Macala (footballer)

Macala was born in Barcelona. His father, Luis Gardoy (1891–1939), known as Macala, was a renowned pelotari born in Guernica. Luis spent several years in Latin America, playing the sport in various countries such as Cuba, the United States, Mexico, and Peru before eventually settling in Barcelona. During this time, he played a pelota match alongside Ricardo Zamora, the famous Spanish international goalkeeper. In 1917, he married a Catalan woman, and from this marriage, Cándido Gardoy was born in 1921, inheriting his father’s nickname. In 1923, at just two years old, he moved with his family to Guernica. == Career ==

Macala joined Athletic Bilbao in late 1938, competing in various matches of the Biscay Regional Championship, alongside several young players such as Piru Gaínza and Jose María Echevarría. With elite competition suspended due to the Spanish Civil War, Macala was part of a squad composed of inexperienced players. In th 1939–40 season he made his La Liga debut on 3 December 1939, in a 1–3 lose against Athletic Aviación, as a full member of the first team, helping rebuild the Bilbao side after the war. In his debut season, he made nine appearances in La Liga and eight in the Regional Championship. In 1940, he joined Espanyol, where he played for three seasons, earning more regular playing time. He later played the 1943–44 season in Segunda División with Real Zaragoza. In 1944–45, he signed for Hércules, achieving promotion to La Liga in 1945. He remained with the Alicante-based club for two more seasons, one in the top division and one in the second tier. In 1947–48, coming from Hércules in Segunda División, he signed for Real Madrid, which spent four seasons with the Merengues, narrowly avoiding relegation in his first year. He was part of the team that won the 1947 Copa Eva Duarte against Valencia, which was played in 1948, his first and only major title as a professional footballer. Macala was also known as the first player in Real Madrid's history to wear the number 7 jersey, doing so in the Madrid derby in November 1947. In 1951, he joined Racing Santander, where he played for two seasons before retiring in Segunda División, concluding his career with Gimnástica de Torrelavega in the 1953–54 season. He was called up once to the Spain national team, though he never made his debut. Years later, a player from Hércules, , was nicknamed Makalita or Macalita due to his resemblance to Macala. ==Career statistics==

;Real Madrid • Copa Eva Duarte: 1947 ==References==