| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Luis Riera Biosca | ||
| Birth name | Josep Lluís Riera Biosca | ||
| Date of birth | (1920-11-26)26 November 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona,Catalonia, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 20 May 1987(1987-05-20) (aged 66) | ||
| Place of death | Jerez de la Frontera,Andalusia, Spain | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Mirandés | |||
| Ripoll | |||
| 1935–1936 | Athletic de Palma [es] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1940 | RCD Mallorca | ||
| 1940–1942 | CE Constància | ||
| 1942–1947 | Atlético Aviación | ||
| 1947–1951 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| 1951–1953 | Real Zaragoza | ||
| International career | |||
| 1949–1950 | Spain | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1953–1954 | UD Huesca | ||
| 1957–1960 | CD San Fernando | ||
| 1960–1963 | Cádiz CF | ||
| 1963–1964 | CD Málaga | ||
| 1964–1965 | Recreativo de Huelva | ||
| 1966–1968 | UD Tenerife | ||
| 1969–1970 | Xerez CD | ||
| 1969–1970 | UE Lleida | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Luis Riera Biosca (26 November 1920 – 20 May 1987) was a Spanishfootballer who played as adefender forAtlético Madrid[1] andReal Zaragoza.[2][3][4] With them, he won twoLa Liga titles in1949–50 and1950–51. He also played 3 times with theSpanish national team between 1945 and 1949.[5]
After retiring, he became amanager, taking charge of the likes ofCádiz CF andRecreativo de Huelva.[2][6]
Born inBarcelona, Riera stood out since he was a child for his corpulence and size, thus playing as a defender in various regional teams, such as Mirandés, Ripoll, andAthletic de Palma [es], but his progress was halted by the outbreak of theSpanish Civil War in 1936.[4][7] When the war ended in 1939, he played one season forRCD Mallorca and then signed forCE Constància, which at that time was playing in theSegunda División.[3]
From there he moved in 1942 to Atlético Madrid, then calledAtlético Aviación, with whom Riera made his debut in the First Division.[3] He quickly established himself as an undisputed starter under coachRicardo Zamora, who placed him as a central defender, making him the first football player in Spain to play in that specific position.[8] He formed a defensive trio withAlfonso Aparicio andAlfonso Silva, which went down in history both at Atlético and in Spanish football as the so-called "Iron Curtain".[8] Later he formed another great defensive trio with Aparicio andDiego Lozano, this one known calledDefensa de Cemento (Defense of Cement).[9]
Riera remained at Atlético for a total of 9 seasons, in which he managed to win the League title twice, in 1949–50 and 1950–51, theCopa Eva Duarte in 1951,[1][9] and also the1941–47 FEF President Cup, the longest tournament in the history of Spanish football, playing in the decisive match againstValencia CF in 1947, which had been in stand by since 1941, featuring in defense alongside Aparicio and keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win.[10] In total, Riera played 181 games with Atlético Madrid, including 152 in the League and 27 in theCopa del Rey, scoring just a single goal, which came in a league fixture.[1][4][9]
In 1951, the 31-year-old Riera signed forReal Zaragoza, where he played his last two seasons as a professional before retiring in 1953 to dedicate himself to technical work.[4][9] In total, he scored two goals in 177 league matches for Atlético and Zaragoza.[2] On 3 June 1951, Riera played anfriendly match forFC Barcelona, helping his side to a 5–3 win overHull City.[11][12]
Riera made his international debut for theSpanish national team in a friendly match againstPortugal on 20 March 1949, at the age of 28, starting in a 1–1 draw.[5][9] He went on to earn a further two internationalcaps in 1949 and 1950, the latter also against Portugal, but in a1950 FIFA World Cup qualification match, helping his side to a 5–1 victory.[5][9]
Riera began his managerial career at the helm ofUD Huesca, which he coached for one season in 1953–54.[2][6] He then two three-year stints withCD San Fernando (1957–1960) andCádiz CF (1960–1963), before going on to coach the likes ofCD Málaga (1963–64),Recreativo de Huelva (1964–65),UD Tenerife (1966–68),[2][6]Xerez CD (1968–69),[13] andUE Lleida (1969–70).[2][6]
Riera later stood out as a great technical secretary.[9]
Riera died inMadrid on 20 May 1987, at the age of 67.[6] Those who saw him play always remember his mustache and his forcefulness and speed in marking with the Atlético Madrid shirt.[9]