Green Shoe Option

Banco Santander Central Hispano SA
10 August 2000

BANCO SANTANDER CENTRAL HISPANO SHARE OFFER COORDINATORS EXECUTE GREEN SHOE
OPTION

*  The Bank raised Ptas. 635,803 million from the offer

*  In the month since the offer closed, the Bank's shares have appreciated by   
  6%

The coordinators of Banco Santander Central Hispano's recent public share offer
have decided to execute 100% of their green shoe option, equivalent to 45
million shares or Ptas. 84,233 million.

This successfully completes the largest ever capital increase in Spain's
financial system, in which the Bank raised a total of Ptas. 635,803 million
(including the Ptas. 84,233 million green shoe) and increased its shareholder
base by 54% to more than 1.2 million shareholders.  At the same time, the
Group's market capitalization has risen to more than 52 billion euros.

Of the total 345 million new shares, 240 million (69.57%) corresponded to the
retail tranche; 79.8 million (23.13%) to the international tranche and the
remaining 25.2 million (7.3%) to the Spain institutional tranche.

The success of the offer underlines market confidence in Banco Santander Central
Hispano, whose shares gained 6% in the month since the offer closed, compared
with 1.1% for the IBEX-35.

Investor Relations Department

Plaza de Canalejas, 1-5th Floor, 28014 Madrid - 
Phone: [phone]/1370/2040
Fax:   [phone]