Nacho (footballer, born June 1980)

For Another Spanish footballers with the same nickname, see Nacho (disambiguation).

Nacho

200px Nacho training with Betis in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Ignacio Pérez Santamaría
Date of birth	(1980-06-24) 24 June 1980
Place of birth	Málaga, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Left back
Team information
Current team	Retired
Youth career
	Málaga
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2004	Málaga B	112	(17)
2002–2006	Málaga	36	(3)
2004–2005	→ Levante (loan)	27	(4)
2006–2009	Getafe	40	(4)
2008	→ Real Sociedad (loan)	16	(1)
2008–2009	→ Málaga (loan)	34	(1)
2009–2014	Betis	150	(1)
Total		415	(31)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Pérez and the second or maternal family name is Santamaría.

Ignacio Pérez Santamaría (born 24 June 1980), known as Nacho, is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a left back (he could also operate as a left midfielder).

Football career

A product of Málaga CF's youth system, Nacho was born in Málaga, and he made his first-team debut on 23 March 2003, in a 1–1 La Liga home draw with Celta de Vigo. He went on to play four seasons with the Andalusia club, with a loan to fellow league side Levante UD in between.

In July 2006, upon Málaga's top flight relegation, Nacho joined Madrid's Getafe CF. Scarcely used during his second season he would be loaned in January 2008 to second level's Real Sociedad, as the Basque ultimately failed to return to the top flight, with the player appearing in 16 matches – 13 as a starter.

For the 2008–09 campaign Nacho was loaned again, rejoining former team Málaga. Mainly used as a substitute he scored his first goal in his second spell in a 3–1 away win against Real Valladolid on 22 February 2009, helping the side finish eighth immediately after promoting.

In late August 2009 Nacho moved to Real Betis in division two, for the next three seasons. During most of his stint with the club he was used as an offensive left back, and played 34 games in his second year as the Verdiblancos returned to the top division after two years.

Personal life

Nacho's father, who also bore the same nickname, played as a defender for CD Málaga during 1976–84, appearing in 69 top division games over the course of four seasons. There, he shared teams with his brother Juan Carlos, who still spent the following campaign with the club, and both continued to work with their main team (under its new denomination) in medical capacities following their retirement.

Nacho's brother, Perico, played for the club's reserves.

External links

• Nacho profile at BDFutbol
• Betisweb stats and bio (Spanish)
• Nacho at Soccerway