[2] Left-footed, he possessed great technical ability which belied his thin physical build, and made 412 competitive appearances for the Andalusians (307 in ten La Liga seasons),[1] helping the club to lift the Copa del Rey in 1977.

He started as a youth manager at Betis, and had two meaningless stints with the first team, including in 1990–91's top flight – seven matches, with eventual relegation.

[4] Cardeñosa returned to Betis in 2010, as part of newly appointed manager Pepe Mel's coaching staff.

[1] His debut came on 30 November 1977 in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Yugoslavia, playing the full 90 minutes in the decisive 1–0 away win.

There, he notoriously missed an open goal chance in the group stage against Brazil in an eventual 0–0 draw, with Spain being eliminated precisely by the South Americans.