José María Martín Rodríguez

José María Martín Rodríguez, better known as Cheché Martín (25 April 1924 – 23 June 2006), was a Spanish footballer who played as a right back for Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and Valencia in the 1950s. After retiring, he became a manager, taking over the likes of Real Murcia, Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Zaragoza, and Real Valladolid in the 1960s and 1970s.

Outside football, he worked as a cartoonist and painter, achieving great acclaim.

Early life Born in the Galician town of A Coruña on 25 April 1926, Martín began playing football at El Relleno as well as at Tram Terminal. Skilled at drawing, he began earning a living by selling his cartoons and caricatures in bars and cafes, There, he signed for Angers, with whom he played for two years, until 1948, scoring a total of 2 goals in 10 Ligue 2 matches. He was noted for his elegant and precise defensive skills, possessing a fine shot from set pieces and a good head game, as well as the courage to join the attack with danger. On 29 June 1952, he started in the final of the 1952 Latin Cup, the forerunner of the European Cup, which ended in a 1–0 loss to Barcelona. In total, he scored 4 goals in 98 official goals. In 1956, the 30-year-old Martín signed for Valencia, where he stayed for two years, being a regular during the first, but played only two matches in the second as he lost the coach's confidence following a serious injury.

Managerial career After retiring, Martín remained linked to Atlético Morelia, now as a coach, which he oversaw for two years, from 1959 until 1961, when he took over Deportivo Toluca, where he also stayed for two years, as he then returned to Morelia in 1963. In 1965, he returned to Spain, where he coached several clubs in the late 1960s, such as Badajoz (1965–66), Real Murcia (1965–68), and Deportivo (1968–70). In the early 1970s, he achieved three promotions to the Tercera División: Real Murcia (1972), Terrassa (1974), and Recreativo de Huelva (1975). His last managerial role was at the helm of his hometown club Deportivo between 1975 and 1977.

Later life and death After leaving the world of football, Martín dedicated himself professionally to painting, achieving great acclaim. In 2005, journalist and writer Arturo Lezcano published a book called Cheché Martín, Fútbol sobre Lenzo ("Cheché Martín, Football over Lenzo"), which chronicles his sporting, artistic, and personal career; at the book's presentation, Lezcano described him as "a footballer with the soul of a painter".

Martín died in A Coruña on 23 June 2006, at the age of 80. Following his death, Arsenio Iglesias, who served as his second-in-command at Deportivo, described him as "a great friend and a very intelligent coach, one of those who sees football quickly and always has imaginative solutions".

Honours

As a player Deportivo de la Coruña La Liga Runners-up: 1949–50

FC Barcelona La Liga Champions (2): 1951–52 and 1952–53

Copa del Rey Champions (3): 1951, 1952, and 1953

Latin Cup Champions (1): 1952

Copa Eva Duarte Champions (2): 1952 and 1953