Vintage Betis players

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Gabriel Humberto Calderon

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Jorge Molina and Ruben Castro

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Melli

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Patricio Nazario Yáñez Candía

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Faruk Hadzibegic le llamábamos pepe

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1982

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Rafael Gordillo

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Cristóbal Jesús Mejías Sánchez, born in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) on December 25, 1962, former midfielder who played 3 seasons in the First Division in the ranks of Real Betis . He also played for Industrial Melilla, Betis Deportivo, Recreativo de Huelva, UD Salamanca , Granada CF, Atlético Sanluqueño CF, Dos Hermanas CF and AD San José.

He played a total of 175 official matches (28 in the First Division) and scored a goal for Betis Deportivo on October 10, 1984 against Algeciras in the Copa del Rey.

The debut of Christopher in the top flight of Spanish football occurred on September 9, 1984, on the second day of the National League Championship, which pitted at the Estadio La Condomina to the Real Murcia and the Real Betis and ended with away victory by 0-1, the Cadiz midfielder played the full game and the coach who made him debut in the 1st Division was Pepe Alzate .

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Al-Lal Mohamed Amar “Alex”, born in Melilla on December 25, 1957, former defender who had the following trajectory:

• Real Betis Balompie (1975-1977)
• Xerez CD (1978-1979)
• Real Betis Balompie (1979-1987)
• Recreativo de Huelva (1987-1988)
• Xerez CD (1988-1991)
• Ejido Sports Center (1991-1992)

He played a total of 461 official matches (206 in the First Division) and scored 16 goals, 3 of them in the First Division.

His debut in the top flight of Spanish football on September 8, 1979, in laprimera day of the National League Championship, which pitted at the Benito Villamarin Stadium on Real Betis and the Rayo Vallecano , and ended with an away win 1-2 , the Betic defender played the last 60 minutes of the match, after substituting the injured Peruena and the coach who made him debut in the 1st Division was the Basque coach León Lasa and his first goal in the League was made on April 1, 1984 in the match Real Mallorca - Real Betis played in Miniestadi and that ended with a 1-0 away victory, thanks to Alex's goal in the 34th minute of the game.

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Esnaola (Real Betis).

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José Ramón Esnaola Laburu, born in Andoáin (Guipúzcoa) on June 30, 1946. Historical Basque goalkeeper who played in the 1st Division for Real Sociedad (1965-1973) and for Real Betis (1973-1985). He made his debut in the 1st Division on December 31, 1967 at the Atocha Stadium in a Real Sociedad-Elche (5-0).

Esnaola played 207 official matches with the Real Sociedad de Fútbol, becoming at the time the goalkeeper who had played the most games defending the "txuri-urdin" goal, but in 1973, when he was still 26 years old, the Real Sociedad agreed to transfer him to the Real Betis Balompié for 12,000,000 pesetas due to the fact that the club had several high-level young goalkeepers that Esnaola could cover in their progression and, given that fact, they decided to sell Esnaola and stay with the young Artola, Urruti and Arconada.

The Basque goalkeeper became over the years a true myth of the Betic team. Especially after becoming in 1977 one of the heroes of the achievement of the first Copa del Rey in the history of Real Betis Balompié, on July 25, 1977 against Athletic Club, at the Vicente Calderón stadium in Madrid. His contribution in this match was decisive at the time of the penalty kicks, stopping three kicks by Athletic Club (Dani, Villar and Iríbar) and scoring the final goal for Iríbar that gave the Verdiblancos the title. That season Betis achieved 5th place in the League and qualified to play the Recopa de Europa.

Esnaola played 378 league games with Real Betis Balompié and remained as a starter until his retirement in 1985, aged 38. In his last seasons he managed to qualify with Real Betis to play in the UEFA Cup on two more occasions.

In his 20 years as a professional (1965-1985), he played 624 official matches, 469 of them in the 1st Division of the Spanish League.

He was a U-23 international and became a substitute for José Ángel Iribar in the senior team during the 1970-71 season, although he did not make his debut.

After his retirement as a footballer, he continued linked as a coach to Real Betis Balompié for almost thirty more years, and held the position of coach of the first team twice, in 1991 and 1993. His retirement came at the end of the 2012-13 season. .

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Season 1996 - 1997

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Hadzibegic