Marcos Alonso Pena, the father of current team left-back Marcos Alonso and a former Barcelona and Spain winger, passed away at the age of 63.
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Who was Marcos Alonso Pena?
Marcos Alonso Pea, a Spanish football manager, and player was born on October 1, 1959.
He was primarily a right winger but also occasionally played as a forward. Over the course of 13 seasons, he played in 302 La Liga games and scored 46 goals, ten of which he spent with Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. Marcos, a 1980s international for Spain, represented the country at Euro 1984 and contributed to its second-place finish.
Santander, Cantabria, is where Alonso was born. After failing to advance through Real Madrid’s junior ranks, he made his La Liga debuts for Racing Club de Santander in his hometown while still under the age of 18, having already established himself as the team’s starter in his second professional campaign, which ended in relegation.
Atlético Madrid allowed him to further establish his reputation, and when FC Barcelona paid 150 million pesetas for his services in 1982, he was the nation’s most expensive acquisition at the time. In his first season, he scored six goals in 30 league games as well as a last-second header against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final of the season, which his team won 2-1.
Marcos, however, was also one of four Barça players who were unable to score in the 1985–86 European Cup final against FC Steaua București, a loss on penalties, as goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam stopped all attempted shots. After a quiet return to Atlético Madrid and after aiding first club Racing’s relegation to the second division, he announced his retirement in 1991.
Marcos afterward went on to become a coach. He managed Sevilla FC after leading mediocre Rayo Vallecano to a first-ever victory at Real Madrid in the latter team’s stadium (2-1).
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Alonso coached Atlético Madrid in the 2000s, a second-tier team that never received a promotion, as well as Real Zaragoza, Real Valladolid, Málaga CF, and Granada 74 CF.
The first of Alonso’s 22 appearances for Spain came in a 2-1 friendly victory over England on March 25, 1981. At UEFA Euro 1984, he represented his country as an inactive player in an eventual second-place finish.
Marcos Alonso Imaz, Alonso’s father, played football for Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s. The club where his father played more games and scored more goals is FC Barcelona, where his son, Marcos Alonso Mendoza, presently plays. He also participated in the club’s youth program and represented Spain while playing.
