Rafael Gordillo

Rafael Gordillo Vázquez (born 24 February 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer. A tremendously attacking left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down.[1]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Gordillo and the second or maternal family name is Vázquez.

Rafael Gordillo
Gordillo in 2011
Personal information
Full name Rafael Gordillo Vázquez
Date of birth (1957-02-24) 24 February 1957
Place of birth Almendralejo, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Wingback
Youth career
1971–1972 San Pablo
1972–1975 Betis
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1976 Triana Balompié
1976–1985 Betis 275 (23)
1985–1992 Real Madrid 182 (20)
1992–1995 Betis 68 (8)
1995–1996 Écija 18 (1)
Total 543 (52)
National team
1977 Spain U21 1 (1)
1979 Spain U23 3 (0)
1979 Spain amateur 4 (0)
1978–1988 Spain 75 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He represented Betis and Real Madrid with individual and team success, appearing in 428 La Liga games and scoring 38 goals over 16 seasons. He won ten major titles with the latter club, including five national championships.

Gordillo was a mainstay for the Spain national team in the 80s, appearing in nearly 80 matches and representing the nation in five international tournaments.

Club career

Born in Almendralejo, Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Gordillo moved to Seville (from where his parents were originally) when he was just a few months old. He grew up in the Polígono de San Pablo neighbourhood, and signed with Real Betis in 1972 at the age of 15.[1] On 30 January 1977 he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, against Burgos CF, and helped the Andalusians to the Copa del Rey in his first year.[2]

After nine professional seasons with Betis – 12 in total, and another with the reserve side – being named the country's footballer of the year at the end of 1979–80[3] and appearing in nearly 300 official matches, Gordillo moved to Real Madrid for 1985–86,[4] winning the UEFA Cup in his debut campaign and scoring in the final against 1. FC Köln, and forming a dreaded left-wing partnership with José Antonio Camacho during four years, with the former playing as a midfielder. In 1989's Spanish Cup, he scored the final's only goal against Real Valladolid.[5]

In 1992, 35-year-old Gordillo returned to Betis, helping them return to the top division in his second year and retiring after one final season with neighbours Écija Balompié, also in the second level. With the latter, he also worked as director of football.[6]

In the following decade, Gordillo returned to Betis also in directorial capacities.[7] On 13 December 2010, he was elected the club's president.[8]

International career

Gordillo earned 75 caps and scored three goals for Spain, during one full decade. His debut came on 29 March 1978 in a friendly 3–0 win over Norway, in Gijón.[9]

Gordillo went on to represent the country in two FIFA World Cups (1982 and 1986)[10] and three UEFA European Championships (1980, 1984 and 1988, appearing in all the matches but one in the second competition for an eventual runner-up finish).[11]

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.15 May 1983Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta Malta2–32–3Euro 1984 qualifying
2.25 September 1985Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Iceland2–12–11986 World Cup qualification
3.11 June 1988Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany Denmark1–32–3UEFA Euro 1988

Post-retirement

Gordillo re-joined Betis for a third time, appearing for the club in the indoor soccer national league.[12] He also worked briefly for laSexta as a sports commentator, at the 2006 World Cup.[13]

Honours

Club

Betis[2]

Real Madrid[1]

International

Spain[11]

Individual
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References
  1. "Real Madrid biography" (in Spanish). Real Madrid C.F. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  2. "2–2: Los andaluces remontaron dos ventajas vascas" [2–2: The Andalusians countered Basques' advantage twice]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 26 June 1977. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. "Spain – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  4. "Fallece de un paro cardiaco el ex presidente del Real Madrid, Ramón Mendoza" [Death of heart failure of former Real Madrid president, Ramón Mendoza]. El País (in Spanish). 4 April 2001. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  5. "El temprano gol de Gordillo cambió el partido" [Gordillo's early goal was game-changing]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 1 July 1989. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  6. Fernández Fuertes, Santiago (25 October 2006). "Un mito en el palco del Écija" [A myth in the stands of Écija]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. Pineda, Rafael (17 May 2011). "El ascenso más especial de Gordillo" [Gordillo's most special promotion]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. "Rafa Gordillo, nuevo presidente del Betis" [Rafa Gordillo, new Betis president]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 December 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  9. "Rafael Gordillo Vázquez – International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  10. "Del utillero falangista al positivo de Calderé: nuestro Mundial 86 en diez episodios" [From the falangista kit man to Calderé's positive: our 86 World Cup in ten episodes]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). 21 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  11. Mentruit, Imma (13 April 2016). "1984: Los 'bleus' se coronan tras el error de Arconada" [1984: ‘Bleus’ crowned after Arconada's mistake] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  12. Griñán, Virginia (5 June 2009). "Qué fue de... Gordillo" [What happened to... Gordillo] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  13. Machuca, J. Félix (10 July 2006). "Rafael Gordillo: «En Alemania le preparé un gazpacho a la prensa y si tengo tiempo les hago un arroz a la marinera»" [Rafael Gordillo: «I made a gazpacho for the press in Germany and if I had the time I make them seafood rice»]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2018.
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