13 years, Camacho was a key defender for Spain. He was always a first-choice player. He played in the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups. He also played in the Euro 1984 and 1988 European Championships. After a game against West Germany in 1988, he retired from playing for the national team at age 33.

Coaching Career: From Player to Manager

After he stopped playing football in 1989, Camacho started coaching. He first worked as part of Real Madrid's coaching staff.

Early Coaching Roles

His first jobs as a head coach were at Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol. He helped both of these teams get promoted to Spain's top football division. In the summer of 1998, Camacho became the head coach of Real Madrid's first team. However, he left after only 22 days because he had disagreements with the club's management.

Leading the Spanish National Team

Camacho became the manager of the Spanish national team in September 1998. This happened after a surprising loss to Cyprus. Under Camacho, the team quickly improved. He led Spain to the final stages of Euro 2000, where they lost to France in the quarter-finals.

Two years later, Camacho's team again lost in the quarter-finals, this time to South Korea in the 2002 World Cup. After this defeat, he announced that he was stepping down as manager.

Coaching in Portugal: Benfica

Camacho then moved to Portugal to coach Benfica. He joined them on December 1, 2002. Two years later, his team won the Taça de Portugal, which is a cup competition. This win ended Benfica's longest period without winning a trophy. They also finished second in the league that season.

Camacho was known for being a tough player, but he also showed a lot of emotion. He was very sad when a Benfica player, Miklós Fehér, passed away during a match.

Returning to Real Madrid and Benfica

For the 2004–05 season, Camacho returned to Real Madrid as their coach. However, his second time at Real Madrid was also short. After a few losses in September, he resigned.

He later returned to Benfica in August 2007. But after a series of poor results, he left the club again in March 2008. He said he could no longer motivate the team.

Coaching Osasuna

After working as a TV commentator for Spain's successful Euro 2008 campaign, Camacho took over as coach of Osasuna in October 2008. He was fired in February 2011 after the team lost a game and dropped into the relegation zone. However, Osasuna ended up finishing in ninth place that season.

Coaching the Chinese National Team

On August 13, 2011, Camacho became the coach of the Chinese national team. He signed a three-year contract. The Chinese Football Association wanted him to help China improve and catch up with other strong Asian teams like Japan and South Korea.

China did not qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their qualifying group. Camacho was also in charge when a young Chinese team lost 8–0 to Brazil in a friendly match in September 2012. This was China's worst-ever defeat and caused their ranking in the FIFA World Rankings to drop very low.

In June 2013, after a surprising 5–1 friendly loss to Thailand, Camacho was removed from his position. One reason mentioned for his difficulties in China was that players were required to wear Adidas boots, even though many preferred Nike boots in their club teams. This caused discomfort for the players.

Coaching the Gabon National Team

Camacho was appointed manager of the Gabon in December 2016, just before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations which was held in Gabon. The team was eliminated in the group stage after three draws. Camacho was relieved of his duties in September 2018 due to poor results.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

This table shows how many games José Antonio Camacho played and how many goals he scored for Real Madrid in different competitions.

International Appearances and Goals

This table shows how many games Camacho played for the Spanish national team each year.

Managerial Record

This table shows Camacho's coaching record for each team he managed.

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat	From	To	Record								Ref
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Rayo Vallecano		27 January 1992	20 June 1993	&&&&&&&&&&&&&059.&&&&&059	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076	&&&&&&&&&&&&&060.&&&&&060	+16	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.90000033.90
Espanyol		1 July 1993	27 May 1996	&&&&&&&&&&&&0138.&&&&&0138	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.&&&&&063	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&0213.&&&&&0213	&&&&&&&&&&&&0118.&&&&&0118	+95	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.65000045.65
Sevilla		5 June 1996	3 February 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033	−13	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028.00
Espanyol		23 June 1997	17 June 1998	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	+12	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030.00
Real Madrid		17 June 1998	9 July 1998	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	+0	!—
Spain		15 September 1998	23 June 2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&0105.&&&&&0105	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037	+68	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.64000063.64
Benfica		1 December 2002	25 May 2004	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.&&&&&071	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&0133.&&&&&0133	&&&&&&&&&&&&&060.&&&&&060	+73	&&&&&&&&&&&&&066.20000066.20
Real Madrid		25 May 2004	20 September 2004	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	+2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&066.67000066.67
Benfica		20 August 2007	9 March 2008	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&057.&&&&&057	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	+28	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.37000047.37
Osasuna		13 October 2008	14 February 2011	&&&&&&&&&&&&0105.&&&&&0105	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046	&&&&&&&&&&&&0107.&&&&&0107	&&&&&&&&&&&&0133.&&&&&0133	−26	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.57000028.57
China		13 August 2011	24 June 2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	−8	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035.00
Gabon		2 December 2016	12 September 2018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	−7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.50000012.50
Career total				&&&&&&&&&&&&0562.&&&&&0562	&&&&&&&&&&&&0238.&&&&&0238	&&&&&&&&&&&&0166.&&&&&0166	&&&&&&&&&&&&0158.&&&&&0158	&&&&&&&&&&&&0796.&&&&&0796	&&&&&&&&&&&&0556.&&&&&0556	+240	&&&&&&&&&&&&&042.35000042.35	—

Honours and Achievements

José Antonio Camacho won many titles as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

Real Madrid

• La Liga (Spanish League):
  • 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89 (9 times)
• Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup):
  • 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1988–89 (5 times)
• Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup):
  • 1988, 1989 (2 times)
• Copa de la Liga (Spanish League Cup):
  • 1985 (1 time)
• UEFA Cup:
  • 1984–85, 1985–86 (2 times)

Spain National Team

• UEFA European Championship runner-up:
  • 1984

As a Manager

Benfica

• Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup):
  • 2003–04 (1 time)

See also

In Spanish: José Antonio Camacho para niños

• List of La Liga players (players with 400+ appearances)
• List of Real Madrid CF records and statistics

Images for kids

• 

  Camacho in 2011