Álvaro Pérez Vázquez

Álvaro Pérez Vázquez, better known as Álvaro (30 March 1916 – 23 October 1997), was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Valencia in the 1940s. He is one of the most important figures in the history of Valencia, where he stayed for 11 seasons as an undisputed starter, playing a crucial role in the team that won three La Ligas (1941–42, 1943–44, and 1946–47), two Copa del Rey titles (1941 and 1949), and one Copa Eva Duarte in 1949. He began playing football for modest teams in his hometown, learning it from his brother Pepe, a high-ranking air force officer who spread his knowledge of the sport to the youth of Mondoñedo. during which he became a member of Recuperación de Levante, a battalion whose mission was to recover parts from broken trucks and planes for repair in Levante, and which ended up formed an impressive football team that not only played several friendly matches in Valencia, but also participated in the 1938–39 Aragón Regional Championship.

Notably, on 12 May 1939, Álvaro held off the in-form Fernando Sañudo to help his side to a 3–1 victory over the eventual champions Club Aviación Nacional. He quickly established himself as an undisputed starter in Valencia, forming a great defensive partnership with Juan Ramón, which is widely regarded as the best pair of center-backs in Valencia's history. Álvaro started in all three Cup finals, a 3–1 victory over Espanyol in 1941, a 2–0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in 1944, and achieving their revenge over Bilbao in 1949, keeping a clean-sheet in a 1–0 victory.

A tough player, Álvaro was never intimidated by opponents, being very hard to beat both in the air and on the ground, with his only weakness being his overconfidence.

In 1950, Álvaro wrote a very emotional letter to bid farewell to the Valencia fans before following Mundo to Hércules, On holiday trips to his hometown of Mondoñedo, he coached the local youth at the Campo de la Feria, and even coached the local club on one occasion in the mid-1950s. He led his former club Hércules on two occasions (1959–60 and 1968–69).

In the early 1960s, Álvaro oversaw for one season each the likes of Córdoba (1960–61), Real Oviedo (1961–62), Granada again (1962–63), and Cartagena (1963–1964), which was followed by a three-year stint at the helm of Algeciras (1964–67). Notably, he also coached Villarreal from 1970 until 1972, and Algeciras again in 1980.

Honours Valencia CF Valencia Championship: Champions (1): 1940 Copa del Rey: Champions (2): 1941 and 1949 Runner-up (1): 1944 La Liga: Champions (3): 1941–42, 1943–44, and 1946–47 Runner-up (2): 1947–48 and 1948–49 Copa Eva Duarte: Champions (1): 1949