Chendo

Miguel Porlán Noguera (born 12 October 1961), commonly known as Chendo, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right back.

He spent his entire professional career with Real Madrid, also being a member of the Spanish national team, with which he appeared in two World Cups.

Club career

Born in Totana, Region of Murcia, Chendo played for Real Madrid during seventeen professional seasons, winning seven La Liga titles (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995 and 1997), two Copa del Rey trophies (1989 and 1993), one UEFA Champions League (1998) and back-to-back UEFA Cups (1985 and 1986).

He arrived in Real Madrid at the age of fifteen and was part of its junior ranks for five years, making his official debut for the first team on 11 April 1982 in a 2–1 win at CD Castellón. The following campaign, he would feature in two further league matches.

At the beginning of 1983–84, Juan José dominated the right-back position, starting five out of the first six games: injuries then struck him, after which Chendo was given the starting spot. As Juan José returned to the first team Chendo returned to the bench, but finished the season again as first-choice, appearing in 26 contests overall.

In his fourth year Chendo became the starter, playing 25 league matches and adding 11 in European competition. At the end of the season, Real Madrid won the UEFA Cup against Hungarian club Videoton FC by a 3–1 aggregate score, though losing the second leg at the Bernabéu 0–1, as well as the Spanish League Cup (4–3 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid), with the player starting both finals; the team finished 11th in the league, 17 points behind champions FC Barcelona.

For the next eight seasons Chendo was the undisputed first-choice, starting in 297 games out of a possible 320 and being an integral part of a squad that collected five straight league titles. From 1992 to 1995, however, he would only amass 34 league appearances as only third-choice, losing his place to the likes of Nando, the reconverted Luis Enrique, Paco Llorente or Jesús Velasco; in the following years more of the same befell, as he played second-fiddle to Quique Flores, Carlos Secretário and Christian Panucci – although he did play 23 matches in the 1995–96 campaign, as Real stumbled to a final sixth place; he served more as a moral support and bench captain, like Manuel Sanchís later, subbing rarely and starting even more rarely.

After Real Madrid lifted its seventh European Cup against Juventus F.C. on 20 May 1998 (he did not play in the decisive match), Chendo retired from professional football, aged almost 37. He immediately started working with the club as a match delegate, occupying that position for well over a decade.^[1][2]

International career

Chendo earned 26 caps for the Spanish national football team, and played in the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups. Backing up Atlético Madrid's Tomás in the former and starting in the latter, he totalled five appearances.^[3]

Chendo's debut came on 22 January 1986 in a friendly match with the Soviet Union, in Las Palmas.

Club statistics

See also

• List of one-club men

References

External links

• Real Madrid biography (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Chendo at National-Football-Teams.com

Spain squads Spain squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup 1 Zubizarreta 2 Tomás 3 Camacho (c) 4 Maceda 5 Víctor 6 Gordillo 7 Señor 8 Goikoetxea 9 Butragueño 10 Carrasco 11 Julio Alberto 12 Setién 13 Urruti 14 Gallego 15 Chendo 16 Rincón 17 Francisco 18 Calderé 19 Salinas 20 Eloy 21 Míchel 22 Ablanedo Coach: Muñoz Spain squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Zubizarreta 2 Chendo 3 Jiménez 4 Andrinúa 5 Sanchís 6 Vázquez 7 Pardeza 8 Quique 9 Butragueño (c) 10 Fernando 11 Villarroya 12 Alkorta 13 Ablanedo 14 Górriz 15 Roberto 16 Bakero 17 Hierro 18 Rafa Paz 19 Salinas 20 Manolo 21 Míchel 22 Ochotorena Coach: Suárez