Ignacio Martín-Esperanza Tejada (born 5 June 1936), known as Martín Esperanza, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward, and is a former manager.

Martín Esperanza
Personal information
Full name Ignacio Martín-Esperanza Tejada
Date of birth (1936-06-05) 5 June 1936 (age 88)
Place of birth Verín, Spain
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10+12 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1960 Plus Ultra 43 (13)
1956–1957La Felguera (loan) 40 (12)
1958–1959Atlético Ceuta (loan) 22 (5)
1960–1963 Betis 42 (5)
1963–1970 Pontevedra 155 (19)
Total 302 (54)
Managerial career
1973 Pontevedra
1973–1974 Atlético Pontevedrés
1974–1975 Lugo
1975–1976 Portonovo
1976–1978 Algeciras
1978–1980 Lleida
1981 Figueres
1982–1983 Lugo
1983–1985 Hospitalet
1987–1990 Atlético Baleares
1999 Pontevedra
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Born in Verín, Ourense, Galicia, Martín Esperanza finished his formation at Real Madrid, and made his senior debuts while on loan at CP La Felguera in 1956. He scored 12 goals for the club, which narrowly avoided relegation, and was assigned to the former's reserves in the following year.

Martín Esperanza was also loaned to CA Ceuta, and in 1960 signed for La Liga's Real Betis, with Luis del Sol moving in the opposite direction. He made his debut in the competition on 11 September, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win against RCD Mallorca,[1] and scored his first goal on 11 December, netting the last in a 2–1 success at Granada CF.[2]

Martín-Esperanza struggled with injuries during his spell with the Andalusians, and joined Pontevedra CF in the 1963 summer. He was regularly used by the club, and eventually retired in 1970 at the age of 33; he was also called up to the national team in December 1965,[3] being only an unused substitute in a 0–2 loss against England.[4]

Managerial career

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After his retirement Martín Esperanza was appointed manager of his last side Pontevedra in 1973, and eventually suffering team relegation. After managing lower clubs in his native region he was named Algeciras CF manager, taking the club back to Segunda División B in his first season.[5]

Subsequently, Martín Esperanza had spells with Catalan clubs UE Lleida,[6] UE Figueres,[7] CE L'Hospitalet[8] and CD Atlético Baleares, all of them in the third division. In 1999, after nearly ten years without a club, he returned to Pontevedra, but his reign only lasted six matches.

References

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  1. ^ Real Betis, 2 – Mallorca, 0; El Mundo Deportivo, 12 September 1960 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Granada, 1 – Betis, 2; El Mundo Deportivo, 12 December 1960 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Diecisiete jugadores concentrará el seleccionador español (The Spanish manager will concentrate seventeen players); La Vanguardia, 3 December 1965 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ España, 0 – Inglaterra, 2 (Spain 0 – England 2); El Mundo Deportivo, 9 December 1965 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Algeciras C.F.: Maestro del contraataque (Algeciras C.F.: Master of counterattack); El Mundo Deportivo, 20 January 1978 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Martín Esperanza, entrenador del Lérida [sic] (Martín Esperanza, manager of Lérida); La Vanguardia, 23 May 1978 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ Temporada 1980–1981 (1980–1981 season); Figueres' official website. Retrieved on 14 March 2015 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ El Hospitalet ya entrena (Hospitalet already trains); La Vanguardia, 28 July 1984 (in Spanish)
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