Soccer Greats: Emilio Butragueño

Emilio “The Vulture” Butragueño Santos is a former Spanish soccer player. The striker was best known for his season with Real Madrid in the mid 1980s to mid 1990s.

Butragueño was born in Madrid, Spain on July 22, 1963. He started as a reserve player for Real Madrid’s junior team, but then earned a spot in the senior team in 1984. In his 11 seasons swith Real, Butragueño helped the team to win five consecutive Spanish League titles (1985-1990, plus another win in 1995), two UEFA Cups, two Spanish Cups, a Spanish League Cup victory, and four Spanish SuperCups. Butragueño left Real in 1995 to join Mexico’s Club Celaya.

Butragueño debuted with the Spanish national team in a game against Wales in 1984. He was a staple to the team by the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Butragueño scored four goals in a second round game against Denmark, making him the first man to do so since Eusebio in 1966. Butragueño also played in the 1990 World Cup in Italy but was placed in the defensive plays and therefore did not score a single goal in the tournament.

The Vulture was known as a lethal striker. He played smart and always seemed to place himself in the right place in the right time. After retiring from playing, Butragueño became Real Madrid’s Director of Football and served as the club’s vice president.