Santiago Aragón

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Santiago Aragón

| image =

| fullname = Santiago Aragón Martínez

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|4|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Málaga, Spain

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Real Madrid

| years1 = 1985–1988

| years2 = 1988–1993

| years3 = 1989

| years4 = 1989–1990

| years5 = 1991–1992

| years6 = 1992–1993

| years7 = 1993–2003

| clubs1 = Real Madrid B

| clubs2 = Real Madrid

| clubs3 = → Español (loan)

| clubs4 = → Logroñés (loan)

| clubs5 = → Valladolid (loan)

| clubs6 = → Zaragoza (loan)

| clubs7 = Zaragoza

| caps1 = 68

| caps2 = 18

| caps3 = 8

| caps4 = 21

| caps5 = 18

| caps6 = 10

| caps7 = 292

| totalcaps = 435

| goals1 = 6

| goals2 = 1

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 3

| goals5 = 3

| goals6 = 2

| goals7 = 32

| totalgoals = 47

| nationalyears1 = 1985

| nationalyears2 = 1989

| nationalteam1 = Spain U18

| nationalteam2 = Spain U21

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Santiago Aragón Martínez (born 3 April 1968) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He was a technically evolved player who often assumed playmaker duties, and played mainly for Real Zaragoza, appearing in 362 official matches in 11 seasons – ten in La Liga – and winning three major titles.{{cite web|url=https://www.vavel.com/es/futbol/2015/04/22/real-zaragoza/479900-yo-jugue-en-el-real-zaragoza-santi-aragon.html|title=Yo jugué en el Real Zaragoza: Santi Aragón|trans-title=I played for Real Zaragoza: Santi Aragón|publisher=Vavel|first=Marcos|last=Gimeno|language=Spanish|date=22 April 2015|accessdate=24 June 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/futbol/real-zaragoza/2023/05/18/real-zaragoza-zapater-tercer-jugador-partidos-historia-1652510.html|title=Zapater, tras la estela de Aguado y Violeta|trans-title=Zapater, following Aguado and Violeta|newspaper=Heraldo de Aragón|first=Javier|last=Oliván Lázaro|language=Spanish|date=18 May 2023|accessdate=16 October 2023}}

Club career

Aragón was born in Málaga, Andalusia. A Real Madrid youth graduate, he played one game for the 1988 league champions, a 0–0 away draw against RC Celta de Vigo on 16 April 1988,{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1988/04/17/pagina-8/1176860/pdf.html|title=0–0: Plantó cara el "Mini-Madrid"|trans-title=0–0: "Mini-Madrid" put up a fight|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=17 April 1988|accessdate=18 March 2014}} also spending two and a half seasons with the reserve team in the Segunda División; barred by Rafael Martín Vázquez first and Gheorghe Hagi afterwards, he was loaned successively to RCD Español and CD Logroñés, both in La Liga, where he only totalled 29 appearances.

Following another loan at Real Valladolid, with top-flight relegation, Aragón's career was threatened with fading into obscurity until he joined Real Zaragoza, first on loan. He would be the Aragonese side's dictator of play for several seasons – providing for the likes of Juan Esnáider, Miguel Pardeza and Gus Poyet – only missing nine matches in his first four seasons while scoring 17 goals himself.

Aragón was part of the side that won the 1995 edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup,{{Cite web|url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind=4/newsid=3429.html|title=1994/95: Nayim's bolt from the blue sinks Arsenal|publisher=UEFA|date=1 June 1995|accessdate=29 January 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822203449/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind%3D4/newsid%3D3429.html|archivedate=22 August 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldo.es/noticias/suplementos/veinte_anos_recopa/2015/05/04/que_fue_los_heroes_paris_357236_2021030.html|title=¿Qué fue de 'los héroes de París'?|trans-title=What happened to the 'heroes of Paris'?|newspaper=Heraldo de Aragón|language=Spanish|date=4 May 2015|accessdate=9 June 2016}} having conquered the Copa del Rey the previous campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/futbol/real-zaragoza/2016/04/20/22-anos-esta-gozada-843944-611027.html|title=22 años de esta gozada|trans-title=22th anniversary of this blast|newspaper=Heraldo de Aragón|first=Paco|last=Giménez|language=Spanish|date=20 April 2016|accessdate=16 October 2023}} Having contributed four goals to Zaragoza's return to the top division in 2003, he retired aged 35 with 524 competitive appearances to his credit.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/2003/06/29/polideportivo/1056860129_850215.html|title=La Romareda repartió sus sentimientos|trans-title=La Romareda shared its feeling|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Pedro Luis|last=Ferrer|language=Spanish|date=29 June 2003|accessdate=16 October 2023}}

In January 2008, Aragón had his first coaching experience, joining his former Zaragoza teammate Ander Garitano's coaching staff at the club. After only one week and two matches (one in the cup), the head manager cited personal reasons for leaving his post, and his assistant followed him.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2008/01/22/actualidad/1200990117_850215.html|title=Garitano dimite como técnico del Zaragoza|trans-title=Garitano resigns as Zaragoza manager|newspaper=El País|language=Spanish|date=22 January 2008|accessdate=24 June 2019}}