Juan Gómez González

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Juanito
Personal information
Full name Juan Gómez González
Date of birth November 10, 1954
Place of birth    Fuengirola, Spain
Date of death    April 2, 1992 (aged 37)
Place of death    Merida, Spain
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Playing position Forward
Youth clubs

1969-1972		 Aspes
UD Fuengirola (youth team)
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1972-1974
1974-1977
1977-1987
1987-1989		 Atlético Madrid
Burgos CF
Real Madrid
CD Malaga
UD Fuengirola

284 (115)   
National team
1976-1982 Spain 34 (14)
Teams managed
1991-1992 CP Mérida

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Juan Gómez González (born Fuengirola, Málaga, November 10, 1954 ; died April 2, 1992), commonly referred to as Juanito, was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Atlético Madrid, Burgos CF, Real Madrid, CD Málaga and Spain. He was also briefly coach at CP Mérida before he died in a road accident. During his Real career, Juanito wore the number 7 shirt and Real supporters still sing "Illa, Illa, Illa... Juanito Maravilla" during the seventh minute of games.

Contents

[edit] Early career

Juanito played as a youth with local club, Fuengirola before joining Atlético Madrid in 1972. While still underage, he allegedly forged his papers so he could play for the U18 Atlético team. He scored twice on his debut, but a fractured tibia ended his career at Atlético and he never played for the senior team. He revived his career at Burgos CF, helping them win the Segunda División in 1975/76. He made his La Liga debut with Burgos CF in a 2-1 win over RCD Español at the start of the 1976/77 season and was eventually awarded Spanish Footballer of the Year by Don Balón .

[edit] Real Madrid

Juanito soon attracted the attention of Real Madrid who he signed for in 1977. He became a prominent member of the successful Real side during the late 1970s and 1980s and his team mates included among others Santillana, Uli Stielike, Vicente Del Bosque and José Antonio Camacho. Among the trophies Juanito helped Real win were five La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey and two UEFA Cups. Among his personal highlights were scoring twice in the 1980 Copa del Rey final in 6-1 win over Castilla CF. In 1983 he scored a penalty for Real in the European Cup Winners Cup final as they lost 2-1 to Aberdeen FC. In 1983/84 he won the Pichichi after finishing as joint top goalscorer in La Liga with 17 goals. During ten seasons at Real he played 287 La Liga games and scored 85 goals. He also played 55 games in various European competitions and scored a further 17 goals.

Growing up juanito supported Real Zaragoza but as he approached his adulthood he began supporting Real Madrid and it became like a dream for him to play with the white jersey, when he was presented by Real Madrid Juanito said "playing for Real Madrid is like touching the sky, Real madrid has always been my first choice as a team and madrid has always been my favorite as a city"[1].

Juanito is considered by most of the Real Madrid fans to represent the escence of what Real Madrid is all about, his spirit is often called upon before matchs where the team need to make a great comeback because of all the great comebacks he lead while donning the white shirt, one of these great comeback was against Celtic in the quarter finals of the European competition where Real Madrid lost 2-0 in the first leg in galsgow but in the second leg Real Madrid lead by Juanito managed to mount a comeback scoring 3 goals (the third was juanito's) and conceding none sending them into the semifinals. Other famous comebacks where against Inter, Borussia and Anderlecht and Real Zaragoza in 2006. He is remembered in every home game minute 7. Ultras , the "hooligans" for Real Madrid chant "illa illa illa Juanito Maravilla" all during the 7th minute of each home game. [2]

[edit] Spain

Juanito also played 34 times for Spain, scoring eight goals. He represented Spain at the 1978 and 1982 World Cups and the 1980 European Football Championship. He scored a penalty for Spain in a game against Yugoslavia during the 1982 World Cup.

[edit] CD Málaga and CP Mérida

After leaving Real Madrid Juanito played for CD Málaga for two seasons before retiring in 1989. He subsequently began a working as a coach with CP Mérida during the 1991/92 season. However on April 2 1992, after watching Real play Torino F.C. in a UEFA Cup game, he was killed in a road accident while returning to Mérida.

[edit] Honours

Burgos CF

  • Spanish Footballer of the Year
    • 1976/77

Real Madrid

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Spain squad - 1978 FIFA World Cup
1 Arconada • 2 de la Cruz • 3 Uría • 4 Asensi • 5 Migueli • 6 Biosca • 7 Dani • 8 Juanito • 9 Quini • 10 Santillana • 11 Cardeñosa • 12 Guzmán • 13 Miguel Ángel • 14 Leal • 15 Marañón • 16 Olmo • 17 Marcelino • 18 Pirri • 19 Rexach • 20 Rubén Cano • 21 San José • 22 Urruti • Coach: Kubala
 Flag of Spain
v • d • e
Spain squad - UEFA Euro 1980
1 Arconada • 2 Alexanko • 3 Migueli • 4 José Diego • 5 Uría • 6 Asensi • 7 Dani • 8 Cardeñosa • 9 Carrasco • 10 Quini • 11 del Bosque • 12 Juanito • 13 Urruti • 14 Gordillo • 15 Olmo • 16 Santillana • 17 Satrústegui • 18 Saura • 19 Cundi • 20 Tendillo • 21 Zamora • 22 Artola • Coach: Kubala
 Flag of Spain
v • d • e
Spain squad - 1982 FIFA World Cup
1 Arconada • 2 Camacho • 3 Gordillo • 4 Alonso • 5 Tendillo • 6 Alexanko • 7 Juanito • 8 Joaquín • 9 Satrústegui • 10 Zamora • 11 López Ufarte • 12 Urquiaga • 13 Jiménez • 14 Maceda • 15 Saura • 16 Sánchez • 17 Gallego • 18 Uralde • 19 Santillana • 20 Quini • 21 Urruti • 22 Miguel Ángel • Coach: Santamaría
 Flag of Spain