 Camacho in 2011 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Antonio Camacho Alfaro | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1955-06-08)8 June 1955 (age 70) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cieza, Spain | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Left-back | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| Albacete | ||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1972–1973 | Albacete | |||||||||||||
| 1973–1974 | Castilla | |||||||||||||
| 1974–1989 | Real Madrid | 414 | (9) | |||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1975–1976 | Spain amateur | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1975–1988 | Spain | 81 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Real Madrid (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Rayo Vallecano | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Espanyol | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Sevilla | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Espanyol | |||||||||||||
| 1998 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Spain | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Benfica | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Benfica | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Osasuna | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | China | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Gabon | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
José Antonio Camacho Alfaro (Spanish pronunciation:[xoseanˈtonjokaˈmatʃo]; born 8 June 1955) is a Spanish formerfootballleft-back and a formermanager.
He spent 15 professional years atReal Madrid, appearing in more than 500 official matches with the team and helping win 19 major titles, including nineLa Liga championships. Subsequently, he embarked in a lengthy manager career, which included two very brief spells with his main club.
Camacho earned more than 80caps withSpain, representing the country in twoWorld Cups and as manyEuropean Championships. He also managed the national team for four years, taking them to the quarter-finals in the2002 World Cup.
Camacho was born inCieza, Murcia. After playing youth football atAlbacete, he moved toLa Liga giantsReal Madrid at age 18, being almost immediately cast into the first team and its starting XI, his debut being handed by managerLuis Molowny on 3 March 1974 as he played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away loss againstMálaga.[1]
During his spell with Real Madrid, Camacho appeared in 577 official matches (414 in the league alone), forming a proficient left-wing partnership withRafael Gordillo, who featured mainly as amidfielder. In January 1978, he suffered a serious injury in training, which put his career on hold for nearly two years, but returned strong, being instrumental as thecapital side won consecutiveUEFA Cups.[2][3]
Camacho played 81 games for theSpain national team, making his first appearance just 19 years old. His debut came on 5 February 1975 in a 1–1 draw againstScotland for theUEFA Euro 1976qualifiers, inValencia.[4]
For the following 13 years, Camacho was a defensive mainstay for the national side, being selected – and always as first-choice – to the1982 and1986FIFA World Cups,[5] as well asEuro 1984 and1988. After the 2–0 group stage loss toWest Germany in the latter competition, he retired from the international scene aged 33.
Following his retirement as a player in 1989, Camacho began coaching, first in Real Madrid's coaching staff. His first professional experiences were spent atRayo Vallecano andEspanyol, both of which he helped promote to the top division.[6][7]
In the summer of 1998, Camacho took over Real Madrid's first team, but left after only 22 days over disagreements with the club's management.[2][8][9]
Camacho succeededJavier Clemente as national team manager in September 1998, after a shock 3–2 loss inCyprus in aEuro 2000 qualifier.[10] The tide quickly turned under the new boss, who led the side tothe final stages where they bowed out to eventual championsFrance in the quarter-finals.
Two years later, Camacho's team lost in the same stages toSouth Korea, now in the2002 World Cup. Following the controversial defeat[11] he announced his resignation, being replaced byIñaki Sáez.
Camacho returned to club action subsequently, being appointed atBenfica from Portugal on 1 December 2002 in the place of sackedJesualdo Ferreira.[12] Two years later, his teamwon theTaça de Portugal againstJosé Mourinho-ledPorto inextra-time, ending Benfica's longest silverware drought, as well asfinishing second in thePrimeira Liga.[13]
A tough tackler in his playing days, Camacho also showed a human side when he cried profusely afterMiklós Fehér died on the pitch, shortly after entering Benfica's match atVitória de Guimarães.[14]
For the2004–05 season, Camacho returned to Real Madrid on a two-year contract as a replacement to sackedCarlos Queiroz.[15] However, things quickly went wrong again in his second spell after a 3–0 defeat atBayer Leverkusen inthe group stage of theUEFA Champions League, and a 1–0 league loss at Espanyol four days later also in September; shortly after, he resigned and was replaced by assistantMariano García Remón.[16]
FollowingFernando Santos' mutual agreement termination of contract with Benfica, after a 1–1 away draw withLeixões in2007–08 Portuguese League's opener, Camacho returned to Benfica.[17] However, following a poor string of results, and claiming he was no longer able to motivate the team, he announced he would leave the club minutes after drawing a home match against bottom-placedUnião de Leiria on 9 March 2008.[18][13][19]
After working as co-commentator on Spanish TV networkCuatro during Spain's victoriousEuro 2008 campaign (he would also work for the channel during the2010 World Cup, which ended with the national team's triumph as well),[20][21] Camacho replacedJosé Ángel Ziganda at the helm ofOsasuna on 13 October 2008.[22]
On 14 February 2011, following a 1–0 away loss againstReal Sociedad that placed theNavarrese inside the relegation zone, Camacho was fired.[23] They eventuallyfinished in ninth position.
