José Emilio Santamaría González (born 28 March 1929) is a retired Uruguayan‑Spanish professional footballer and manager. He played as a central defender and is best known for his successful periods with Club Nacional de Football in Uruguay and Real Madrid in Spain.
Playing career
- Club Nacional (1948–1957): Santamaría began his senior career with Nacional, winning multiple Uruguayan Primera División titles and the 1950 Copa América with the Uruguay national team.
- Real Madrid (1957–1966): Transferred to Real Madrid, he made 197 league appearances and contributed to the club's dominance in the late 1950s and early 1960s, winning five La Liga championships (1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64) and three European Cup titles (1958, 1960, 1966). He was noted for his disciplined defending and leadership on the field.
International career
- Uruguay (1952–1957): Earned 21 caps, participating in the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
- Spain (1960–1962): After acquiring Spanish citizenship, he was capped 12 times for Spain, including appearances at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
Managerial career
After retiring as a player, Santamaría pursued coaching, serving as a manager for several clubs, notably:
- Real Madrid (caretaker, 1969)
- CD Málaga (1971–1972)
- CD Tenerife (1973–1975) He also worked as an assistant coach for Real Madrid during the 1970s.
Honours
Club Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 1948, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1956
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64
- European Cup: 1957–58, 1959–60, 1965–66
- Intercontinental Cup: 1960
International
- Copa América (with Uruguay): 1956
José Santamaría is widely regarded as one of the prominent defenders of his era and contributed significantly to the success of both his clubs and national teams.
