Joaquín’s childhood was marked by his passion for soccer. The man from Cádiz took his first steps in this sport together with his brother Ricardo at the Los Frailes club, a team in which he was under the command of ‘Kiki Cruiff’, a coach who remembers the fancy things that the protagonist of ‘La penúltima y me I’m going to do with the ball from a very early age.
In 1997, the footballer signed for Real Betis Balompié, the team that changed Joaquín Sánchez’s luck and became the club he loved. His first opportunity to play a game with the first team was given to him by coach Fernando Vázquez. The coach remembers the words he was told when he decided that Joaquín should make his debut, “they told me that he was making a mistake,” confesses the Galician.
“Fernando Vázquez changed my life”
For the extreme, that opportunity changed his life completely and it didn’t take him long to communicate the news to his father full of pride. Joaquín also remembers in his early days the figure of his uncle ‘El Chino’ who he always trusted in his future as a soccer professional.
At Betis, Joaquín coincided with Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, the peculiar president who bet on the team, even putting money out of his pocket. Together with Lopera, the soccer player remembers one of the most surreal moments that he remembers from his life, the presence of the Copa del Rey that they won in 2005 on the day of his wedding with Susana Saborido.
After that season and a confrontation with Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, Joaquín Sánchez left Betis in 2006 to sign for Valencia, a club where he experienced one of the worst moments of his sports career under Koeman’s orders. “He destroyed me sportingly”, the protagonist of ‘The penultimate and I’m leaving’ has come to assure. With Valencia, Joaquín was proclaimed champion of the Copa del Rey for the second time in his professional career.
After the bitter experience at the Ché club, Joaquín joined the ranks of Málaga, where he lived a peculiar anecdote with an Arab sheikh and the briefcase. The players did not get paid and the man from Cádiz pulled his sense of humor as Fernando Hierro remembers during that season.
On June 12, 2013, the winger signed for Fiorentina where he became a national hero with the nickname ‘Il torero’ after scoring a historic goal against Buffon.
“His goal against Buffon became a legend in Florence”
In 2015, Joaquín Sánchez wants to return to Betis, but Pablo Sousa, the Fiorentina coach, does not allow it. The footballer remembers throwing his hands to his head with Gordillo all the tricks he used to get out of the Italian club.
On August 31, 2015, Joaquín Sánchez brought together 20,000 people at the Benito Villamarín on his return to Betis. The footballer became the captain of the team and a benchmark for his teammates in the locker room.
At the Verdiblanco club, the star of ‘La penúltima y me voy’ was able to fulfill one of his dreams in his professional career, dedicating a Copa del Rey to his daughters, Salma and Daniela. Betis was proclaimed champion of the Copa del Rey in 2022 to the excitement of the captain who decided to renew one more season with the team of his heart.
This year, Joaquín Sánchez has announced his retirement from the playing field after 23 years in the profession with 621 matches behind him in La Liga, becoming the player with the second most matches played.
On Sunday, June 4, the Bético captain will hang up his boots and on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. you can enjoy the tribute match for Joaquín Sánchez on laSexta and ATRESplayer.
