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Marcos Alonso
Personal information
Full name Marcos Alonso Peña
Date of birth (1959-10-01)1 October 1959
Place of birth Santander, Spain
Date of death 9 February 2023(2023-02-09) (aged 63)
Place of death Madrid, Spain
Height 1.76 m
Playing position Winger
Youth career
San Agustín
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1979 Racing Santander 51 (5)
1979–1982 Atlético Madrid 90 (10)
1982–1987 Barcelona 124 (28)
1987–1989 Atlético Madrid 29 (2)
1990 Logroñés 8 (1)
1991 Racing Santander 7 (3)
Total 309 (49)
National team
1978 Spain U18 3 (0)
1979 Spain U19 1 (0)
1979 Spain U20 3 (0)
1978 Spain U21 3 (0)
1980–1982 Spain U23 2 (0)
1979–1983 Spain amateur 9 (1)
1980 Spain B 3 (0)
1981–1985 Spain 22 (1)
Teams managed
1995–1996 Rayo Vallecano
1996–1998 Racing Santander
1998–2000 Sevilla
2000–2001 Atlético Madrid
2002 Zaragoza
2005–2006 Valladolid
2006 Málaga
2008 Granada 74
Honours
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 1984 France
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Marcos Alonso Peña (born October 1, 1959 – died February 9, 2023) was a famous Spanish football player and manager. People often called him just Marcos when he played.

He mostly played as a right winger, which is a player who runs down the sides of the field. Sometimes, he also played as a forward, scoring goals. Marcos played 302 games and scored 46 goals in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league. He spent five seasons with Atlético Madrid and five with Barcelona.

Marcos also played for the Spanish national team in the 1980s. He helped Spain reach second place in the Euro 1984 tournament. After he stopped playing, he became a football coach.

Playing for Clubs

Marcos was born in Santander, a city in Spain. He started his football journey in the youth academy of Real Madrid. At just 17 years old, he made his first professional appearance in La Liga with his hometown team, Racing de Santander.

In his second year with Racing Santander, he became a key player in his position. However, that season ended with his team being relegated, meaning they moved down to a lower league.

Marcos became even more well-known when he joined Atlético Madrid. In 1982, FC Barcelona paid a large amount of money, 150 million pesetas, to sign him. This made him the most expensive player transfer in Spain at that time.

In his first year with Barcelona, he scored six goals in 30 league games. He also scored a very important goal in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid. The Copa del Rey is a big knockout cup competition in Spain. His goal, scored in extra time, helped Barcelona win the final 2–1.

Marcos played in the final of the 1985–86 European Cup (now called the Champions League) in 1986. Barcelona lost this match to FC Steaua București after a penalty shootout. He stopped playing football in 1991. Before retiring, he returned to Atlético Madrid and then helped his first club, Racing Santander, get promoted back to the Segunda División, which is the second division of Spanish football.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Marcos Alonso became a football coach. His first coaching job was with Rayo Vallecano. He led them to a historic 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at their home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

He then managed other teams like Racing Santander and Sevilla FC. With Sevilla, he helped them get promoted to the top league, La Liga, but they were relegated back down the next season.

In the 2000s, Marcos also coached teams such as Atlético Madrid (when they were in the second division), Real Zaragoza, Real Valladolid, Málaga CF, and Granada 74 CF.

Playing for Spain

Marcos played 22 times for the Spanish national team. Each time a player plays for their country, it's called earning a "cap." His first game for Spain was on March 25, 1981, in a friendly match against England, which Spain won 2–1.

He was part of the Spanish squad for UEFA Euro 1984. Although he didn't play in the matches, Spain finished as the runner-up in that tournament.

Family and Passing

Football was a big part of Marcos Alonso's family. His father, Marcos Alonso Imaz, was also a famous footballer who played for Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s. Marcos's son, Marcos Alonso Mendoza, also became a professional footballer and played for Spain.

Marcos Alonso Peña passed away on February 9, 2023, at the age of 63, due to cancer.

Awards and Achievements

Barcelona

Racing Santander

Spain

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Marcos Alonso Peña para niños

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