Khaberni- José Santamaría, former Uruguayan defender of the Spanish football team Real Madrid, passed away at the age of 96.
Santamaría had won four European Champion Clubs' Cup titles with the club and was part of the club's golden generation between the fifties and sixties before becoming the coach of the Spanish national team.
Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid, said in a statement today Wednesday: "We will always remember Santamaría as one of the greatest icons of our club."
No cause of death has been announced.
Santamaría was born on July 31, 1929, in Montevideo, and joined Real Madrid in 1957. He helped the team win the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1958, 1959, 1960, and 1966, playing alongside legends like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
He also helped the team win the Spanish League six times, among other trophies, during the 337 matches he played.
Santamaría began his coaching career the following season after retiring from playing with Madrid in 1966. He led the Spanish national team in the Summer Olympics in 1968 and 1980 and in the 1982 World Cup.
Starting in 1971, he coached the Espanyol team for seven seasons.