On 13 August 2011, Camacho took over the reins of theChinese national team, signing a three-year deal for a reported annual salary ofUS$8 million.[24] TheChinese Football Association head Wei Di explained the decision as being part of a long-term plan to help the country catch up withJapan and South Korea, while Chinese Soccer Administrative Centre vice-president Yu Hongchen said that Camacho would keep his job even if he did not qualify for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[25]
China failed toqualify for the World Cup, after only finishing third in thethird qualifying round with three wins and three losses. Camacho was also in charge as a Chinese young squad lost 8–0 toBrazil on 10 September 2012 in afriendly match, the national team's worst-ever defeat which also meant the drop to an all-time low 109th position in theFIFA World Rankings.[26]
In the first game of the2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign, Camacho and China lost 1–2 againstSaudi Arabia.[27] Following a 5–1 shock friendly loss toThailand on 15 June 2013, he was relieved of his duties.[28]
One reason cited for Camacho's shortcomings in Asia was the limitation of football boots. The Chinese FA ordered that all the national team players were to wearAdidas, whilst most players in theChinese Super League woreNike, thus creating discomfort.[29][30]
Camacho was appointed asGabon manager 43 days before the start of the2017 Africa Cup of Nations which was to take place in that country, replacingJorge Costa.[31] The team exited inthe group stage, with three draws.[32]
Camacho was relieved of his duties on 12 September 2018, due to poor results.[33]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Copa de la Liga | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid | 1973–74 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1974–75 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 6[a] | 0 | — | 47 | 1 | ||||
| 1975–76 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 0 | — | 43 | 1 | ||||
| 1976–77 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | ||||
| 1977–78 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 2 | |||||
| 1978–79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1979–80 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | ||||
| 1980–81 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 9[b] | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | ||||
| 1981–82 | 33 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 0 | — | 48 | 2 | ||||
| 1982–83 | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 55 | 1 | ||
| 1983–84 | 30 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| 1984–85 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12[c] | 0 | — | 53 | 0 | |||
| 1985–86 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12[c] | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | |||
| 1986–87 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | ||||
| 1987–88 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | ||||
| 1988–89 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 414 | 9 | 61 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 577 | 11 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | |||
| 1975 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1977 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1978 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1981 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 81 | 0 | |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Rayo Vallecano |  | 27 January 1992 | 20 June 1993 | 59 | 20 | 23 | 16 | 76 | 60 | +16 | 033.90 | [34] |
| Espanyol | | 1 July 1993 | 27 May 1996 | 138 | 63 | 46 | 29 | 213 | 118 | +95 | 045.65 | [35] |
| Sevilla | | 5 June 1996 | 3 February 1997 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 028.00 | [36] |
| Espanyol | | 23 June 1997 | 17 June 1998 | 40 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 030.00 | [37] |
| Real Madrid | | 17 June 1998 | 9 July 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | !— | |
| Spain | | 15 September 1998 | 23 June 2002 | 44 | 28 | 9 | 7 | 105 | 37 | +68 | 063.64 | [38] |
| Benfica |  | 1 December 2002 | 25 May 2004 | 71 | 47 | 14 | 10 | 133 | 60 | +73 | 066.20 | [39] |
| Real Madrid | | 25 May 2004 | 20 September 2004 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 066.67 | [40] |
| Benfica | | 20 August 2007 | 9 March 2008 | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 57 | 29 | +28 | 047.37 | [39] |
| Osasuna | | 13 October 2008 | 14 February 2011 | 105 | 30 | 29 | 46 | 107 | 133 | −26 | 028.57 | [41] |
| China |  | 13 August 2011 | 24 June 2013 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 31 | −8 | 035.00 | [42] |
| Gabon |  | 2 December 2016 | 12 September 2018 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 16 | −7 | 012.50 | [43] |
| Career total | 562 | 238 | 166 | 158 | 796 | 556 | +240 | 042.35 | — | |||
Real Madrid[44]
Spain
Benfica
International tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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