Emilio Butragueño Santos (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈmiljo βutɾaˈɣeɲo ˈsantos]; born 22 July 1963) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He was best known for his spell with Real Madrid. Nicknamed El Buitre (The Vulture), he was a member of the La Quinta del Buitre along with Manolo Sanchís, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza.
Butragueño scored 123 La Liga goals in 341 games for his main club over 12 seasons, and represented the Spain national team in two World Cups (being the second-top scorer in the 1986 edition) and as many European Championships, scoring 26 goals for his country in a record that stood for several years.
Club career
In 1981, Madrid-born Butragueño joined the Real Madrid youth system, playing first for their reserves before being given his senior debut by Alfredo Di Stéfano on 5 February 1984 against Cádiz CF: he made an instant impact, scoring twice and assisting for the third goal in a 3–2 away comeback win. On 12 December that year he made his European competition debut, contributing with a hat-trick to a 6–1 home victory over RSC Anderlecht in the third round of the UEFA Cup after the 3–0 loss in Brussels, as the Spaniards went on to win the competition.
At the time, Real Madrid's form was so patchy the first team's attendances were smaller than those of the reserve side. Butragueño was a part of their transformation, being a prominent member of the squad during the 1980s and winning numerous honours: he received the European Bronze award for best footballer in two consecutive years, and was awarded the Pichichi Trophy in 1991, while also being instrumental in the capital club's five La Liga trophies, two Copa del Rey and two consecutive UEFA Cups.
In June 1995, having lost his place (only eight games and one goal, as Real won another league), mainly due to the emergence of 17-year-old Raúl, Butragueño signed for Atlético Celaya in Mexico and, in his first year, the team reached the final of the Liga MX. After three seasons where he was known as the Gentleman of the Pitch – never receiving a single red card during his entire career – he decided to retire in April 1998.
International career
Butragueño earned 69 caps for Spain, and scored 26 goals. His debut came on 17 October 1984 against Wales in a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier, and he closed the 3–0 win in Seville. He had already been picked as an uncapped player for the UEFA Euro 1984 tournament, where his team finished runners-up.
Butragueño was also selected for the 1986 World Cup where he played a major part, scoring four goals as Spain beat Denmark 5–1 in the round-of-16 match. He also took part in the 1990 edition in Italy, scoring no goals in four games.
Butragueño left the national team after playing two games in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, aged 29. His last appearance was on 18 November 1992, in a 0–0 draw with the Republic of Ireland.
Style of play
Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Butragueño was known for his intelligence, movement and finishing ability on the pitch.
Post-retirement and other ventures
On 19 October 2004, Butragueño replaced former Real Madrid teammate Jorge Valdano as the club's director of football and, until the end of the 2005–06 season, also served as its vice-president. Subsequently, he acted as head of public relations for the organisation.
Still as a player, Butragueño had a computer game with his name released in 1988, for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and MSX.
Career statistics
Club
International
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Butragueño goal.
Honours
Real Madrid B
Segunda División: 1983–84
Real Madrid
La Liga: 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1994–95
Copa del Rey: 1988–89, 1992–93
Copa de la Liga: 1985
Supercopa de España: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
UEFA Cup: 1984–85, 1985–86
Copa Iberoamericana: 1994
Spain
UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1984
Spain Under-21
UEFA Under-21 European Championship runner-up: 1984
Individual
Bravo Award: 1985, 1986
Ballon d'Or third place: 1986, 1987
Pichichi Trophy: 1990–91
FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 1986
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1986
Guerin Sportivo All-Star Team: 1986
FIFA 100