
Photo: Crescpri / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have a soft spot for goalkeepers, and Ochotorena embodies the position's unglamorous dignity. Eleven seasons and 167 La Liga matches across Real Madrid, Valencia, Tenerife and more, plus a spot in Spain's 1990 World Cup squad, add up to a career built on reliability rather than flash. That he became a coach afterward makes perfect sense to me; keepers see the whole pitch and learn to organize others. His passing in 2025 was a real loss. I admire the men who guard the last line, asking for no spotlight while quietly holding everything together behind them.
Overview
José Manuel Ochotorena Santacruz (16 January 1961 – 26 October 2025) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He appeared in 167 La Liga matches over 11 seasons, with Real Madrid, Valencia, Tenerife, Logroñés and Racing de Santander, winning five titles with the first of those clubs. He was part of the Spain squad at the 1990 World Cup.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- José Manuel Ochotorena
- Name (Japanese)
- ホセ・マヌエル・オチョトレーナ
- Reading
- ほせ・まぬえる・おちょとれーな
- Born
- January 16, 1961 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Ox
- Origin
- Hernani, Gipuzkoa, Spain
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 180 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Association football player — see all → · Association football coach — see all → · More people from Spain →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.