Santillana (footballer) explained

Santillana
Caption:Santillana in 2009
Fullname:Carlos Alonso González
Birth Date:23 August 1952
Birth Place:Santillana del Mar, Spain
Height:1.75m (05.74feet)
Position:Striker
Youthclubs1:Satélite
Youthyears2:1966–1970
Youthclubs2:Barreda
Years1:1970–1971
Caps1:35
Goals1:16
Years2:1971–1988
Caps2:461
Goals2:186
Totalcaps:496
Totalgoals:202
Nationalyears1:1970
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:1971
Nationalcaps2:1
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:1971–1976
Nationalcaps3:6
Nationalgoals3:3
Nationalyears4:1981
Nationalcaps4:1
Nationalgoals4:1
Nationalyears5:1975–1985
Nationalcaps5:56
Nationalgoals5:15

Carlos Alonso González (born 23 August 1952), known as Santillana, is a Spanish former footballer who played as a striker.

He was best known for his Real Madrid spell, which consisted of 17 La Liga seasons and 645 competitive matches. He signed with the club in 1971, from Racing de Santander.

The recipient of more than 50 caps for Spain, Santillana represented the nation in two World Cups and as many European Championships.

Club career

Born in Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, Santillana (his nickname taken from his birthplace) started playing professionally with local Racing de Santander. He moved to Real Madrid and La Liga in 1971 alongside teammate Francisco Aguilar, aged just 19,[1] and scored ten goals in 34 games in his debut season as the team were crowned league champions.[2]

Santillana went on to win nine league titles, four Copa del Reys and two consecutive UEFA Cups, scoring in both finals. He played 645 first-team matches – a record which stood until Manolo Sanchís surpassed him during the 1997–98 campaign – and scored 290 goals;[3] [4] the eighth-highest all-time scorer in the first division, with 186 goals in 461 appearances, he never won the Pichichi Trophy.[5]

After just 12 league appearances in 1987–88, in which he scored four times, Santillana retired from football at almost 36, finding the net in a 2–1 home win against Real Valladolid. Madrid won three titles in a row in his final three seasons.[6]

International career

Santillana played 56 times and scored 15 goals for the Spain national team, his debut being on 17 April 1975 in a 1–1 draw with Romania for the UEFA Euro 1976 qualifiers held in Madrid. He represented his country in the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups, as well as three European Championships: 1976, reaching the quarter-finals, 1980, failing to advance to the second round, and 1984 which ended with a runner-up finish to hosts France, with the player coming close to scoring the opener on a header saved just off the line by Luis Fernández.[7] [8]

On 21 December 1983, during a European Championship qualifying match against Malta that had to be won 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 won 12–1 and qualified at the expense of the Netherlands.[9]

Style of play

Santillana possessed stellar heading skills despite not reaching 1.80 m, courtesy of his jumping ability, and was widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the history of Spanish football.[10] [11] [12]

Career statistics

Club

[13]

ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Racing Santander1970–71351610003616
Total 351610003616
Real Madrid1971–72341063424415
1972–73291000653515
1973–741836700249
1974–75321773434323
1975–76301221753918
1976–77301220413613
1977–783424644028
1978–793318116424826
1979–80332363834729
1980–81311341834317
1981–8220930522811
1982–83279685598104829
1983–8431138300214117
1984–852242053853712
1985–862746520954414
1986–871812152254
1987–881247440238
Total4611868449128874710645290
Career total4962028549128874710681306

International

! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1. 16 November 1975 23 August, Bucharest, Romania 0–2 2–2 Euro 1976 qualifying
2. 24 April 1976 Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain 1–0 1–1 Euro 1976 qualifying
3. 4 October 1978 Maksimir, Zagreb, Yugoslavia 0–2 1–2 Euro 1980 qualifying
4. 13 December 1978 El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain 3–0 5–0 Euro 1980 qualifying
5. 5–0
6. 9 December 1979 Tsirion, Limassol, Cyprus 0–2 1–3 Euro 1980 qualifying
7. 27 April 1983 La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain 1–0 2–0 Euro 1984 qualifying
8. 16 November 1983 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–1 2–1 Euro 1984 qualifying
9. 21 December 1983 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain 1–0 12–1Euro 1984 qualifying
10. 2–1
11. 3–1
12. 9–1
13. 11 April 1984 Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain 1–1 2–1 Friendly
14. 26 May 1984 Charmilles, Geneva, Switzerland 0–1 0–4 Friendly
15. 17 June 1984 Vélodrome, Marseille, France 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 1984

Honours

Real Madrid[6] [10]

1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88

1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82

1985

1984–85, 1985–86

Spain

Individual

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Fallece Ico Aguilar, jugador cántabro del Real Madrid en la década de los setenta. Death of Ico Aguilar, Cantabrian player of Real Madrid in the 70s. La Vanguardia. es. 12 May 2020. 12 May 2020.
  2. Web site: Santillana, el goleador que marcaba desde el cielo. Santillana, the striker who scored from the sky. Defensa Central. Adrián. Carmona. es. 28 April 2012. 12 January 2023.
  3. News: Santillana: "El salto de Cristiano de parado es de un atleta prodigioso". Santillana: "Cristiano's cold jump is that of a prodigious athlete". La Vanguardia. es. 7 July 2016. 7 December 2021.
  4. News: Benzema, a un gol del mito Santillana. Benzema, trailing legendary Santillana by one goal. Marca. Santiago. Siguero. es. 19 October 2021. 12 January 2023.
  5. News: Raúl iguala a Santillana con 186 goles en Liga. Raúl equals Santillana with 186 goals in League. Diario AS. Marco. Ruiz. es. 17 May 2007. 20 May 2016.
  6. News: Qué fue de… Carlos Alonso 'Santillana'. What happened to… Carlos Alonso 'Santillana'. 20 minutos. Edu. Casado. es. 18 February 2013. 7 December 2021.
  7. News: 1984: Los ‘bleus’ se coronan tras el error de Arconada. 1984: 'Bleus' crowned after Arconada's mistake. Mundo Deportivo. Imma. Mentruit. es. 13 April 2016. 20 May 2016.
  8. Web site: Carlos Alonso González, ‘Santillana’ – Goals in International Matches. RSSSF. Emilio. Pla Díaz. 28 January 2010.
  9. News: España, con 12 goles a Malta, alcanzó la fase final de la Eurocopa.. Spain, with 12 goals to Malta, reached European Championship finals.. El País. es. 22 December 1983. 20 May 2016.
  10. Web site: A goalscorer with a potent leap. Real Madrid CF. 5 August 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140811214912/http://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football-legends/carlos--alonso-gonzalez. 11 August 2014.
  11. News: Santillana, la mejor cabeza del mundo. Santillana, best head the world. Diario AS. Marco. Ruiz. es. 20 May 2016. 20 May 2016.
  12. Web site: Pavoletti e i grandi specialisti di testa dell'Italia e del mondo. Pavoletti and the great heading specialists in Italy and the world. Calcio Mercato. Furio. Zara. it. 15 May 2018. 1 May 2019.
  13. Web site: Santillana » Club matches. Worldfootball. 27 December 2016.
  14. Web site: Carlos Santillana: Una cabeza de oro. Carlos Santillana: A golden head. La Galerna. Alberto. Cosín. es. 23 August 2018. 7 December 2021.