José María Zárraga facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 August 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Las Arenas, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 3 April 2012 (aged 81) | ||
| Place of death | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.79 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ibarra | |||
| University of Deusto | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1948–1949 | Arenas | ? | (?) |
| 1949–1951 | Plus Ultra | 26 | (4) |
| 1951–1962 | Real Madrid | 217 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| 1953–1955 | Spain B | 2 | (0) |
| 1955–1958 | Spain | 8 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1964 | Málaga | ||
| 1965 | Murcia | ||
| 1969 | Málaga | ||
|
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José María Zárraga Martín (born August 15, 1930 – died April 3, 2012) was a Spanish professional footballer. He played as a midfielder for many years. Zárraga is best known for his time with Real Madrid, where he won many important titles.
Contents
Zárraga's Club Career
José María Zárraga was born in Las Arenas, a town in Biscay, Spain. He joined Real Madrid in 1949. For his first two seasons, he played for their reserve team.
Starting at Real Madrid
Zárraga made his first team debut in La Liga on October 14, 1951. This was a home game against Valencia CF, which Real Madrid won 3–1. In his first two years with the main club, he played 48 games and scored two goals. However, the team did not win any major trophies during this time.
Winning European Cups
From 1953 to 1960, Zárraga became a very important player in the midfield for Real Madrid. During these years, the team, known as the Merengues, won 11 major titles. This included an amazing five European Cups in a row! Zárraga played in all five of those European Cup finals. He appeared in 31 matches during these winning campaigns. Only Francisco Gento won more European Cups for Real Madrid (six).
Later Years and Retirement
Zárraga continued to win trophies in his last two seasons with Real Madrid. He helped the team win two national championships in a row. However, he played in only five matches during these final years. He retired from playing football in June 1962, when he was almost 32 years old. Overall, he played in 306 official games for Real Madrid.
After retiring as a player, Zárraga had short periods as a coach. He also worked as a director of football for clubs like Valencia and Deportivo Alavés.
Playing for Spain
Zárraga played eight times for the Spanish national team. His first game for Spain was in 1955. It was a 1–1 draw against England at the Chamartín stadium. In his last games for Spain, Zárraga was chosen to be the captain of the team.
Zárraga's Playing Style
As a midfielder, José María Zárraga was known for his strong play. He was also very brave on the football pitch.
His Final Years
In October 1993, Zárraga had a stroke and was taken to a clinic in Madrid. He passed away on April 3, 2012, at the age of 81, also in Madrid, Spain.
Honours and Achievements
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62
- Copa del Generalísimo: 1961–62
- European Cup: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
- Intercontinental Cup: 1960
- Latin Cup: 1955
- Small Club World Cup: 1952, 1956
