View source for Ignacio Zoco

{{Short description|Spanish footballer (1939–2015)}}
{{family name hatnote|Zoco|Esparza|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ignacio Zoco
| image = Ignacio Zoco (1971).jpg
| caption = Zoco in 1971
| full_name = Ignacio Zoco Esparza
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|7|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Garde, Spain]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|9|28|1939|7|31|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Madrid]], Spain
| height = 1.83 m
| position = [[Defensive midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Esperanza
| years1 = 1957–1959 | clubs1 = [[CD Oberena|Oberena]] | caps1 = | goals1 =
| years2 = 1959–1962 | clubs2 = [[CA Osasuna|Osasuna]] | caps2 = 69 | goals2 = 4
| years3 = 1959 | clubs3 = → [[CD Iruña|Iruña]] (loan) | caps3 = | goals3 =
| years4 = 1962–1974 | clubs4 = [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] | caps4 = 318 | goals4 = 8
| totalcaps = 387 | totalgoals = 12
| nationalyears1 = 1961 | nationalteam1 = [[Spain B national football team|Spain B]] | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1961–1969 | nationalteam2 = [[Spain national football team|Spain]] | nationalcaps2 = 25 | nationalgoals2 = 1
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|ESP|1945}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Championship|European Nations' Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1964 European Nations' Cup|1964 Spain]]|}}
}}
'''Ignacio Zoco Esparza''' (31 July 1939 – 28 September 2015) was a Spanish [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[defensive midfielder]].

He spent 12 years of his professional career with [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], appearing in 434 competitive matches and winning ten major titles.<ref>[https://www.larazon.es/deportes/futbol/fallece-el-exfutbolista-del-real-madrid-ignacio-zoco-HK10832353/ Florentino: «Zoco representa los valores de nuestro club» (Florentino: "Zoco represents the values of our club")]; [[La Razón (Madrid)|La Razón]], 28 September 2015 (in Spanish)</ref>

Zoco played more than 20 times with [[Spain national football team|Spain]], winning the [[1964 European Nations' Cup]] and also representing the nation at the [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]].

==Club career==
Born in [[Garde, Spain|Garde]], [[Navarre]],<ref name=Genius>[https://www.libertaddigital.com/deportes/futbol/2014-11-28/ignacio-zoco-di-stefano-era-bueno-en-todo-un-superdotado-1276534762/ Ignacio Zoco: "Di Stéfano era bueno en todo, un superdotado" (Ignacio Zoco: "Di Stéfano was good at everything, a genius")]; [[Libertad Digital]], 28 November 2014 (in Spanish)</ref> Zoco joined [[CA Osasuna]] from another side in the region, amateurs [[CD Oberena]].<ref name=Madrid>[https://blogs.elconfidencial.com/deportes/tribuna/2015-09-29/ignacio-zoco-real-madrid-fc-barcelona-bernabeu-osasuna-navarra-oberena_1040799/ A Zoco le sacaron de un cine para fichar: "¿Al Madrid o al Barcelona? ¡Al Madrid!" (Zoco was taken out of a movie theater to sign: "To Madrid or Barcelona? To Madrid!")]; [[El Confidencial]], 29 September 2015 (in Spanish)</ref> After spending the first months on loan to [[CD Iruña]], he made his [[La Liga]] debut on 10 January 1960 in a 2–1 away loss against [[Real Oviedo]], and eventually started in all of his appearances as [[1959–60 La Liga|the season ended in relegation]].<ref>[https://www.diariodenavarra.es/noticias/deportes/futbol/osasuna/2017/04/27/el_septimo_descenso_osasuna_528685_1027.html El séptimo descenso de Osasuna (Osasuna's seventh relegation)]; [[Diario de Navarra]], 26 April 2017 (in Spanish)</ref>

In the summer of 1962, Zoco signed for powerhouse [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], playing only 13 matches in his [[1962–63 La Liga|first year]], which ended with league conquest, but becoming a starter from there onwards. In [[1965–66 La Liga|1965–66]], apart from appearing in every minute in the domestic competition, he added nine complete games in [[1965–66 European Cup|that campaign]]'s [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]], including [[1966 European Cup final|the final]] against [[FK Partizan]] (2–1 win).<ref name=RSSSF>[https://www.rsssf.org/players/zoco-in-ec.html Ignacio Zoco Esparza – Matches in European Cups]; at [[RSSSF]]</ref>

Apart from those two accolades, Zoco won a further six national championships and two [[Copa del Rey]] trophies with Real Madrid, totalling 64 appearances in [[UEFA|European competition]] with the ''Merengues'' (six goals scored).<ref name=RSSSF/> He retired in June 1974 at the age of 35 and, 20 years later, was appointed the club's match delegate in replacement of [[Miguel Ángel (footballer, born 1947)|Miguel Ángel González]],<ref>[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/REAL_MADRID_CLUB_DE_FUTBOL/Zoco/nuevo/delegado/equipo/elpepidep/19940113elpepidep_2/Tes Zoco nuevo delegado del equipo (Zoco new team delegate)]; [[El País]], 13 January 1994 (in Spanish)</ref> retaining the position until 1998.<ref>[https://www.marca.com/futbol/real-madrid/2024/06/01/665710ae22601db1558b45b3.html Chendo busca... ¡la 'Novena'! (Chendo in search of... the 'Ninth'!)]; [[Marca (newspaper)|Marca]], 1 June 2024 (in Spanish)</ref>

