Carlos Alonso González
Encyclopedia
Carlos Alonso González (born 23 August 1952), aka Santillana, is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a striker.
Best known for his Real Madrid
spell (17 La Liga
seasons, nearly 800 official games), he was known for his stellar heading ability despite not reaching 1.80m, and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the history of Spanish football.
The recipient of more than 50 caps
for Spain
, he represented the nation in two World Cups
and as many European Championships
.
, Cantabria
, Santillana (nickname taken from birthplace) started playing professionally with Racing de Santander
, moving to Real Madrid
and La Liga
in 1971, aged just 19, and proceeding to score 10 goals in 34 games in his debut season, as Real were crowned league champions.
In total, Santillana won nine league trophies, adding four domestic cups
and back-to-back UEFA Cups (where he scored in both of the finals). He played 778 first team matches (a record which stood until Manuel Sanchís surpassed him during 1997–98) in which he scored 352 goals. The eighth-highest top scorer of all-time in the Spanish first division (186 goals in 461 matches), he never won the Pichichi Trophy, however.
After just 12 matches played in 1987–88, in which he netted four times, Santillana retired from football aged almost 36, scoring in a 2–1 home win against Real Valladolid
(with Madrid conquering three titles in a row in his final three seasons).
and scored 15 goals for the Spanish national team
, his debut being on 17 April 1975, in an UEFA Euro 1976 qualifier against Romania
(1–1, in Madrid
).
He represented his country in the Argentina 1978
and Spain 1982
FIFA World Cup
s, and another three European Championships
: 1976, reaching the quarterfinals, 1980, failing to advance to the second round, and 1984, in which Spain were losing finalists to hosts France
, with Santillana coming close from scoring the opener on a header saved just off the line by Frenchman (of Spanish origin) Luis Fernández
.
On 21 December 1983, during a European Championship qualifying match against Malta
that Spain had to win by 11 goals in order to qualify, Santillana scored a hat-trick
in the first half and added a fourth in the second period, as Spain qualified at the expense of the Netherlands
. Incidentally, his former understudy at Real Madrid, Hipólito Rincón
(now at Real Betis
), also scored four goals in a 12–1 success
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a striker.
Best known for his Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
spell (17 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
seasons, nearly 800 official games), he was known for his stellar heading ability despite not reaching 1.80m, and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the history of Spanish football.
The recipient of more than 50 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, he represented the nation in two World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and as many European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Club career
Born in Santillana del MarSantillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Certain features of this historical town includes Altamira Caves and many historic buildings, attracting thousands of holiday-makers every year....
, Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, Santillana (nickname taken from birthplace) started playing professionally with Racing de Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
, moving to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in 1971, aged just 19, and proceeding to score 10 goals in 34 games in his debut season, as Real were crowned league champions.
In total, Santillana won nine league trophies, adding four domestic cups
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
and back-to-back UEFA Cups (where he scored in both of the finals). He played 778 first team matches (a record which stood until Manuel Sanchís surpassed him during 1997–98) in which he scored 352 goals. The eighth-highest top scorer of all-time in the Spanish first division (186 goals in 461 matches), he never won the Pichichi Trophy, however.
After just 12 matches played in 1987–88, in which he netted four times, Santillana retired from football aged almost 36, scoring in a 2–1 home win against Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
(with Madrid conquering three titles in a row in his final three seasons).
International career
Santillana earned 56 international capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored 15 goals for the Spanish national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, his debut being on 17 April 1975, in an UEFA Euro 1976 qualifier against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
(1–1, in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
).
He represented his country in the Argentina 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
and Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s, and another three European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 1976, reaching the quarterfinals, 1980, failing to advance to the second round, and 1984, in which Spain were losing finalists to hosts France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, with Santillana coming close from scoring the opener on a header saved just off the line by Frenchman (of Spanish origin) Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández is a Spanish-French footballer who played as a defender / midfielder. He retired as a player in 1993 to become a manager....
.
