SPORTS KIROLAK

ATHLETIC, REAL AND ALAVÉS ENJOY A GOLDEN SEASON Basque soccer nearly touches heaven

The streets of Euskadi swarmed with joyful people because of soccer results. Each of the capitals had a reason to ce- lebrate. In Bilbao, in the year of the cen- tennial, the Athletic gave reasons to dream of a second position in the lea- gue that gives way to the famous Euro- pean “Champions League”. Donostia was all dressed up in white and blue to celebrate the third position, and Vitoria- Gasteiz was just delirious after the pro- motion of “glorious” Alavés to the first division, after 42 years of absence. And as if this was not enough, the Basque victories found in the Real Madrid a convenient “scapegoat”, for Athletic and Real had better positions than the team from Madrid in a season in which the Alavans had eliminated it from the Cup. Practically there is nothing more we could ask for. The night of Friday May 15th, was certainly unusual. In the first place be- cause of the day; we are used to cele- brate soccer matches on Saturdays or Sundays, so that night didn’t seem favo- rable. Moreover the League was still open. Except for the first position, con- quered by the team in prece- ding matches, all the rest was still to be decided: the first positions, the teams that would take part in European com- petitions and those to be demoted. So- me domestic quarrels, such as who would get a better position, Athletic or Real, what was going to happen with Real Madrid, etc., also had to be eluci- dated. It was a vibrating night, both for those who were watching the matches from the pitch or on the many retrans- missions broadcast on the radio and te- levision, that kept switching from one pitch to the other. There was nobody on the streets, and the refrigerators of every bar in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia we- FOTO: AYGÜES re full of champagne bottles eager to be The Real on the other hand, achieved a surpassed them. From that moment on, uncorked. worthy triumph that placed the Donostia towards midnight, all Euskadi left home And it happened. A goal by Joseba team before Real Madrid, which did for a “gau-pasa”, and the whole wee- Etxeberria guaranteed the second posi- more than compensate them for the fact kend was full of feasts, music and mass tion in the League for the Bilbao team. that their neighbors from Athletic had celebrations. ■

26 SPORTS KIROLAK Vitoria returns to First division after 42 years RIBE O AULINO : P OTOS F

José V. Merino the golden division of Spanish soccer, pictures of –who be- in 1956, Vitoria was a small provin- came world champion with Argenti- cial town getting ready for one of the na– at the time he landed on Vitoria May the third 1998 was a date most amazing expansions that have barely out of his teens, coming from marked in red in the modest list of mi- taken place in the peninsula. By that the Rosario Newells Old Boys, kept lestones of the white and blue team. time its population was about 68,000 them company. On that date two goals scored by Se- and the rest of Alava amounted to ne- With this background it is not sur- rrano and another one by the local arly 70,000. At present this capital is prising that a crowd of more than 30 idol Sívori took the Alavés to the First a city of 217,000 souls, and in the thousand people gathered under the Division for the third time in its 77 ye- province there are only about 65,000 rain on the day after the exploit, de- ars of history. With the 3-0 against inhabitants. Vitoria has been steadily manding the presence of the soccer the Rayo Vallecano, no only the Men- luring thousands of people from su- heroes. There were people of all dizorroza team became one of the rrounding regions for 4 decades, ages, among them a grandfather with twenty teams of the next Stars Lea- mainly because of the industrial his grandson on top of him saying: gue, one of the best in the world, but growth experienced by this city. “look at them, my son. The last time Vitoria also gained prestige. “This is Between both dates the city com- we were in the First I had just finished going to be the icing on the cake, a pletely reshaped its face, while the my military service 42 years and two result worthy of a good capital like Alavés wandered through a kind of generations ago. Aupa Alavés!” Vitoria, which will have from now on trip in the desert, without many suc- A week after these celebrations, a team in the élite, a team that will cesses to remember. This team, consi- Lehendakari José Antonio Ardanza become the symbol of a city without dered as a Second Division Barcelo- declared in an article published in El symbols”. Those were the words of na, because of its flourishing eco- Correo that “we never lost hope of Gonzalo Antón, the strong man in the nomy, entered a downward spiral in seeing Alavés among the best, as the club, who was overflowing with joy the eighties, when they lost the op- hymn says. Now the difficult part although he had not yet fully digested portunity of promotion to Osasuna has been achieved, and while the the victory. The statements of the di- from Navarre. The club even sunk to old pitch of Mendizorroza is renova- rectors of the club, apart from the Third Division for debts, and in its ne- ted and made up for the next cam- very understandable satisfaction, we- arly empty showcases there were only paign, we face the even more diffi- re rooted in the few occasions this the remains of the glorious days in cult task of keeping the club on the club has lived such sweet moments. which Jacinto Quincoces and Ciriaco “trainera” of the best, with a modest The last time “The Glorious” reached Errasti were the team stars. Faded budget”. ■

