Legends: Vicente Del Bosque

VICENTE DEL BOSQUE

Vicente Del Bosque (Player)

PLAYER

Vicente del Bosque Gonzalez was born in Salamanca on December 23, 1950. He began to play football in the streets of his native Salamanca. Vicente Del Bosque was gradually showing more interest in football and started to take it seriously. First played little teams as Fatima, Zamorano or Salome. With no preference for any position in the field, Del Bosque always showed an offensive game, bringing his scoring harvest was always important. So much so, that when he played for Salmantino, youth team of Salamanca, played with the jersey number nine.

On August 1, 1968, Vicente del Bosque signed for the Real Madrid youth team, where he remained two seasons to reach the first team in season 1970-71. However, he will not take part of the first team because the club has prepared for him a transfer on loan to take experience.

Then he undertakes a trip to Castellon where he played one season. This teams was playing in the second division. However, the injuries were a problem to Del Bosque. He is operated meniscus and later of the clavicle. Recovered from the injuries he will return to Real Madrid in 1971, but still had to travel a further stage in exile before enjoying the victory with the white team.

After a year in Cordoba, the footballer returns to Castellon in the 1972-73 season and plays his best, concluding an exceptional season and helping the team to rise to the first division. With this, the coaching staff had no doubt that Vicente Del Bosque could be part of Real Madrid first team. Since then he remained in the white team until 1984. Eleven years of brilliant career playing as starter in the team, something not easy in those days, with Netzer, Velazquez and Pirri at Real Madrid.

Due to his offensive game, Vicente Del Bosque always held positions in midfield and forward. He noted for his excellent physique, and his ability to watch football and to organize the team, so that coaches were delaying his position. He won five Spanish league titles and four Cup titles.

Vicente Del Bosque (Coach)

COACH

Once abandoned the practice of football, Vicente Del Bosque joined the Real Madrid youth teams as coach. In March 1994, made his debut as coach of Real Madrid first team after the sacking of Benito Floro, but manages only a couple of months, then returns to his work with the young players of the club. Likewise, after the dismissal of Jorge Valdano led two games to the first team in early 1996.

Finally, in the 1999-2000 season, the club decided he was to be the coach of the first team in place of John B. Toshack. During the first days of 2000, participated in the first Clubs World Cup. In his four seasons as first team coach, Del Bosque won two Champions League (2000, 2002), two league titles (2001, 2003), a Spain Supercup in 2001, one European Super Cup in 2002 and an Intercontinental Cup in 2002.

After a brief stint in Besiktas and Cadiz, in July 2008 was confirmed his appointment as Spanish national coach to replace Luis Aragones. With Spain wins the World Cup 2010 in South Africa after beating the Netherlands 1-0. On July 1, 2012, just two years after making history by winning the World Cup, managed to score another title under his belt, leading Spain to victory at Euro 2012 against Italy 4-0, becoming the second coach in football history to get a World Championship and an Eurocup. Helmut Schoen was the first.