Amancio Amaro

Amancio Amaro Varela, (born 16 October 1939), commonly known simply as Amancio, is a Spanish former football player. Nicknamed El Brujo (The Magician) he played outside right for Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Madrid, and the Spain national team.

Amancio
Amancio in 1971
Personal information
Full name Amancio Amaro Varela
Date of birth (1939-10-16) 16 October 1939
Place of birth A Coruña, Spain
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Outside right
Youth career
1954–1958 Victoria
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1962 Deportivo La Coruña 92 (54)
1962–1976 Real Madrid 344 (119)
Total 436 (173)
National team
1962–1974 Spain 42 (11)
Teams managed
1976–1977 Real Madrid (youth)
1982–1984 Castilla
1984–1985 Real Madrid
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Amaro and the second or maternal family name is Varela.
Amancio in 1973

Playing career

Early career

Amancio began his career aged 15 at local side Victoria Club de Futbol, in the district of Santa Lucia. In the 1958–59 season he joined Deportivo de La Coruña, which at that time was in the Spanish second division. When Deportivo were promoted to first division, Amancio started to call the attention of the scouts for major teams, such as Real Madrid.

Real Madrid
Amancio depicted on a 1968 Ajman stamp

The signing of Amancio by Real Madrid almost did not happen; had it not been for Santiago Bernabéu Yeste’s insistence in signing the player, his astronomical signing-fee would have spoiled the negotiations.

Along with the signing of Amancio by Real Madrid in June 1962, players such as Ignacio Zoco, Lucien Muller, and Yanko Daucik also arrived. During this time the team was in a transitional phase, since in earlier years the team had swept the competition both in Spain and outside its borders. Amancio made his debut in European competition opposite Anderlecht (3–3 result in the Santiago Bernabéu); and in the league against Real Betis in Seville with a 5–2 win for Real Madrid.

Amancio with Miguel Muñoz and Gento

During the 1963–64 season, Amancio and Real Madrid reached the final of the European Cup, only to be beaten by Inter Milan by 3–1. The following season brought more heartache, with Benfica eliminating the youthful Madrid side in the quarterfinals. The ensuing season brought success for Madrid, as Miguel Muñoz added young players such as Pirri, Velázquez, Sanchís and Grosso. This was known as the "Yé-Yé" team. Strong at the back, and devastating going forward, Madrid fought their way to another final, this time against FK Partizan. The venue was Heysel Stadium in Brussels, and on 11 May 1966, Amancio stepped out on to the pitch for his second and last European Cup final. FK Partizan's Velibor Vasović scored the first goal of the match. Amancio drew level twenty minutes from the end, after collecting a signature pass, faking out a defender and skillfully booting the ball past the Yugoslav keeper Milutin Šoškić. Five minutes later, a thunderous shot by teammate Serena from 30 metres out settled the game. It was Amancio's first and only European Cup winner's medal. In his first 6 seasons in Madrid, he won a breathtaking 6 La Liga titles. He would then go on to win another 3, giving him 9 titles in total. He even took the title of Pichichi on back to back occasions, 1969 and 1970.

As a Real Madrid player, Amancio's reputation reached such international fame, that he had the honour of being called for a world team, promoted by FIFA.

Amancio retired in 1976 and joined the coaching staff of Real Madrid.

Spain

Amancio wore the Spanish jersey on 42 occasions, debuting before Romania. With the team, Amancio was a participant of one of the greatest achievements in the history of the team: winning the 1964 European Football Championship by a 2–1 score against the defending champions, the Soviet Union.

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.30 May 1963San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain Northern Ireland1–01–11964 European Nations' Cup qualifying
2.11 March 1964Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Republic of Ireland0–04–01964 European Nations' Cup qualifying
3.11 March 1964Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Republic of Ireland1–04–01964 European Nations' Cup qualifying
4.17 June 1964Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain Hungary2-12–11964 European Nations' Cup
5.15 July 1966Hillsborough, Sheffield, England  Switzerland1–01–01966 World Cup
6.28 February 1968Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Sweden0–02–0Friendly
7.28 February 1968Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Sweden1–02–0Friendly
8.8 May 1968Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain England1–01-21968 Euro qualifying
9.30 April 1969Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain Yugoslavia2–02–11970 World Cup qualification
10.15 October 1969José Antonio, La Línea, Spain Finland4–05–01970 World Cup qualification
11.19 October 1972Insular, Las Palmas, Spain Yugoslavia0–01–11974 World Cup qualification

Managerial career

Upon retiring, Amancio began coaching the junior teams of Real Madrid. After one season, he decided to dedicate himself to his businesses. In 1982, he was readmitted by Luis de Carlos, who had just won the club's presidential elections.

Amancio once again took charge of Castilla CF, with which he won the Segunda División in his second season. The team included the legendary Quinta del Buitre, Made up of Butragueño, Míchel, Sanchis, Martín Vázquez, and Pardeza.

In the 1984–85 season, Amancio took charge of the first team. However, the outcome was not as good as expected, and he left his post. After a time as a consultant, Amancio left Real Madrid to join the sports company Kelme, becoming a representative responsible for the Madrid area.

In July 2000, Amancio was elected as a member of the board of directors of Real Madrid. From this position, he favored the incorporation of former Real players in different positions of responsibility of the club. The board of directors agreed that Amancio would be in charge of the 100th anniversary of Real Madrid.

Honours

Club
Real Madrid

International
Spain

Individual

References
  1. FIFA XI´s Matches - Full Info
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Zoco		 Real Madrid C.F. captain
1974–1976		 Succeeded by
Pirri
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