Amancio Amaro, a Real Madrid great who also served as the club’s honorary president, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 83. It was on October 16, 1939 that he was born in La Coruna. He joined Los Blancos in 1962, having previously played for Deportivo de La Coruna, and served both as a player and a coach for the squad during his time there.
Between the years 1962 and 1976, Amancio was a player at Real Madrid, where he was a part of the team that won the sixth European Cup, nine LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Rey medals.
“El Brujo” spent 14 years with the club, during which time he appeared in 471 games and scored 155 goals, earning the title of Pichichi of the First Division in both 1969 and 1970.
In 1964, Amancio finished in third place in the voting for the Ballon d’Or and led Spain to victory in the European Championship. Amancio called it quits with Real Madrid on June 30, 1976, having finished his career as the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, behind only Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, and Paco Gento.
Source: Rival Times
Real Madrid’s acquisition of Amancio via free agency
Amancio had recently been the leading scorer in the Second Division with 25 goals in 26 games, and Real Madrid competed with Barcelona to sign him before Barcelona did. Despite criticism from his board of directors, President Santiago Bernabeu was able to successfully close the acquisition.
El Brujo, a winger who was instrumental in the club’s development, was acquired by Real Madrid for a price of 12 million pesetas. In 1984, Amancio marked the beginning of a new era as a coach at Real Madrid by guiding Castilla to the championship of the Second Division.
The season after that, he assumed command of Real Madrid’s first squad and solidified the legendary “Quinta del Buitre,” which consisted of players Emilio Butragueno, Michel, Manolo Sanchis, Rafael Martin Vazquez, and Miguel Pardeza. He also won the Champions League with Real Madrid in that season.
The official statement released by Real Madrid read, “Real Madrid, the club’s president, and its Board of Directors are deeply saddened by the passing of Amancio Amaro, Real Madrid’s honorary president and one of the greatest legends of our club and of world football.” Real Madrid’s statement also expressed their condolences to Amaro’s family.
“It is with great sadness that we share our condolences and sympathy with his wife Consuelo, his children Iscar, Belen, Amancio, Patricia, Marcos, and Claudia, his brother Juan Carlos, his grandchildren, and all of his other loved ones, including his relatives, colleagues, and friends,” Real Madrid said in a statement.
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