The Meléndez case: 12 years and 11 games in First

To football fans in the 80s the image of Carlos Melendez, who today celebrates his 64th anniversary, evokes a mustache and a bench. Unmistakable the photograph of the Basque goalkeeper who earned the nickname of Macario, the doll of Jose Luis Moreno, due to their resemblance, and that after spending 12 seasons for two historic clubs such as Spanish and Athletic only played 11 games in First division, in the shadow of Andoni Zubizarreta and Thomas N'Kono.

Meléndez's career changed on October 27, 1980, curiously against Espanyol and one day after the anniversary of the founding of the perico club. Winks of fate. After playing two seasons at the age of 18 and 19 at Arenas de Getxo, Javier Clemente took him to the Athletic team, where he played a campaign and earned promotion to the first team. They talked about him being a brave and flexible 1.80 goalkeeper. After the removal of Chopo Iribar, who occupied the red-and-white goal from 1962 to 1980, the next goalkeeper was examined as an alien.

Aguirreoa had started the course, but a blushing 7-1 against Real Madrid gave Meléndez the alternative. In the first four games, Athletic received four goals and added five points (victories were worth two), a good start. But it was twisted in Murcia, with a 5-4 in which Meléndez was not successful, and in the 1-2 in San Mamés against Espanyol. Urbano Ortega scored a header goal in which the Basque goalkeeper came out at the wrong time. The stands of the Cathedral judged him. Clemente returned him to the bench and until the 1985-86 season he only played six more games, none in the League: Zubizarreta joined the team and the club won two leagues.

From a Halloween night to touching the sky

He then arrived at Espanyol, led by Javier Clemente. From the shadow of Zubizarreta to that of N'Kono, another of the most charismatic goalkeepers in LaLiga history and in the 80s. Despite this, Meléndez won the affection of all parakeet fans because he had to deal with two transcendent matches in the club's history: the 1988 UEFA semifinals and the penalties that returned Espanyol to Primera in 1990.

In the 1987-88 campaign, Meléndez played five games, two of them in the famous UEFA club in which Espanyol lost the final in Leverkusen. As painful as it is unforgettable. The Basque played in Vitkovice, in the quarterfinals (0-0), and against Bruges in the semifinals (2-0). Despite the defeat, the Parakeet team managed to reach the final after coming back in extra time played in Sarrià, one of the most iconic matches of the previous stadium.

The 89-90 season, in Second, was the course with the most participations, up to nine. He played seven league games and the promotion against Malaga. In Sarrià the match ended 1-0, as in La Rosaleda. The tie was decided on penalties. Meléndez stopped Villa's penalty and Albert Albesa scored the final one. Espanyol returned to First. Meléndez, two years later, as a substitute again for a Espanyol who avoided relegation at the end, decided to hang up his boots.