Hermenegildo Elices

Hermenegildo Elices Rivas (13 April 1914 – 7 March 1964) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Athletic Bilbao, and Real Madrid CF.

He won back-to-back Copa del Rey titles with both Bilbao (1943 and 1944) and Madrid (1946 and 1947), along with two league titles with the red and white club.

Playing career
Hermenegildo Elices was born in the Biscayan town of Sestao on 13 April 1914. After playing for SD Leioa and Sestao Sport Club, he joined Athletic Bilbao in 1934, with whom he made his debut in the First Division on 30 September. In his next two games in the First Division he scored two doubles against Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona.

His stint there ended in 1936 due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and during the last year of the war, he played for one year at Deportivo Alavés before returning to Athletic in 1939 and staying there for another five seasons. In total, he played 116 official matches (79 in the League, 27 in the Copa del Rey, and 10 in the Regional Championship), scoring 38 goals. With Athletic, he won the League twice in 1935–36 and 1942–43 and two Cup titles in 1943 and 1944. He started in the 1943 cup final, which ended in a 1–0 victory over his future club Madrid, and he also played in the 1942 final, in which he scored in a 3–4 loss to Barcelona. Notably, on 27 April 1941, Elices netted a hat-trick against Athletic-Aviation, the soon-to-be Atlético Madrid, to help his side to a 6–2 win in the 1941–47 FEF President Cup.

In 1944, the 30-year-old Elices signed for Real Madrid, where he played his last four years as a professional. In total, he played 28 League and 11 Cup games for the white club, scoring seven goals, and won the Copa del Rey in 1946 and 1947,  starting in the former final to help his side to a 3–1 victory over Valencia CF.

Honours
Athletic Club
 * La Liga:
 * Winners (2): 1935–36 and 1942–43


 * Copa del Rey:
 * Winners (2): 1943 and 1944

Madrid FC
 * Copa del Rey:
 * Winners (2): 1946 and 1947