Miche (footballer)

Miguel García Martín (19 May 1935 – 22 March 2014), known as Miche, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender.

He played 115 games in La Liga for Real Madrid, Osasuna, Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Valladolid and Hércules. He won the European Cup in 1959 and 1960 for Real Madrid.

Career

Born in Salamanca in Castile and León, Miche began his career in the Tercera División with his hometown club UD Salamanca. In 1957–58, he was loaned to Atlético Ceuta in the Segunda División during his military service.[1]

Miche joined Real Madrid in 1958. In his first season, the club won the European Cup, with him playing all three games of a semi-final against city rivals Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals.[2] His team defended their title a year later, in which he played both legs of a quarter-final win over Nice and the second leg of the semi-final against compatriots Barcelona, a 3–1 win at the Camp Nou.[3] Domestically, he played in the side that lost the Copa del Generalísimo final to Atlético in 1960,[4] and won La Liga in 1960–61.[1]

In 1961, Miche was loaned to Osasuna. He later played in the top flight for Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Valladolid and Hércules.[5] He scored twice in his career: in a 6–2 Osasuna home win over Málaga in the last 32 of the cup on 28 February 1962,[6] and in Deportivo's 3–2 loss at Sevilla on 13 January 1963.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fallece el mítico jugador de la UDS y Real Madrid 'Miche'" [Legendary UDS and Real Madrid player 'Miche' dies]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Spanish). 23 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Atlético need Real Madrid miracle in Calderón farewell". UEFA. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ Martín, Agustín (28 April 2020). "Primer Madrid-Barça en Europa: Cuando el rey siguió en el trono" [First Madrid-Barça in Europe: When the king stayed on the throne]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  4. ^ "El Atlético conquista su primera Copa ante el Madrid" [Atlético conquer their first Cup against Real Madrid] (in Spanish). Atlético Madrid. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Fallece Miche, exjugador de Osasuna" [Miche, ex-Osasuna player, dies] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Osasuna, 6 - Málaga, 2". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 1 March 1962. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Sevilla, 3 - Coruña, 2". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 14 January 1963. Retrieved 1 November 2024.