Miguel Ángel (footballer, born 1947)

Miguel Ángel González Suárez (Spanish pronunciation: [mi(ˈ)ɣel ˈaŋxel ɣonˈθaleθ ˈswaɾeθ]; 24 December 1947 – 6 February 2024), known as Miguel Ángel, was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Suárez.

Miguel Ángel
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ángel González Suárez
Date of birth (1947-12-24)24 December 1947
Place of birth Ourense, Spain
Date of death 6 February 2024(2024-02-06) (aged 76)
Place of death Madrid, Spain
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Couto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1967 Atlético Orense
1967–1986 Real Madrid 247 (0)
1967–1968 → Castellón (loan) 26 (0)
Total 273 (0)
International career
1975 Spain amateur 1 (0)
1975–1978 Spain 18 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He all but spent his career with Real Madrid, making 346 competitive appearances.[1]

Club career

Miguel Ángel was born in Ourense, Galicia.[2] During his career, after making his beginnings at handball, he played for AD Couto (later renamed Atlético Orense),[3][4] CD Castellón and Real Madrid, having an 18-year spell with the latter club and being first choice from 1974 to 1978 and in two of his final three seasons; he conquered six La Liga championships, being an active part in four of those.[5]

Miguel Ángel retired in June 1986, aged 38.[2] Subsequently, he remained attached to Real in several capacities.[6]

International career

Miguel Ángel earned 18 caps for the Spain national team.[2] He made his debut on 12 October 1975 in a 2–0 win against Denmark for the UEFA Euro 1976 qualifiers, held in Barcelona.[7]

Miguel Ángel was included in the squad for the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where he started.[8] He was a last-minute addition to the 1982 edition on home soil, as manager José Santamaría preferred to select three goalkeepers; he did not play in the latter tournament.[9]

Personal life and death

On 17 December 2022, Miguel Ángel was diagnosed with ALS;[10] Real Madrid expressed support for his fight against the disease in an official statement.[11] He died on 6 February 2024, at the age of 76.[12]

Honours

Real Madrid

Individual

References
  1. González, Pepe (6 February 2024). "Ourense llora la pérdida de Miguel Ángel" [Ourense mourns loss of Miguel Ángel] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. Ramos, Jesús (30 July 2016). "Miguel Ángel, el felino de Orense" [Miguel Ángel, feline from Orense]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. Ron, Jorge (15 November 2017). "Luis Soria Montero: "Miguel Ángel era el mejor embajador de Ourense en Madrid"" [Luis Soria Montero: "Miguel Ángel was Ourense's best ambassador in Madrid"]. La Región (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  4. "Miguel Ángel González Suárez: "Creí que iba a firmar por el Celta, pero intervino el Madrid"" [Miguel Ángel González Suárez: "I thought I was going to sign for Celta, but Madrid intervened"]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 15 August 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. "18 temporadas defendiendo la portería madridista" [18 seasons defending Madrid's goal] (in Spanish). Real Madrid CF. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  6. "Zoco nuevo delegado del equipo" [Zoco new team delegate]. El País (in Spanish). 13 January 1994. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  7. "Una victoria de España sobre Dinamarca con menos juego y menos goles (2–0) de lo esperado" [Spanish win over Denmark with less play and fewer goals (2–0) than expected]. ABC (in Spanish). 14 October 1975. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  8. "Murió Miguel Ángel González, leyenda del arco del Real Madrid y la selección de España: sus brillantes atajadas en el Mundial de Argentina 78" [Death of Miguel Ángel González, Real Madrid and Spain national team's goalkeeping legend: his brilliant saves in the Argentina 78 World Cup]. Infobae (in Spanish). 6 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  9. Bosch, Carlos (18 May 2016). "El Mundial que Santamaría le robó a Sempere" [The World Cup that Santamaría took from Sempere]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  10. Williams, George (17 December 2022). "Real Madrid exporter Miguel Ángel suffers from ALS". Sports Finding. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  11. "Official announcement: Miguel Ángel". Real Madrid CF. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  12. "Comunicado oficial: fallecimiento de Miguel Ángel" [Official announcement: death of Miguel Ángel] (in Spanish). Real Madrid CF. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  13. "Todos los porteros que se quedaron con el Premio Zamora" [All the goalkeepers that got the Zamora Trophy] (in Spanish). Goal. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  14. Pla Díaz, Emilio. "Spain – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
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