The life and career of Juanito

Real Madrid has had a lot of legends in the world of football, but Juanito has perhaps become a bit underrated with the newer generations. However, his legacy cannot be understated when considering that very few players embody the nature of "madridismo" as well as him, especially considering that he was part of establishing the power of comebacks within the club, known in Spain as "la remontada".

Moreover, Juanito was simply an amazing footballer. Skillful, talented, and with a lot of personality, he was a symbol for Real Madrid in the late 70s and most of the 80s, adding another layer of success to a peculiar era in the club's history.

This is the life and career of Juanito.

Statue of Juanito in Fuengirola where he was born

The 70s

While born in Fuengirola, Spain, Juanito would, incidentally, begin his career at youth level with Atlético Madrid, although a tibia injury kept him from making his professional debut there. He would sign for Burgos and make his debut in 1973, slowly taking them to the first division of the league and then earning the Spanish Footballer of the Year award during the 1975/76 season.

Juanito would then sign for Real Madrid in the summer of 1977. When he was presented with the club, he stated that "Entering this club is like touching the sky, I'd prefer Real Madrid among all the clubs and Madrid among all the cities". This is something that he would prove with his actions as a player.

Real Madrid

Juanito would spend ten years at Real Madrid, leading the club to multiple La Liga titles and becoming one of the great symbols for the club. He would also become the standard for the club when it came to comebacks, which goes a lot deeper than what a lot of people may think.

As per the New York Times in 2018, this was Juanito's "decalogue", which has been used by Real Madrid for years to stage a comeback during difficult matches:

Beginning on the bus ride back from the first leg defeat, you have to start talking about crushing the opponent in the second leg.
Remind everyone, every single day before the match, that you are going to win (back then, there were 15 days between legs). In Juanito's time, Jose Antonio Camacho was in charge of writing this on the blackboard every day.
Intimidate the opponent in the tunnel before the match. Look them in the eyes and gesture menacingly. The idea was to make them think you might be crazy.
Win the coin toss and choose to kick off. The opponent should not touch the ball at the start of the game.
Your first play must end in the opponent's third and it has to feel like a chance. This is key to getting the crowd into the game from the first moment.
Commit the game's first foul. It should be a hard foul (the ref is unlikely to give you a red card in the opening minutes).
You have to take the first shot of the match and it's even better if it clatters loudly off the advertising boards behind the goal.
During halftime, come out to the field early. You should be out there when the opponent returns from the locker room.
Commit yourself to preventing the opponent from crossing midfield.
Play at maximum intensity and get the crowd involved in the game.

Moreover, he was an explosive winger with a lot of talent and capable of absolute moments of genius. However, he also a bad streak, which resulted in a lot of confrontations with players, managers, and supporters from both sides. In fact, one of his final matches with Real would result in him getting sent off because he stumped on a player's leg, which would end up costing him his exit from the club.

Juanito played for Málaga in the end of his career

The end

Sadly, things would not end on a positive note in Juanito's story. After leaving Real Madrid, he signed for Málaga and played there for two years, helping them return to the top-flight of Spanish football. He then played another year of professional football with Los Boliches before retiring and starting to get into coaching.

He started with Mérida in the early 90s and there was some genuine promise to his career as a coach, with the former starlet aiming to coach Real Madrid one day. Sadly, on April 2, 1992, Juan Gómez González (that was his full real name) would die at age 37 in a car accident, suddenly robbing Spanish football of its all-time greats.

Juanito is remembered and celebrated to this very day and rightfully so. Charismatic, extremely gifted, and powerfully committed to the Madrid shirt, he has become a symbol of what the club represents and what the institution should aspire to in the game.

If there are words that properly describe Juanito, it would be what he said during an old interview:

"I've been feeling like this since my transfer to Real Madrid, and above all, I've become a true Madridista thanks to the fans and the stuff, I'm a Madridista to the core. They all made me love the team, the Madrid city, everything. Because of the incomprehension in this team, and above all, because of the relationships that all those people from Real Madrid have with me... I'm not sure if I'm a 'symbol of the club' as people keep calling me, but it's clear that I'm a Madridista to the core."