Popularly known as ‘Koke’, Santi Coch Castillo was a famous personality
in Spanish football who died on Sep 12, 2024 aged 64 years. People knew Santi
Coch for his great career as both football player and the manager His
achievements were outstanding especially due to the fact that he managed the
football club Gimnàstic de Tarragona during his playing career.
Santi Coch was born on May 27, 1960, in Vimbodí i Poblet, Spain, and to
started playing football in his early ages. He started his youth career with a
Spanish team Gimnàstic de Tarragona without wasting time, he progressed to
being one of the key players with the senior team. He played at the Gimnàstic
for 17 years from 1977 to 1994 when he made 464 appearances and 5 goals in his
career majoring in defense.
Santi Coch was bought by La Cava on a six months loan in the 1978/1979
season of football and during his time at the team, he was able to feature in
27 matches. Accustomed to playing as a defender and having been a captain in
the field, people quickly appreciated his loyalty and steadiness with the club
in question, namely Gimnàstic, and fans as well as teammates.
As for further career, after retiring from professional playing career in
football, Santi Coch tried himself in management, and his first significant
position there was the head coach of Pobla Mafumet starting from the year 2005
till 2010. His methods of leadership and play not only gave an insight of what
he was made of but also enhanced stability within the club whenever he was in
charge.
Santi Coch went back to his favorite team, Gimnàstic de Tarragona in 2017
as an assistant coach, and he performs this duty until 2019. During his time
there he played a vital role in the teaching of the young players that are
accepted in the team as well as contributing to the other aspects of the team
that made it great.
The legacy
that Santi Coch will always be
remembered for in Spanish football is hardwork, commitment and love for the
game and his clubs. Other records that are associated with him include having a
total of 491 career appearances and the zeal that he had for the clubs that he
would serve both an as a player and a coach. His death brings curtain to a very
extraordinary epoch but his impact and achievements will not be forgotten to
those people who had the fortune of sharing working or watching him dance on
the soccer pitch.
Santi Coch
will not only be remembered as a player who never backed down in protecting
goals, but also as a coach who studied and loved football enough to pass on his
wisdom in it to those young in the game. His death should however be considered
a major loss to the Spanish football fraternity.
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