1. Playing Career
Ramón Calderé's playing career saw him develop through the youth ranks of a major Spanish club, rise to play in the top division, and represent his country at major international tournaments.
1.1. Club Career
Born in Vila-rodona, Tarragona, Catalonia, Calderé began his football journey within the youth system of his local club, FC Barcelona. He spent several seasons honing his skills with their reserves (FC Barcelona B). During this period, he also had loan spells with clubs like RSD Alcalá and Real Valladolid. He made his La Liga debut during the 1980-81 season while on loan with Real Valladolid.
At the age of 25, in 1984, Calderé was promoted to the FC Barcelona first team. Although he was not a regular starter in his debut season, he played a role in helping the team win the league title in the 1984-85 campaign. He remained with Barcelona until 1988, participating in a total of 157 competitive games, including 110 La Liga matches where he scored 15 goals. In the summer of 1988, against his personal wishes, he signed for Real Betis, another top-flight club. However, his debut campaign with Real Betis ended in relegation for the club. In 1990, he moved to the lower league club UE Sant Andreu, located in his home province. Calderé retired from professional football in 1993 at the age of 34.
1.2. International Career
Calderé earned 18 caps and scored seven goals for the Spanish national team between 1985 and 1988. His debut came on 30 April 1985, in a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Wales in Wrexham, which Spain lost 3-0. He was selected to represent Spain in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico and also for the UEFA Euro 1988 squad, though he did not feature in any matches during the latter tournament.
Beyond the senior team, Calderé was also utilized as an overaged player for the Spanish under-21 side. He contributed to their victory in the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. However, he was unable to appear in the tournament's finals due to an injury.
1.2.1. 1986 FIFA World Cup and Controversy
During the 1986 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, Ramón Calderé experienced a bout of travelers' diarrhea. To treat his condition, the national team physician prescribed him antibiotics. Following Spain's victory against Northern Ireland in the group stage, Calderé was summoned for a doping test. The results of this test came back positive.
Despite the positive test, Calderé was not sanctioned. The Spanish medical staff successfully argued that the medication was administered to combat his severe medical condition and prevent the risk of dehydration, not for performance enhancement. This explanation was accepted by the authorities, and Calderé was cleared to continue playing. Notably, in Spain's very next match, a 3-0 group stage victory against Algeria, he scored two goals.
2. Managerial Career
Upon retiring from his playing career, Ramón Calderé transitioned into football management, embarking on an extensive coaching journey predominantly within Spain's lower leagues. He started his coaching career with assistant roles at clubs such as FC Santboià, CE Europa, and CE Júpiter between 1993 and 1997.
He went on to manage numerous modest teams, often returning to some of them multiple times. His managerial stints include two spells with CE Premià, and tenures at UE Cornellà, CF Gavà, UE Castelldefels, CF Badalona (two stints), AD Ceuta, CF Reus Deportiu, CD Teruel, CF Palencia, Burgos CF, CD Castellón, UE Olot, and Salamanca CF UDS.
A notable incident during his coaching career occurred in June 2008, while he was managing CF Reus Deportiu. Calderé was arrested following an alleged assault on a civil guard during a match against Sangonera Atlético CF. In addition to his work in Spain, Calderé also had a brief period as an assistant coach at Sint-Truidense V.V. in the Belgian Pro League, where he worked under his compatriot Tintín Márquez.
2.1. Managerial Statistics
The following table details Ramón Calderé's managerial record by team and tenure:
| Team | Nat | From | To | Games managed | Games won | Games drawn | Games lost | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Winning percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premià | Spain | 1 July 1997 | 30 June 1998 | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 34.21 |
| Cornellà | Spain | 1 July 1998 | 30 June 2000 | 82 | 45 | 21 | 16 | 151 | 76 | 75 | 54.88 |
| Gavà | Spain | 1 July 2000 | 30 June 2001 | 44 | 23 | 13 | 8 | 83 | 45 | 38 | 52.27 |
| Castelldefels | Spain | 1 January 2002 | 30 June 2002 | 20 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 33 | 27 | 6 | 35.00 |
| Badalona | Spain | 1 July 2002 | 30 June 2005 | 141 | 69 | 40 | 32 | 209 | 130 | 79 | 48.94 |
| Ceuta | Spain | 1 July 2005 | 13 March 2006 | 30 | 5 | 18 | 7 | 22 | 23 | -1 | 16.67 |
| Premià | Spain | 1 July 2006 | 30 June 2007 | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 40 | 58 | -18 | 28.95 |
| Reus | Spain | 1 July 2007 | 30 June 2009 | 91 | 47 | 25 | 19 | 155 | 86 | 69 | 51.65 |
| Teruel | Spain | 1 July 2009 | 28 May 2011 | 80 | 43 | 20 | 17 | 128 | 64 | 64 | 53.75 |
| Palencia | Spain | 1 July 2011 | 23 June 2012 | 43 | 13 | 11 | 19 | 36 | 52 | -16 | 30.23 |
| Burgos | Spain | 23 June 2012 | 13 June 2014 | 85 | 47 | 15 | 23 | 135 | 72 | 63 | 55.29 |
| Castellón | Spain | 30 October 2014 | 19 October 2015 | 55 | 24 | 15 | 16 | 75 | 51 | 24 | 43.64 |
| Olot | Spain | 1 June 2016 | 3 June 2017 | 40 | 25 | 9 | 6 | 75 | 39 | 36 | 62.50 |
| Salmantino | Spain | 16 October 2017 | 9 February 2018 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 40.00 |
| Badalona | Spain | 9 July 2018 | 22 January 2019 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 25 | -6 | 22.73 |
| Total | 824 | 383 | 225 | 216 | 1232 | 813 | 419 | 46.48 | |||
3. Honours
Ramón Calderé achieved several significant titles throughout both his playing and managerial careers.
3.1. Player
FC Barcelona
- La Liga: 1984-85
- Copa del Rey: 1987-88
- Copa de la Liga: 1985-86
UE Sant Andreu
- Segunda División B: 1991-92
3.2. Manager
CF Gavà
- Tercera División: 2000-01
CD Teruel
- Tercera División: 2009-10
CD Castellón
- Tercera División: 2014-15
UE Santa Coloma
- Primera Divisió: 2023-24
- Copa Constitució: 2024