Desiderio Esparza

Desiderio Esparza Echauri (11 February 1905 – 14 January 1979) was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for Real Madrid between 1927 and 1932. Esparza was also a member of the Spanish squad that competed in the football tournament of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, but he did not play in any matches.

Biography Born in Mues, Navarre, Esparza moved to Madrid in the 1920s for unknown reasons, and there, he joined the ranks of Real Madrid in 1927, aged 22.

Together with the likes of Félix Quesada, José María Peña, Jaime Lazcano, and Gaspar Rubio, he was a member of the Madrid squad that reached back-to-back finals in the Copa del Rey in 1929 and 1930, both of which ending in losses to RCD Espanyol (2–1) and Athletic Bilbao (3–2). In the 1931 Copa del Rey, Madrid was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Real Betis; Esparza started in the first leg on 24 May, in which he injured Betis' Enrique Soladrero after tackling him with a high foot at the end of the game, but even though Betis was forced to play with 10 men, Madrid had already conceded three goals in the first half and lost 3–0.

In the 1931–32 season, Esparza played five league matches as Madrid won its first-ever La Liga title, finishing the league unbeaten.

Esparza died on 14 January 1979, at the age of 73.

Honours Madrid FC La Liga: 1931–32 Copa del Rey runner-up: 1929, 1930 Campeonato Regional Centro: 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32