Juanito (footballer, born 1948)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Juanito

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Juan Díaz Sánchez

| birth_date = {{birth date|1948|10|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

| death_date = {{death date and age|2013|4|3|1948|10|6|df=y}}

| death_place = Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

| height = {{height|m=1.67}}

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1971–1972 | clubs1 = Tenerife | caps1 = 24 | goals1 = 4

| years2 = 1972–1975 | clubs2 = Barcelona | caps2 = 43 | goals2 = 5

| years3 = 1975–1976 | clubs3 = Hércules | caps3 = 30 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 1976–1981 | clubs4 = Salamanca | caps4 = 114 | goals4 = 25

| years5 = 1981–1982 | clubs5 = Tenerife | caps5 = 4 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1982–1983 | clubs6 = Mensajero | caps6 = | goals6 =

| totalcaps = 215 | totalgoals = 37

}}

Juan Díaz Sánchez (6 October 1948 – 3 April 2013), commonly known as Juanito, was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

Career

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Juanito started and finished his 11-year professional career with hometown club CD Tenerife. He played one season in the Segunda División with them, then signed for FC Barcelona in late February 1972.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1972/02/26/pagina-26/983566/pdf.html|title=Juanito firmará contrato el lunes|trans-title=Juanito to sign contract on Monday|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=José María|last=Casanovas|language=Spanish|date=26 February 1972|accessdate=10 June 2014}} He made his La Liga debut on 19 March, starting in a 1–0 away win against Athletic Bilbao.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1972/03/20/pagina-5/977253/pdf.html|title=0–1: El Barcelona forjó su éxito en un brillante primer tiempo|trans-title=0–1: Barcelona forged success in brilliant first half|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=José María|last=Casanovas|language=Spanish|date=20 March 1972|accessdate=11 June 2014}}

Juanito contributed 17 games in the 1973–74 campaign as the Catalans won the national championship, scoring in a 3–0 home victory over UD Las Palmas on 6 January 1974.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1974/01/07/pagina-2/997417/pdf.html|title=3–0: El Barcelona cuajó su gran fútbol en el segundo tiempo|trans-title=3–0: Barcelona played great football in second half|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=7 January 1974|accessdate=11 June 2014}} He appeared in three UEFA Cup matches during his spell, netting against OGC Nice in the 1973–74 edition.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1973/10/04/pagina-3/991300/pdf.html|title=2–0: El Barcelona debió pasar la eliminatoria|trans-title=2–0: Barcelona should have gone through|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=4 October 1973|accessdate=11 June 2014}}

In 1975, in another winter transfer window move, Juanito joined fellow top-division team Hércules CF for three years.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1975/02/06/pagina-10/1005156/pdf.html|title=Juanito: "En el Barcelona me faltaron oportunidades"|trans-title=Juanito: "I did not have enough opportunities at Barcelona"|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo |first=M.|last=Tarín Alonso|language=Spanish|date=6 February 1975|accessdate=11 June 2014}} In the 1976 summer, however, he moved to UD Salamanca,{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1976/08/21/pagina-14/1009632/pdf.html|title=La Primera División a examen|trans-title=First Division under the radar|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=21 August 1976|accessdate=11 June 2014}} going on to compete a further five seasons in the top flight; two of his league goals came against former employers Barcelona (13 February 1977, 2–0 home win){{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1977/02/14/pagina-5/1024432/pdf.html|title=2–0: Un Barcelona con muchos complejos|trans-title=2–0: Bashful Barcelona|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Pedro|last=Ger|language=Spanish|date=14 February 1977|accessdate=11 June 2014}} and Real Madrid (1–1 home draw, on 16 March 1980).{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1980/03/17/pagina-7/1049192/pdf.html|title=1–1: Salamanca y Madrid se repartieron méritos y puntos|trans-title=1–1: Salamanca and Madrid shared merits and points|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=17 March 1980|accessdate=11 June 2014}}

Juanito retired in 1983 at the age of 34, after one-year spells with Tenerife and amateurs CD Mensajero.{{cite web|url=http://www.europapress.es/deportes/futbol-00162/noticia-fallece-64-anos-exjugador-tenerife-barcelona-juan-diaz-juanito-20130403130240.html|title=Fallece a los 64 años el exjugador de Tenerife y Barcelona Juan Díaz 'Juanito'|trans-title=Former Tenerife and Barcelona player Juan Díaz 'Juanito' dies at the age of 64|publisher=Europa Press|language=Spanish|date=3 April 2013|accessdate=11 November 2015}}

Death

Juanito lost a son whilst a player of Hércules, aged only 15. He himself died on 3 April 2013 in his hometown, at 64.{{cite news|url=http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20130403/fc-barcelona/juan-diaz-juanito-fallecimiento-muerte_54371948335.html|title=El exbarcelonista Juan Díaz, Juanito, ha fallecido esta madrugada en Tenerife|trans-title=Former Barcelona player Juan Díaz, Juanito, has died this early morning in Tenerife|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=3 April 2013|accessdate=11 November 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.laopinion.es/deportes/2013/04/04/fallece-juanito-vieja/468105.html|title=Fallece Juanito ´El Vieja´|trans-title=Juanito 'Old-timer' dies|newspaper=La Opinión de Tenerife|language=Spanish|date=4 April 2013|accessdate=11 November 2015}}