Manolo Sanchís facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Manolo Sanchís

Sanchís in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth	(1965-05-23) 23 May 1965 (age 60)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Sweeper
Youth career
1979–1983	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1983–1984	Castilla	10	(2)
1983–2001	Real Madrid	523	(33)
Total		533	(35)
National team
1983	Spain U18	6	(1)
1983–1986	Spain U21	16	(0)
1986–1987	Spain U23	2	(0)
1986–1992	Spain	48	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 1986
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo (born on May 23, 1965) is a famous Spanish footballer who has now retired. People often call him Manolo Sanchís. He played as a sweeper, which is a special kind of defender in football.

Manolo Sanchís was part of a very famous group of players from the Real Madrid youth academy. This group was known as La Quinta del Buitre (The Vulture's Cohort). He was the only one of these five players who spent his entire football career with Real Madrid. His father, Manuel Sanchís, also played for Real Madrid and for the Spanish national team.

Sanchís played over 700 official games for Real Madrid. He also played for the Spanish national team in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Manolo Sanchís: A Football Legend

Starting His Career at Real Madrid

Manolo Sanchís was born in Madrid, Spain. He grew up in Real Madrid's amazing youth system. He made his first team debut on December 4, 1983. In that game, he scored the only goal against Real Murcia.

During his first season, he played 18 games and scored 3 goals for the main team. For most of his career, he played in almost every match. He was a key player in many of Real Madrid's victories.

Winning Trophies with Real Madrid

Sanchís helped Real Madrid win many important trophies. These included six La Liga championships, which is the top Spanish football league. He also won two UEFA Champions League titles, which is Europe's biggest club competition. He also helped the team win two UEFA Cups.

In the 1999–2000 season, he did not play as much. However, he still helped Real Madrid win their eighth European Cup. He played for 11 minutes in the final match against Valencia CF, which Real Madrid won 3–0.

Manolo Sanchís retired from football in 2001 when he was 36 years old. He played a total of 710 official games for Real Madrid. Out of these, 523 were in the league. He was also the team's captain for 13 years, showing his great leadership.

Playing for Spain

Manolo Sanchís was also a star for the Spanish under-21 team. He helped them win the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 1986.

He made his debut for the senior national team on November 12, 1986. This was in a qualifying match for UEFA Euro 1988 against Romania, which Spain won 1–0. He played a total of 48 games for his country. He also played in the Euro 1988 tournament and the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

His last game for Spain was a friendly match against the United States on March 11, 1992.

How Manolo Sanchís Played

Manolo Sanchís was a central defender. He was known for being calm and steady when defending. He was also very good at finding the right position on the field and was agile. He set a high standard for his club because of his skills and his good character.

He was a strong but fair player. He was also very smart about tactics and where to be on the field. He usually played as a sweeper, which means he would "sweep up" any loose balls or attacking players that got past the main defenders.

Honours

Manolo Sanchís won many important titles during his career:

Real Madrid Castilla

• Segunda División: 1983–84

Real Madrid

• La Liga:
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • 1988–89
  • 1989–90
  • 1994–95
  • 1996–97
  • 2000–01
• Copa del Rey:
  • 1988–89
  • 1992–93
• Copa de la Liga: 1985
• Supercopa de España:
  • 1988
  • 1989
  • 1990
  • 1993
  • 1997
• UEFA Champions League:
  • 1997–98
  • 1999–2000
• UEFA Cup:
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
• Intercontinental Cup: 1998

Spain

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1986

Individual

• Spanish Footballer of the Year (El País): 1989–90

See also

In Spanish: Manolo Sanchís Hontiyuelo para niños

• List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
• List of one-club men in association football
• List of Real Madrid CF records and statistics