The Cantera Rojiblanca has produced many players who have made their mark in our soccer and many others who have stolen the hearts of all ChivaHermanos. Today we remember one of them, 'Pepe' Martínez, who with his skill, speed and blessed ability to shoot from medium distance with his right foot, amazed everyone who watched him on the field.
He joined Chivas at the age of 14 and since then he remained in the ranks of his only professional team, but it was on November 11, 1980 when he reached the rank of Chivas star, since he surprised everyone in a match played in Los Angeles against Argentinos Juniors, in which he overshadowed another rising star, Diego Armando Maradona himself.
That night at El Coliseo, the Rojiblanco team won 1-0 with a goal by Martínez, who at 61' shot the goalkeeper with a right-footed shot that ended up in the net, after a great collective play in which Arturo Razo, José Cedano and Jaime Pajarito participated. Pepe' thus crowned a performance of note that earned him the recognition of the entire audience present and even of another idol, Fernando Quirarte, who has repeatedly stated that on that day his then teammate played for note.
That same afternoon, Boca Juniors directors, who had watched the match from one of the boxes in the stadium, offered him a contract with the Xeneize team at the end of the match, in a proposal that remained an anecdote.
On that occasion, the Chiverío lined up with Javier Ledesma, Arturo Razo (José Gutiérrez at 85'), Fernando Quirarte, Gabriel López Zapiain and Juan Rodríguez Jara, Javier Cárdenas, José Cedano, José Martínez, Hugo Díaz, Jaime Pajarito and Samuel Rivas; the coach was Diego Mercado.
Unfortunately, 3 months after this match, the story of Pepe Martínez took an unexpected turn when a fatal accident on the highway cost the life of the talented Rojiblanco attacking midfielder, who that day decided to change his usual place on the Chivas bus with his great friend Hugo Díaz de la Paz.
