Pepe Corona

Pepe Corona
Personal information
Full name	José Llopis Corona
Date of birth	June 4, 1918
Place of birth	Alicante, Spain
Date of death	January 29, 2011 (aged 92)
Place of death	Alicante, Spain
Position(s)	Left back
Youth career
	Iberia
	Gimnástico Carolinas
Senior career*
Years	Team
1935–1939	Gimnástico Carolinas
1939–1941	Alicante
1941–1943	Hércules
1943–1948	Real Madrid
1948–1949	Gimnàstic
1949–1950	Mallorca
1950–1951	Gandía
Managerial career
	Villajoyosa
	Monóvar
	Jijona
	Calpe
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José 'Pepe' Llopis Corona (4 June 1918 – 29 January 2011) was a Spanish footballer who played as a left defender.

Over the course of seven seasons he amassed La Liga totals of 150 games and 14 goals, namely with Real Madrid.

Football career

Born in Alicante, Valencian Community, Corona made his La Liga debuts with local Hércules CF,^[1] being relegated in his first year as a professional. In 1943 he signed with Real Madrid, going on to remain in the Spanish capital for five seasons, where he appeared in a total of 143 official games; a renowned tough defender, he was also a penalty kick specialist.^[2]

Corona, the last survivor of the inaugural match at the Nuevo Chamartín on 14 December 1947, against C.F. Os Belenenses,^[3] won two Spanish Cups with the Merengues and left the club in 1948, going on to represent until his retirement three years later Gimnàstic de Tarragona (in the top level), RCD Mallorca and CF Gandía.

Corona died on 29 January 2011, in his hometown of Alicante. He was 92 years old.^[4]^[5]

^ "José Llopis Corona" (in Spanish). Las Provincias. 6 June 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ "Llopis Corona, José (Corona)" (in Spanish). Real Madrid's official website. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ "First-hand testimonies". Real Madrid's official website. 14 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ "Fallece José Llopis Corona, ex jugador del Real Madrid" [José Llopis Corona, former Real Madrid player, dies] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 30 January 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ "Jose Llopis Corona has died". Real Madrid's official website. 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2013.