==International career==
Zoco earned 25 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[Spain national football team|Spain]], making his debut on 19 April 1961 in a 2–1 away win against [[Wales national football team|Wales]] for the [[1962 FIFA World Cup]] [[1962 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|qualifiers]].<ref name=Madrid/> He was selected for the squads at the [[1964 European Nations' Cup]], helping the national team to win the tournament,<ref name=Genius/> and the [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]].<ref>[https://www.goal.com/br/not%C3%ADcias/os-jogadores-do-real-madrid-que-contribuiram-nas-copas-do-mundo/qduoe5kzzz851qy1bzl8lfx79 Os jogadores do Real Madrid que participaram de Copas do Mundo (The Real Madrid players who took part in World Cups)]; [[Goal (website)|Goal]], 6 June 2018 (in Portuguese)</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Zoco married singer/songwriter María Ostiz (born 1944) in 1974, with the couple fathering three children and going on to remain married 41 years. He succeeded [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]] at the helm of Real Madrid's Veterans Association, after the latter's death.<ref>[https://www.marca.com/2014/09/10/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1410380116.html Zoco sustituye a Di Stéfano como presidente de los veteranos (Zoco replaces Di Stéfano as veterans' president)]; Marca, 10 September 2014 (in Spanish)</ref>

Zoco died in [[Madrid]] on 28 September 2015, after a long illness. He was 76 years old.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/deportes/2015/09/28/5609159e22601d36138b457d.html Muere Ignacio Zoco, legendario jugador del Real Madrid (Ignacio Zoco, legendary Real Madrid player, dies)]; [[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]], 28 September 2015 (in Spanish)</ref><ref>[http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2015/09/28/primera/1443434659_192599.html Muere Ignacio Zoco, una leyenda del Real Madrid 'ye-yé' (Ignacio Zoco, legend of 'ye-yé' Real Madrid, dies)]; [[Diario AS]], 28 September 2015 (in Spanish)</ref>

==Career statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%"
|+
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 1 December 1963 || [[Mestalla Stadium|Mestalla]], [[Valencia]], Spain || {{fb|BEL}} || '''1'''–1 || 1–2 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]<ref>[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1963/12/02/pagina-3/930215/pdf.html España, 1 – Belgica, 2 (Spain, 1 – Belgium, 2)]; [[Mundo Deportivo]], 2 December 1963 (in Spanish)</ref>
|}

==Honours==
'''Real Madrid'''
*[[La Liga]]: [[1962–63 La Liga|1962–63]], [[1963–64 La Liga|1963–64]], [[1964–65 La Liga|1964–65]], [[1966–67 La Liga|1966–67]], [[1967–68 La Liga|1967–68]], [[1968–69 La Liga|1968–69]], [[1971–72 La Liga|1971–72]]<ref name=RM>{{cite web|url=https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football-legends/ignacio-zoco-esparza|title=Restraint, commitment and drive in the midfield|publisher=Real Madrid CF|access-date=23 May 2015}}</ref>
*[[Copa del Rey|Copa del Generalísimo]]: [[1969–70 Copa del Generalísimo|1969–70]], [[1973–74 Copa del Generalísimo|1973–74]]; runner-up: [[1967–68 Copa del Generalísimo|1967–68]]<ref name=RM/>
*[[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]: [[1965–66 European Cup|1965–66]]<ref name=RM/>
*[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] runner-up: [[1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup|1970–71]]
*[[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] runner-up: [[1966 Intercontinental Cup|1966]]

'''Spain'''
*[[UEFA European Championship]]: [[1964 European Nations' Cup|1964]]<ref name=RM/>

'''Individual'''
*[[UEFA European Championship Teams of the Tournament|UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament]]: [[UEFA European Championship awards#Team of the Tournament|1964]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/0253-0d7d0bdc396b-570ad6e6ff87-1000--euro-1964-team-of-the-tournament/?iv=true|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724153004/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/0253-0d7d0bdc396b-570ad6e6ff87-1000--euro-1964-team-of-the-tournament/?iv=true|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 July 2020|title=1964 team of the tournament|publisher=UEFA|access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{BDFutbol|5780}}
*{{NFT player|18304}}
*{{FIFA player|44785}}
*{{Eu-Football.info|23515}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Spain squads
|bg=#db000d
|fg=#fbea0e
|list1=
{{Spain squad 1964 European Nations' Cup}}
{{Spain squad 1966 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{UEFA Euro 1964 Team of the Tournament}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoco, Ignacio}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Roncal-Salazar]]
[[Category:20th-century Spanish sportsmen]]
[[Category:Spanish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Navarre]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Segunda División players]]
[[Category:Tercera División players]]
[[Category:CD Oberena players]]
[[Category:CA Osasuna players]]
[[Category:Real Madrid CF players]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players]]
[[Category:Spain men's B international footballers]]
[[Category:Spain men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1964 European Nations' Cup players]]
[[Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:Real Madrid CF non-playing staff]]