Antonio Calpe

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Antonio Calpe

| image = Antonio Calpe.jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Antonio Calpe Hernández

| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|2|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Valencia, Spain

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|4|7|1940|2|4|df=y}}

| height = 1.73 m

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1959–1962 | clubs1 = Alcoyano | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1962–1965 | clubs2 = Levante | caps2 = 87 | goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1965–1971 | clubs3 = Real Madrid | caps3 = 97 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 1971–1975 | clubs4 = Levante | caps4 = | goals4 =

| totalcaps = | totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1964 | nationalteam1 = Spain B | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1981 | managerclubs1 = Levante

}}

Antonio Calpe Hernández (4 February 1940 – 7 April 2021) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Born in Valencia, Calpe started playing professionally with local Levante UD, competing from 1963 to 1965 in La Liga.{{cite web|url=https://eldesmarque.com/valencia/levante-ud/291415-fallece-antonio-calpe-leyenda-en-mayusculas-del-levante-ud|title=Fallece Antonio Calpe, leyenda con mayúsculas del Levante UD|trans-title=Death of Antonio Calpe, Levante UD's legend extraordinaire|publisher=El Desmarque|first=David|last=Torres|language=es|date=7 April 2021|access-date=7 April 2021}} In the summer of 1965 he joined Real Madrid, being part of the squads during their Yé-yé era and winning five major trophies, including three national championships and the 1965–66 edition of the European Cup; he appeared in 12 matches in the latter competition for the team during his stint.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2016/05/11/mas_futbol/1462951134_320804.html|title=Los "yeyés" ganan la sexta (1966)|trans-title=The "yeyés" win the sixth one (1966)|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Alfredo|last=Relaño|language=es|date=11 May 2016|access-date=7 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/realmadrid-in-ec.html|title=Real Madrid CF – All the players in European Cups|first=Emilio|last=Pla Díaz|website=RSSSF|access-date=8 August 2017}}

In 1971, 31-year-old Calpe returned to his previous club, spending the vast majority of his second spell in Tercera División. The only exception to this occurred in the 1973–74 season in Segunda División, and he retired from the game in June 1975.

Calpe was one of three managers for Levante in 1981–82, as the second-tier campaign eventually ended in relegation.{{cite news|url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/levante/2021/03/15/604cd8a546163fe0358b45b3.html|title=Paco López hace historia: rompe con el 'banquillo eléctrico' del Levante|trans-title=Paco López makes history: he breaks free from Levante's 'electric bench'|newspaper=Marca|first=Darío|last=Puig|language=es|date=15 March 2021|access-date=7 April 2021}}

Death

Calpe died on 7 April 2021 at the age of 81, after a long illness.{{cite web|url=https://es.sports.yahoo.com/noticias/fallece-antonio-calpe-exjugador-real-092601939.html|title=El Real Madrid expresa su pésame por el fallecimiento de Calpe|trans-title=Real Madrid express condolences at the death of Calpe|website=Yahoo Sports|agency=EFE|language=es|date=7 April 2021|access-date=7 April 2021|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210420015609/https://es.sports.yahoo.com/noticias/fallece-antonio-calpe-exjugador-real-092601939.html|archive-date=20 April 2021}}