Tonín Conde

Antonio Conde Aja, better known as Tonín Conde (4 December 1909 – 26 April 1984), was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for Valencia CF in the 1930s and Granada in the 1940s.

After his retirement, he became a manager, briefly taking charge of Granada in 1946–47.

Playing career Valencia CF Born in Puerto de Sagunto on 4 December 1909, Conde began his football career in the youth ranks of his hometown club Atlético Saguntino, where he stood out as a left winger, eventually becoming the club's star and thus catching the attention of Luis Colina, who signed him for Valencia in the summer of 1930, aged 21. Unlike his older brother Manuel, who suffered from a hernia, Antonio developed into a real footballer, becoming known as Conde II as a means to differentiate him from his brother.

Despite being somewhat anarchic technically, Conde was a fast and combative player, with his attitude on the field quickly gaining him the sympathy of the Valencia fans, especially when on 23 November 1930, in the last matchday of the Valencia Regional Championship, when he scored the winning goal against Castellón that allowed them to win the title.

Over time, Conde gained experience and technical rigor as well as defensive strength and intensity in attack, with his goal-scoring ability being far superior to that of the average midfielder. The following season, he scored an important goal against his future club Hércules in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the 1934 Copa del Rey, thus helped his side reach the final, which ended in a 2–1 loss to Madrid FC. In 1934, he was mentioned as a possible choice for Spain, but the rumor never materialized in the form of a call-up. In late 1938, he was accused of not only seizing an apartment, but also acting as a "political commissar", with some newspapers even insinuating that he was a "Chekist". He played his last season of football (1944–45) with the Segunda División team Real Betis, for whom he unsuccessfully broke the exchange of Betis striker José Montalvo for Granada goalkeeper Ramón Casafont.

Managerial career After retiring in June 1945, Conde returned to his former club Granada, then in the Second Division, where he held several positions, such as coach in the 1946–47 season, leading them in 25 matches, and as a member of its board of directors in the 1950s and 1960s.

Death Conde died on 26 April 1984, at the age of 74.

Honours Valencia Valencia Championship: 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934 Copa del Rey runner-up: 1934