A thread of golden memories ties CD Castellón to Cádiz CF. Both clubs, set to face off this Friday at SkyFi Castalia, share a common legend: José Ricardo Escobar Palacios (born in San Fernando, Cádiz, in 1958). Known as the “master of promotions,” Escobar is a Cádiz icon. During his two seasons with Castellón (1988–1990), he delivered outstanding performances, helping the club secure promotion to La Liga in his first year and achieve survival in the second.
Speaking to Mediterráneo via WhatsApp, Escobar recalls a phone conversation from last year and still feels the same about his time in white and black. “I remember everything,” he says, listing his teammates and coach Luiche, who passed away in 2024. Escobar will always be remembered at Castalia as one of the heroes of the 1989 promotion. “Maybe there wasn’t much pressure to go up, but when I arrived, I thought promotion was possible,” he notes.
These words carry weight coming from a player who holds the record for the most promotions to La Liga: six. Four with Cádiz, one with Elche, and one with Castellón. That’s no small feat.
Promotion and Survival
“There was a solid core of homegrown players, and we brought in good signings. We didn’t start well, but we formed a strong bond and recovered,” explains Escobar, a key figure in the squad. A hard-working midfielder with quality, he played 41 games (scoring three goals) in the Segunda División season and 27 in the following La Liga campaign. Despite some sources labeling him a right-back, Escobar clarifies: “No, I just wore the number 2 shirt sometimes, but I played in midfield. Against Real Madrid, for example, I marked Aldana.”
That 0-0 draw at Castalia against the “Quinta del Buitre” Real Madrid was a highlight, as was their 1-0 victory over Cruyff’s emerging Barcelona. “I was a midfielder who won a lot of balls, got forward, and had a good shot,” Escobar sums up his qualities.
His fine performances at Castellón didn’t lead to a contract extension. “I would have liked to stay, because my wife and children were well integrated in the city, but we couldn’t reach a financial agreement,” he regrets.
New Life
Escobar then returned home and retired. He stayed away from football, except for Cádiz veterans’ matches, which he still plays at 67. “Nothing interesting came up, so I hung up my boots at 32 and joined the family business. I didn’t want to be a coach or anything—the best part of football is being a player,” adds the native of Cádiz, who now barely watches football. His reason: “I prefer to enjoy the weekend with my wife.”