Santiago Cañizares
Valencia's decade-long guardian: 416 matches, two league titles, and the 2004 UEFA Cup.
via Wikipedia: Santiago Cañizares · see source
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Valencia CF from 1998 until his retirement in May 2008. Arriving to replace the retired Andoni Zubizarreta, he became a cornerstone of the club, appearing in 416 official matches over the next decade. His tenure included two La Liga championships (2001–02 and 2003–04), the Copa del Rey in 1998–99, and the 2004 UEFA Cup. He also reached consecutive UEFA Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, notably saving a penalty from Bayern Munich's Mehmet Scholl in normal time of the latter match before an eventual shootout defeat.
- Role
- Goalkeeper
- Clubs
- Valencia CF (1998–2008)
- Official Matches for Valencia
- 416
- La Liga Titles
- 2 (2001–02, 2003–04)
- Major European Trophies
- UEFA Cup (2003–04), UEFA Super Cup (2004)
- International Caps
- 46
- Retirement Date
- May 2008
- Final Match Opponent
- Atlético Madrid
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Cañizares' path to Valencia was paved with resilience. After starting his career at Real Madrid in 1988 and playing professionally for Elche, Mérida, and Celta de Vigo, he returned to Madrid but could not cement a starting place, losing out to Bodo Illgner in the final part of the 1997–98 season. Moving to Valencia in 1998 proved pivotal. Despite being axed by manager Ronald Koeman in December 2007 alongside teammates Miguel Ángel Angulo and David Albelda, he was reinstated in late April 2008 by new coach Voro after injuries to Timo Hildebrand and Juan Luis Mora threatened the squad's relegation hopes. He returned on 27 April 2008 for a 3–0 win against Osasuna. Two days after ending his contract on 16 May 2008, he played his final game against Atlético Madrid, retiring at almost 39 years of age.
In Their Own Story
The drama of Cañizares' international career mirrors the highs and lows of his club life. Although considered one of the best goalkeepers of his generation—lauded by Peter Schmeichel as the world's best in 2004—he often served as a backup to Andoni Zubizarreta and Iker Casillas. He earned 46 caps, debuting on 17 November 1993 against Denmark. A defining tragedy occurred during his club form ensured starter status for the 2002 World Cup; he missed the tournament after an accident with an aftershave bottle severed a tendon in his foot. His only appearance at a major finals came in 2006, playing one game in Germany for a 1–0 victory over Saudi Arabia. Despite missing out on Euro 2004 and previous tournaments, he was part of the gold-medal winning squad at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, though Toni Jiménez played every match.
Reader's Guide
Cañizares was not known as a spectacular goalkeeper but for his consistency, composure, and outstanding positional sense. He possessed good reflexes and penalty-stopping abilities, capable of producing difficult saves when necessary. His primary strength lay in organizing the back-line, serving as a vocal presence in goal. At Valencia, he won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy four times (1992–93 shared, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04) and was named to the UEFA Team of the Year in 2001. His career spanned exactly two decades with exactly 500 league matches across all major levels combined. Beyond football, he competed in the Spanish Rally Championship starting in October 2010, earning a victory at the Rally de la Cerámica on 17 June 2017 driving a Porsche 997.
Did You Know?
- In the 2001 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, he saved a penalty from Mehmet Scholl in normal time.
- He missed the 2002 World Cup due to a severed tendon caused by an accident with an aftershave bottle.
- He played his final professional game just two days after agreeing to end his contract on 16 May 2008.
- Despite being a squad member at Euro 1996, the 1998 World Cup, and Euro 2004, he did not play in any of those tournaments.
- In June 2017, nearly a decade after retiring from football, he won the Rally de la Cerámica driving a Porsche 997.