José Luis Caminero

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

José Luis Pérez Caminero (born November 8, 1967 in Madrid) is a former Spanish football midfielder.

Some consider Caminero the best Spanish footballer of the 1990s. The peak of his career took place in the mid-1990s when he played for the Spanish first division side Atlético Madrid. In total he played 149 matches for Atlético, in which he scored 49 goals. He was also a key member of the Atlético squad that won the famous "double" in 1995/96. Accordingly, after the "double season", he was given the Spanish Footballer of the Year award by both the Madrid newspaper El País and the prestigious football magazine Don Balón. He remains to be the only Atlético player ever who has won both awards during one season.

After the glory days of Atlético, Caminero joined Real Valladolid, where he also ended his active playing career in 2004. Even during his final years as a player he showed great versatility when changing his position from an attacking midfielder to a central defender. After his retirement as a player he was installed as the sports director of Real Valladolid.

Caminero made his national team debut in 1993 against Chile. Later he represented Spain at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, where he was the leading Spanish scorer, and also in Euro 96 in England. Overall, he scored eight goals for Spain in 21 caps.

Caminero's football genius has also made it to the silver screen. The Spanish movie director Pedro Almodóvar included his magical dribbling against Barcelona defender Nadal in his 1997 film Live Flesh (Carne trémula).

[edit] Club history

1986-89 Castilla CF
1989-93 Real Valladolid
1993-98 Atlético Madrid
1998-2004 Real Valladolid

	Spain squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists
1 Zubizarreta \| 2 Ferrer \| 3 Otero \| 4 Camarasa \| 5 Abelardo \| 6 Hierro \| 7 Goikoetxea \| 8 Guerrero \| 9 Guardiola \| 10 Bakero \| 11 Beguiristáin \| 12 Sergi \| 13 Cañizares \| 14 Juanele \| 15 Caminero \| 16 Miñambres \| 17 Voro \| 18 Alkorta \| 19 Salinas \| 20 Nadal \| 21 Luis Enrique \| 22 Lopetegui \| Coach: Clemente