Gregorio Benito
Encyclopedia
Gregorio "Goyo" Benito Rubio (born 31 October 1946 in El Puente del Arzobispo
, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha
) is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a central defender.
in his early teens, inclusively being national javelin throw
champion at school level, Benito signed for La Liga
powerhouse Real Madrid
in the 1963 summer, aged nearly 17. After two years on loan to neighbouring Rayo Vallecano
, in Segunda División
(his second being cut short as he was called for military service
in Sidi Ifni
), he returned to his main club, remaining there for the following 14 seasons, winning six leagues and five Spanish Cups
.
In 1982, after just 16 league appearances in his last two seasons combined, Benito retired from football at the age of 35. He amassed Real Madrid official totals of 420 games and three goals.
for Spain
, during roughly seven years. His debut was on 9 May 1971, in a 2–0 win in Cyprus
for the UEFA Euro 1972 qualifiers, but he would never take part in any major international tournament, as the national team failed to qualify for any during that timeframe.
Additionally, Benito represented the nation at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico
, playing in all the matches for the eventual quarterfinalists
.
El Puente del Arzobispo
El Puente del Arzobispo is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 1431 inhabitants.During the Roman period, the town was known as Augustobriga....
, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
) is a retired Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a central defender.
Club career
After practicing track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
in his early teens, inclusively being national javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
champion at school level, Benito signed for La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
powerhouse Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the 1963 summer, aged nearly 17. After two years on loan to neighbouring Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
, in Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
(his second being cut short as he was called for military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
in Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni is a city located in southwest Morocco, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of 20,000 people. The economic base of the city is fishing. It belongs to the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region and to the Sidi Ifni province. Its inhabitants are mainly Chleuhs from the Ait...
), he returned to his main club, remaining there for the following 14 seasons, winning six leagues and five Spanish Cups
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
.
In 1982, after just 16 league appearances in his last two seasons combined, Benito retired from football at the age of 35. He amassed Real Madrid official totals of 420 games and three goals.
International career
Benito earned 22 capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, during roughly seven years. His debut was on 9 May 1971, in a 2–0 win in Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
for the UEFA Euro 1972 qualifiers, but he would never take part in any major international tournament, as the national team failed to qualify for any during that timeframe.
Additionally, Benito represented the nation at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, playing in all the matches for the eventual quarterfinalists
Football at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Group A:-------------------------Group B:-------------------------Group C:Ghana replaced Morocco, who refused to play Israel.----...
.
Honours
Real Madrid- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82 - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: Runner-up 1980–81
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data
- Real Madrid biography
- International appearances, at RSSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...