Manuel Fernández Valderrama

Manuel Fernández de Valderrama Tejedor (29 July 1904 - Unknown) was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder and later a manager. He represented the three biggest Madrid teams of the 1920s and 30s, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Racing de Madrid, and also earned one cap for Spain in 1927.

Early life Valderrama was born on 29 July 1904Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Eduardo Teus said in his book about the white club that Valderrama was born in 1902

Club career Valderrama was an excellent dribbler and finished with both legs and his head, thus everyone wanted to have him as a partner every Sunday when they split up to play a match. While there, he met two other excellent footballers who would later be his teammates in Madrid: the left defender Félix Quesada and the left interior Félix Pérez. thus qualifying for the 1924 Copa del Rey, where he scored 3 goals in six matches Even though he played several games, Valderrama considered himself Santiago Bernabéu's substitute and decided to leave the club at the end of the season, moving to Racing de Madrid, for whom he played for 6 seasons until 1930. He ended up without a club for the 1931–32 season before being rescued by Atlético Madrid for 1932–33, which at the time was in the Segunda División.

In 1936, Valderrama then moved to AD Ferroviaria, where his career was cut short by a meniscus tear and the Spanish Civil War. although he only played in the quarter-finals against Galicia, which his side won 1–0 thanks to an early goal from Antonio De Miguel.

Valderrama earned one international cap for both the Spanish A team and for the B side, both in 1927. His cap for the main side was held at El Sardinero on 17 April 1927, in a friendly against Switzerland which ended in a 1–0 win, courtesy of a goal from Óscar.

Managerial career After he retired in the mid-1930s, Valderrama became a manager, taking charge over the likes of Cádiz CF and Granada CF in the 1940s.

Personal life Valderrama was an adventurer, a guy who liked to travel and learn about other cultures. On an exhibition trip to Mexico and the United States, he met Spaniards working in Hollywood, dubbing and re-filming films in Spanish, such as Edgar Neville and Dolores del Río, and decided to stay for a while. There he became friends with people like Stan Lauren and Oliver Hardy.

The date of his death is unknown, but he died at some point in the 1980s.

Honours Club Real Madrid Campeonato Regional Centro: Champions (1): 1923–24 Copa del Rey: Runner-up (1): 1924

International Madrid XI Prince of Asturias Cup: Runner-up (1): 1923–24