José Antonio Santamaría


José Antonio Santamaría Vaqueriza was a Spanish footballer. After retiring from football he had a career as an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector. He was murdered in a terrorist attack at the age of 46.

Playing career

During his career as a professional, he played for SD Eibar, San Sebastián – reserve team of Real Sociedad –, the aforementioned club's first team, Hércules CF and finished his career at CE Sabadell FC.

International

Santamaría played for his country at the under-23 level and was shortlisted to play for the senior team on several occasions.

After football

After retiring from football, Santamaría with other partners opened a nightclub in San Sebastián called the Ku Nightclub. This club was a great success and would become one of the hottest spots in town. In 1978, along with two other partners, he expanded the Ku franchise to the island of Ibiza, acquiring and expanding existing premises that would become known as Ku club Ibiza. During the 1980s, the open-air Ku Club Ibiza became one of the most famous and fashionable 'super clubs'in the world, even being included in the Guinness Book of Records. Santamaría had among his personal friends personalities such as the film director Roman Polanski, who at that time had a house in Ibiza.
He was killed in an attack committed by ETA in 1993.