Juanito ‘El Vieja’. (ACAN / CD TENERIFE)
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Drafting Deporpress | The CD Tenerife went to the extreme FC Barcelona in 1972, starting a career in the First Division that led him to also play in the Hercules of Alicante and the Salamanca, before returning to the Island.
Juan Díaz Sánchez, ‘Juanito’, (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1948-2013) embodied throughout the decade of the 70s the role of reference of Tenerife football on the national scene. His participation in the conquest of La Liga 73-74 by FC Barcelona, together with Johan Cruyff. There he also coincided, in the mythical title of 1974, with the ‘Tigre’ Barrios. Never again did two Tenerife residents share a changing room at the Nou Camp.
Since his early arrival at CD Tenerife, at just 17 years old, Juanito noted great conditions as a forward, which ended up being confirmed with his jump to FC Barcelona in the middle of the 71-72 season. In the first days of February 1972, and taking advantage of a league break caused by the dispute of a commitment of the Spanish team, FC Barcelona visited the Heliodoro with half a dozen indisputable holders to play a friendly for the benefit of childcare centers.
Rinus Michels was dazzled by Juanito’s performance, a fast winger who was in charge of opening the scoring, giving away two goals and forcing a penalty that the referee did not indicate. And to drive the entire Barça defense crazy and especially the international Eladio. Immediately, the Dutch coach ordered his signing, as explained by Juan Galarza and Luis Padilla in their book “CD Tenerife in 366 stories”.
Thus, on February 29 of that leap year, Juanito was already at the Camp Nou to sign for Barcelona. The commitment signed that morning before the president, Agustí Montal, stated that Barça would pay four million pesetas to Tenerife for the player, who would go on to charge half a million annually and would stay on the island until the end of the season, to ensure the permanence of the Blue and Whites in the Second Division.
That same afternoon, Juan Díaz returned to Tenerife to play a Generalissimo Cup match against Granada the next day… in which he scored another two. In the first days of March, two consecutive victories against Xerez and Leonesa (with Juanito leading the way in both cases) ensured salvation. And Rexach’s injury made Michels demand the immediate presence of the winger.
Juanito flew back to Barcelona and Michels made his debut in no less than the ‘Cathedral’ of San Mamés. Two years later, when Barcelona accumulated thirteen blank seasons, it intervened in the conquest of the League 73-74 and played the final of the Cup. This last tournament was of worse memory, due to the defeat (4-0) against the Real Madrid.
‘The old woman’, as he was nicknamed on the island, spent the 74-75 season blank and ended up accumulating 53 games and seven goals alongside Barça players such as Cruyff, Rexach, Rifé or Asensi. There he also coincided, in the mythical title of 1974, with the ‘Tigre’ Barrios. Never again did two Tenerife residents share a changing room at the Nou Camp.
Juanito started a new adventure in Primera, with Hercules, which was cut short after two years due to his relationship with coach Arsenio Iglesias. Thus, his best years in the category would come at UD Salamanca, hand in hand with García Traid and Mesones .. With the charros he surpassed a hundred games (with 25 goals) in First Division and won the Salamanca fans, along with the Argentines D’Alessandro and Rezza. In 1981 he returned to Tenerife to end his career as a blue and white in Segunda B.
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