About Santiago Cañizares
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse sanˈtjaɣo kaɲiˈθaɾes ˈrwiθ]; born 18 December 1969) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. A product of Real Madrid's youth academies, he eventually joined the first team but proved unable to establish himself there, being loaned out twice. He moved to Valencia in 1998, appearing in 416 official matches over the next decade and winning several major titles, including two La Liga championships and the 2004 UEFA Cup. Cañizares represented Spain in three World Cups and as many European Championships, and won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. == Club career == Born in Madrid but raised in Puertollano, Castilla–La Mancha from where his parents hailed, Cañizares started his career with Real Madrid in 1988, playing initially with its C team. He started professionally with Elche, Mérida and Celta de Vigo, making his first La Liga appearance with the Galicians in the 1992–93 season, missing only two league games during his tenure and subsequently returning to Real Madrid. Unable to cement a starting place, his best output being 26 matches during 1997–98 (but he lost his place in the final part of the year to Bodo Illgner, thus missing the 1998 Champions League final), Cañizares moved to Valencia in 1998 to replace the retired Andoni Zubizarreta. He helped the club to win the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España in 1999, also reaching consecutive UEFA Champions League finals (2000 and 2001, saving a penalty from Bayern Munich's Mehmet Scholl in normal time of an eventual penalty shootout defeat in the latter edition) and winning national championships in 2002 and 2004, adding the 2004 UEFA and Super Cups; following the latter campaign, the 34-year-old renewed his contract with the Che for a further two years. In December 2007, Cañizares, alongside teammates Miguel Ángel Angulo and David Albelda, was axed by manager Ronald Koeman, with all three players limited to training and unable to join another side in Spain, having already played four league games. In late April 2008, however, with Koeman's sacking, all three were reinstated by new coach Voro in a squad seriously threatened with relegation, with five rounds remaining; he returned to action on 27 April 2008 as Timo Hildebrand and Juan Luis Mora were injured, in a 3–0 home win against Osasuna.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.