Vicente Del Bosque, former player and coach of Real Madrid and former national coach of Spain, turns 70 this Wednesday to sign a round figure with 7 snapshots that marked the trajectory of the man who led “La Roja” towards the achievement of his only World Cup soccer.
Retired since 2016, Vicente Del Bosque completed an unforgettable career almost always related to Real Madrid, where he began his career as a player in the early 70s until his final departure in 2003 after almost 20 years in different positions related to the bench. . Later, with Spain, he achieved glory in the World Cup in South Africa and the Euro Cup in Poland and Ukraine. These are the 7 key snapshots of Del Bosque's career.
1. HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT AND THE FINAL OF THE CASTELLÓN
Captured by Real Madrid scouts to play for the subsidiary, Del Bosque had to leave on loan from the white club to complete his training. It was at Córdoba where he made his debut in the First Division. He did it on October 17, 1971 at the El Arcángel stadium on the seventh day of the League during a match against Espanyol. He played the last thirteen minutes after jumping onto the field in the second half for Fermín Gutiérrez. His team won 3-1 and Del Bosque started his legend. Throughout the 1971/1972 course he accumulated a total of 19 games, then he was again loaned another season.
And it was in Castellón where he definitively exploded to return and settle permanently at Real Madrid. Throughout the 1972/1973 academic year he signed a great season in which he scored five goals in thirty games crowned with a great fifth place in the League and the Cup final, the only one that Castellón has played in its history, and which lost 2 -0 against Athletic at the Vicente Calderón Stadium.
2. THE END OF LOS GARCÍA LOST
Del Bosque played his first official match for Real Madrid on September 9, 1973 at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium against Granada. He replaced Velázquez in the second half and at that time began a career of eleven seasons in which he won 5 League titles (1974/75, 1975/76, 1977/78, 1978/79 and 1979/80) and 4 Cups of the Rey (1974, 1975, 1980 and 1982).
However, there was a trophy that del Bosque was choked on, the most important: the European Cup. Real Madrid, orphan of the title since 1966, reached a final in which Del Bosque participated. On May 27, 1981, in the Parc des Princes in Paris, the former Spanish coach lived his bitterest day as a white footballer after losing 1-0 to Liverpool with Alan Kennedy's goal that left the “generation of Los Garcia ”.
3. THE EURO CUP IN ITALY 80: ITS ONLY GREAT TOURNAMENT WITH SPAIN
Vicente Del Bosque was not a regular in the Spanish team. He became international 18 times. He made his debut with Carlos Santillana on April 17, 1975 in a match against Romania (1-1) qualifying for the 1976 Eurocup and participated in Spain's pass to the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. However, he was weakened by a break in lukewarm, Ladislao Kubala finally left him out on the final list of chosen ones.
Later he still continued in the national team and had time to participate in the 1980 Italian Eurocup. It was his only major tournament with the national team and he was not very lucky. Spain caught a bad Euro and after drawing 0-0 against Italy and losing 2-1 with Belgium and 1-2 with England, said goodbye in the group stage. Del Bosque also said goodbye. He only played 54 minutes against Belgium and never returned to the national team.
4. HIS WITHDRAWAL AT REAL MADRID AND HIS MOVEMENT TO THE BANQUILLOS
His change from the grass to the bench was almost automatic, without an express announcement and without a withdrawal to use as advertised at the time, with a tribute game included. After two seasons in which he barely counted for Alfredo Di Stéfano, the coach's departure in 1984, replaced by Amancio Amaro in office, changed his life completely.
On May 22, 1984, just after the first training session with Amancio at the helm, it was made official that he would be Juan Santisteban's second at Castilla. His last match with the white shirt was played on January 25 of that same year against Barcelona Atlético in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. Months later, he began his legend on the bench: “I could have followed another season as a player. Now I have a long way to go, but in a couple of seasons we will see if I live for this or not. What I can say is that helping Santisteban at Castilla makes me very excited ”, he said the day he changed the grass for the benches.
5. PARIS AND GLASGOW, THEIR CENIT ON THE BENCH OF REAL MADRID
The European Cups that he failed to win as a player were achieved as a coach. For years he was coach of the lower categories of Real Madrid with sporadic appearances in the first team to temporarily replace coaches dismissed as Benito Floro in 1994 and Jorge Valdano in 1996. Finally, in the 1999/2000 campaign, he officially became a coach of Real Madrid. He held office until June 2003. He won two leagues (2001 and 2003), a Spanish Super Cup (2001), a European Super Cup (2002) and a Club World Cup (2002).
But, without a doubt, his two most important titles were the European Cups of 2000 and 2002. He won them in Paris and Glasgow against Valencia (3-0) and Bayer Leverkusen (2-1), respectively. It was his best legacy as Real Madrid coach.
6. THE WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE EURO CUP IN POLAND AND UKRAINE
Del Bosque came to the bench of Spain in 2008 after taking the baton and the legacy left by Luis Aragonés, which led “La Roja” to the title in the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland. He had the difficult mission of continuing the winning style of Aragonés and he did not disappoint.
In 2010, Del Bosque led Spain to the most important title in its history. They won the World Cup in South Africa after beating the Netherlands 1-0 in an unforgettable final sealed with Andrés Iniesta's goal in extra time. Then, in 2012, he added another European Championship, that of Poland and Ukraine, to the Federation's showcases with one of the best finals remembered for the superiority of a team. The resounding 3-0 to Italy closed a circle unmatched in the history of Spain.
7. EURO 2016: THE DEFINITIVE GOODBYE
After failing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Del Bosque still enjoyed the trust of the Royal Spanish Football Federation to lead Spain at the Euro 2016 in France. However, he was not successful either. After finishing in second place in Group D behind Croatia after beating Turkey 3-0 and the Czech Republic 1-0, he signed his death in the round of 16.
Italy was the rival that fired Spain from the competition. He won 2-0 to definitively end the generation that won the World Cup. On June 27, 2016, Vicente Del Bosque retired from the world of soccer. Behind he left a 45-year career marked by success and humility.