On 21 December 1983, during a European Championship qualifying match against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
that Spain had to win by 11 goals in order to qualify, Santillana scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the first half and added a fourth in the second period, as Spain qualified at the expense of the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. Incidentally, his former understudy at Real Madrid, Hipólito Rincón
Hipólito Rincón
Hipólito 'Poli' Rincón Povedano is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.During a 12-year professional career, he played mainly for and Real Madrid and Real Betis, amassing La Liga totals of 239 games and 81 goals.Having gained slightly more than 20 caps for Spain, Rincón appeared...
(now at Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
), also scored four goals in a 12–1 success
Spain vs Malta 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match
The Spain vs Malta 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match was one of the most important matches ever played by the Spain national team...
.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 November 1975 | 23 August, Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
0–2 | 2–2 | Euro 1976 qualifying | |
| 2. | 24 April 1976 | Vicente Calderón Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous... , Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–0 | 1–1 | Euro 1976 qualifying | |
| 3. | 4 October 1978 | Maksimir, Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... , Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century.... |
0–2 | 1–2 | Euro 1980 qualifying UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Group 3 Standings and results for Group 3 of the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 3 consisted of Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Yugoslavia... |
|
| 4. | 13 December 1978 | Helmántico Estadio El Helmantico Estadio El Helmántico is a football stadium in Salamanca, Spain where UD Salamanca plays home matches. The stadium holds 17,341 and was built in 1970. It is placed on the out-skirts of the city.... , Salamanca Salamanca Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
3–0 | 5–0 | Euro 1980 qualifying UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Group 3 Standings and results for Group 3 of the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 3 consisted of Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Yugoslavia... |
|
| 5. | 13 December 1978 | Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | 5–0 | 5–0 | Euro 1980 qualifying UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Group 3 Standings and results for Group 3 of the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 3 consisted of Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Yugoslavia... |
|
| 6. | 9 December 1979 | Tsirion Tsirion Stadium Tsirion Stadium is an all seater multi-purpose stadium in Limassol, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of AEL Limassol, Apollon Limassol, Aris Limassol and APEP Pitsilias. In the past, especially in 1990s, it was used as the home ground for the Cyprus... , Limassol Limassol Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
0–2 | 1–3 | Euro 1980 qualifying UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Group 3 Standings and results for Group 3 of the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 3 consisted of Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Yugoslavia... |
|
| 7. | 27 April 1983 | La Romareda La Romareda Estadio de La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on September 8, 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna . The official capacity is 34,596, with an average attendance of around 30,000 for Real Zaragoza matches.The stadium has gone through... , Zaragoza Zaragoza Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 8. | 16 November 1983 | De Kuip Feijenoord Stadion The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname De Kuip , is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the area "Feijenoord" in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name .Capacity at completion: 64,000. Maximum capacity: 69,000... , Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–1 | 2–1 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 9. | 21 December 1983 | Benito Villamarín, Seville Seville Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–0 | 12–1 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 10. | 21 December 1983 | Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain | 2–1 | 12–1 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 11. | 21 December 1983 | Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain | 3–1 | 12–1 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 12. | 21 December 1983 | Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain | 9–1 | 12–1 | Euro 1984 qualifying UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Standings and results for Group 7 of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 7 consisted of Iceland, Malta, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Spain... |
|
| 13. | 11 April 1984 | Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 14. | 26 May 1984 | Charmilles Charmilles Stadium Charmilles Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Geneva, Switzerland. It was used mostly for football matches, and was the home venue for Servette FC. The stadium was able to hold 9,250 people and was built in 1930 for the Coupe des Nations 1930 tournament. During the 1954 FIFA World Cup the... , Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
0–1 | 0–4 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 15. | 17 June 1984 | Vélodrome Stade Vélodrome The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,... , Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 1984 |
Club
- UEFA Cup: 1984–85, 1985–86
- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82 - Spanish League CupCopa de la LigaThe Copa de la Liga was a Spanish football tournament created in 1982.Due to time constraints, saturation and club pressure, the competition only lasted four years, being cancelled in 1986...
: 1984–85
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data
- Biography at Real Madrid Fans
- Real Madrid profile
- International appearances; at RSSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...