Juan Carlos Pérez Frías and Nacho Pérez Frías (rest in peace) are part of the history of the Club in their own right. As players, they accumulated an outstanding, lengthy career with the extinct CD Málaga, becoming icons of the youth ranks and pioneers off the pitch, by complementing their sports careers with medical studies.
Retired from professional football, Juan Carlos and Nacho shared the responsibility as medics for the first and second team for more than 20 years with Málaga CF, following a decade as players with CD Málaga. The ‘Doc’ as Head of Medical Services at the Club, and Nacho within the youth ranks, while the father of the former Blue and White player and current coach of Liga Nacional Juvenil, Nacho Pérez Santamaría came to train the reserve team, and was a regular on first team trips, in rotation with his brother.
From a personal aspect, the light of Nacho and the goodness of Juan Carlos have always been valued for asserting an absolutely exemplary human quality. Together with the professional meticulousness of both for over four decades linked to the first team of the city, makes them undisputed Club legends.
Tribute
The Málaga CF Foundation, taking advantage of the match at La Rosaleda between Málaga CF and Real Zaragoza (Friday 24th, 21:00) corresponding to LaLiga 1|2|3 matchday 40, will carry out several actions to honour the Pérez Frías. First, in the hours leading up to the match, a plaque will be unveiled in the local dressing room at Martiricos, which will be renamed ‘Sala Médica Hermanos Pérez Frías’.
Subsequently, at the foot of the pitch, the relatives will receive some commemorative Málaga shirts, just before the team warm-ups. Club advisers, Francisco Martín Aguilar and Abdullah Ben Barek will present the Pérez Frías family with two Blue and White shirts bearing the number ‘7’ for Juan Carlos and ‘5’ for Nacho.
Fate again unites our beloved Nacho Pérez Frías with Real Zaragoza, as his official league debut with Málaga was at La Romareda on 6th March 1977, more than 42 years ago on First Division matchday 25 (1976/77).
Photograph (archive): Nacho Pérez Frías, Nacho and Perico Pérez Santamaría and Juan Carlos Pérez Frías
