José Antonio Santamaría Vaqueriza (16 March 1946 – 19 January 1993) was a Spanish footballer. After retiring from football he had a career as an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector. He was murdered in a terrorist attack at the age of 46.

José Antonio Santamaría
Personal information
Full name José Antonio Santamaría Vaqueriza
Date of birth (1946-03-16)16 March 1946
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Date of death 19 January 1993(1993-01-19) (aged 46)
Place of death San Sebastián
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1963–1964 Eibar
1964–1967 San Sebastián
1967–1971 Real Sociedad 36 (2)
1971–1974 Hércules 66 (2)
1974–1975 Sabadell 32 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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During his career as a professional, he played for SD Eibar (1963 to 1964), San Sebastián – reserve team of Real Sociedad – (1964 to 1967), the aforementioned club's first team (1967 to 1971), Hércules CF (1971 to 1974) and finished his career at CE Sabadell FC (1974 to 1975).[1]

International

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Santamaría played for his country at the under-23 level and was shortlisted to play for the senior team on several occasions.

After football

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After retiring from football, Santamaría with other partners opened a nightclub in San Sebastián called the Ku Nightclub. This club was a great success and would become one of the hottest spots in town. In 1978, along with two other partners, he expanded the Ku franchise to the island of Ibiza, acquiring and expanding existing premises that would become known as Ku club Ibiza (Now Privilege Ibiza). During the 1980s, the open-air Ku Club Ibiza became one of the most famous and fashionable 'super clubs'in the world, even being included in the Guinness Book of Records. Santamaría had among his personal friends personalities such as the film director Roman Polanski, who at that time had a house in Ibiza.

He was killed in an attack committed by ETA in 1993.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ "BDFutbol". José Antonio Santamaría- Career statistics. Historical Database © 2008-2013 Spanish Football. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  2. ^ Asesinado en San Sebastián de un disparo en la nuca un ex propietario de la discoteca Ku (Murdered in San Sebastian by a shot in the neck, a former owner of the nightclub Ku), El País (in Spanish), 20 January 1993
  3. ^ Football celebrity 'killed by Eta', The Independent, 21 January 1993