[8] Cárdenas played an important role in helping Español de Madrid win the 1903–04 Campeonato Regional Centro, hence qualifying to the 1904 Copa del Rey, which ended in controversy as they were unable to participate in the final, meaning Athletic Club were declared the champions.
[1] In 1907, the best players from Athletic and Unión Vizcaino came together to form Club Bizcaya, which was specially created to take part in the 1907 Copa del Rey, and Cárdenas was elected into the final cut, where he featured alongside the likes of Juan Arzuaga, the Sena brothers (Alfonso and Miguel), and Charles Simmons.
[10] He helped this team reach the final, where they faced his former club Madrid FC, and losing 0–1 thanks to a late goal from Manuel Prast.
[3] It was during his tenure that the club managed to defeat Madrid FC in official competition for the first time in their history, doing so on 30 January 1909.
However, the presidency of Cárdenas was not so triumphant, with the club experiencing poor sporting results, a weakened economy, and a decrease in the number of members.