Quick Facts
Biography
Rafael Gordillo Vázquez (born 24 February 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer. A tremendously offensive left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down.
He represented with individual and team success Betis and Real Madrid, appearing in 428 La Liga games and scoring 38 goals over the course of 16 seasons. He won ten major titles with the latter club, including five national championships.
Gordillo was a mainstay for the Spanish national team in the 80's, appearing in nearly 80 matches and representing the nation in five international tournaments.
Club career
Born in Almendralejo, Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Gordillo moved to Seville (from where his parents were originally) when he was just a few months old. He grew up in the Polígono de San Pablo neighbourhood, and signed with Real Betis in 1972 at the age of 15. On 30 January 1977 he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, against Burgos CF, and helped the Andalusians to the Copa del Rey in his first year.
After nine professional seasons with Betis – 12 in total, and another with the reserve side – being named the country's footballer of the year at the end of the 1979–80 season and appearing in nearly 300 official matches, Gordillo moved to Real Madrid for 1985–86, winning the UEFA Cup in his debut campaign and scoring in the final against 1. FC Köln, and forming a dreaded left-wing partnership with José Antonio Camacho during four years, with the former playing as a midfielder. In 1989's Spanish Cup, he scored the final's only goal against Real Valladolid.
In 1992, 35-year-old Gordillo returned to Betis, helping the club return to the top division in his second year and retiring after one final season with neighbours Écija Balompié, also in the second level. With the latter, he also worked in the vice-president role.
In the following decade Gordillo returned to Betis, also in directorial capacities. On 13 December 2010, he was elected the club's president.
International career
Gordillo earned 75 caps and scored three goals for Spain during one full decade, his debut coming on 29 March 1978 in a friendly 3–0 win over Norway, in Gijón.
He went on to represent the country in two FIFA World Cups (1982 and 1986) and three UEFA European Championships (1980, 1984 and 1988, appearing in all the games but one in the second competition for an eventual runner-up finish).
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 May 1983 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Malta | 2–3 | 2–3 | Euro 1984 qualifying |
| 2. | 25 September 1985 | Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain |  Iceland | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 11 June 1988 | Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany |  Denmark | 1–3 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 1988 |
Post-retirement
Gordillo re-joined Betis for a third time, appearing for the side in the indoor football national league. He also worked briefly for laSexta as a sports commentator, at the 2006 World Cup.
Honours
Club
- Copa del Rey: 1976–77
- UEFA Cup: 1985–86
- La Liga: 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90
- Copa del Rey: 1988–89
- Supercopa de España: 1988, 1989, 1990
International
- UEFA European Championship: Runner-up 1984
Individual
- Best Spanish player: 1979–80