Juan Ramón Santiago

Juan Ramón Santiago (8 March 1912 – 15 October 1999) was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Valencia CF, and Spain in the 1930s and 1940s. After retiring, he became a manager, taking charge of several lower divisions sides, such as Sabadell FC and RCD Mallorca.

He is one of the most important figures in the history of Valencia CF, playing with the club for 13 seasons as an undisputed starter and being its captain for several years, leading his side to 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, with the image of him collecting trophies throughout the 1940s iconically symbolizing his significance in the club.

Early life Juan Ramón was born on 8 March 1912 in the Biscayan town of Erandio, as the youngest child of Eduardo Ramón and María Santiago. His childhood, having lost his mother, was spent with his uncles. In the 1941 Cup final, he helped his side to a 3–1 win over Espanyol, thus becoming the first Valencia captain to lift the Copa del Rey.

His prestige at the end of the 40s was unquestionable, with the press considering him an oracle and he even gave his name to a team in the regional competition. and the second red card in Murcia, on 23 February 1941, in front of a stadium inflamed by the rumors of the nationalist newspapers, where they shouted "criminal" at him every time he touched the ball, causing the referee, twisted by the fear of the virulence of the stands, to beg him to leave the field of play.

In August 1970, Ramón became the coach of Ontinyent, being introduced to the players by its president Francisco Martínez González. Despite experiencing an extensive career as a coach, he was never able to coach Valencia, although he remained a scout for the club until he was 75.

Later life and death Ramón lost one of his three children when he was barely a year old. He also ran a successful bar-restaurant in Valencia, where he served and commented on the games with a directness that is unthinkable in today's football, and on one occasion, after returning from a match, the police were waiting for him at the northern station and arrested him because the restaurant was two and a half minutes past closing time.

According to his son, "Ramón lived his political ideals in a totally internal way due to being an introvert. Except when talking about football, that was where he transformed. He gave many lectures, and some people even said that he was a football oracle".

In his later years, Ramón developed senile dementia, and on one occasion, his wife arrived home and did not find him there, so she quickly alerted their daughter, who found him in Mestalla, "in pajamas and slippers taking short walks waiting for it to open". He died in Valencia on 15 October 1999, at the age of 87.

Legacy Despite his pivotal role in Valencia's first golden team in the 1940s, Ramón has been rather forgotten, with his son stating that "in an Anglo-Saxon setting, Juan Ramón would have a statue at the gates of Mestalla, with rivers of ink having flowed about his adventures; there would be fan clubs named after him and young people today would know, even if vaguely, about him.

Honours Valencia CF Valencia Championship: Champions (3): 1934, 1937, and 1940 Copa del Rey: Champions (2): 1941 and 1949 Runner-up (3): 1934, 1937, 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