27 DEPORTES KIROLAK SPORTS KIROLAK

100 years through its leading characters here are two ways of telling the history in soccer. The first one is based on data, statistics, figures and dates. The second one T turning to its leading characters. These men who have enjoyed popular fervor and whose exploits, achievements and even anec- dotes have been told from one generation to the next. This is how Athletic has created its own “mythology”. Pedro Mari Goikoetxea

RAFAEL MORENO “PICHICHI”

This is doubtless the first great myth of the red and white history. The chroni- cles of the time tell that “Pichichi” was renown for his demolishing kick, his in- telligence and his tricks to confuse the rivals. His talent for soccer made of him a real idol for the masses, and his name has always been a synonym for goal. That is why “Pichichi” has meant for se- veral decades, best goal-scorer. He was the author of the first goal in San Ma- més in 1913, and he won the silver me- dal in the Antwerp Olympic Games (1920). The painter Aurelio Arteta im- mortalized him in one of his paintings, and his bust occupies a place of honor in the soccer “Cathedral”, San Mamés. The goal legend died under thirty, in 1922, a short while after he abandoned The Captain of the Brazilian Selection placed flowers on the monument to Pichichi before soccer, apparently because of typhoid the match played to celebrate the centennial of Athletic. fever caught after eating foul oysters. His death, premature and strange, en- ciedad that took place in Atotxa, a lauste entered in history as the embodi- hanced the myth. clash between Belauste and Arrate star- ment of fury and strength. ted a real battle and brought about the BELAUSTE suspension of the match. MISTER PENTLAND Anyway Belauste won his place in José María Belaustegigoitia Paga- history because of a sentence he pro- He was the coach who won more zaurtundua, contemporary and friend nounced during the match between prizes in the history of Athletic. He took of “Pichichi”, shared with him the habit and Sweden in the Antwerp charge of the Bilbao team in 1922 and of playing often with a handkerchief on Olympic Games (1920). His colleague thanks to his work the players became his head. However the style of this pla- Sabino, another Athletic player, was professional. He changed the training yer had little to do with that of the Bil- about to commit foul play when Belaus- systems and their periodicity. During his bao goal-scorer. With an impressive te shouted to him “A mí el pelotón, Sa- first stage he won a Cup title. After an physique and a great capacity for ag- bino, que los arrollo” (throw me the absence of 4 seasons, Mister Pentland gression, he was practically impossible ball, Sabino, I’ll knock them down). He returned to the helm of the red and whi- to stop. His fury caused great admira- did just as he said. Belauste shot the ball te team with an unprecedented success. tion among the red and white suppor- with the head and threw it into the net The Athletic team added 2 leagues and ters, but it also brought him some trou- knocking down several Swedish defen- 4 cups to the already overflowing show- bles. During a match against Real So- ders in the process. Needless to say, Be- cases of the club. Moreover, under his

28 M. Pentland, the coach with the bowler hat and the cigar, Venancio left all defenders sitting on the grass. holds the record of prizes. leadership Athletic achieved the biggest Panizo. His cerebral play, slow in appe- goal-score of its history: 12-1 against arance, took its time to be accepted by Barcelona. Mister Pentland was in char- the supporters, who were used to ge of excellent players such as Garizu- strength-soccer. The chronicles say that rieta, Lafuente, Iraragorri, Bata (biggest San Mamés started to understand Pani- goal-scorer in the 30-31), Txirri II and zo when in 1947 the Argentinian team Gorostiza (nick-named “red bullet” be- San Lorenzo de Almagro played a sen- cause of his incredible speed). The man sational match in San Mamés with a with the bowler hat and the cigar finally game full of brains and technique “in left Bilbao in 1933, leaving after him a the style of Panizo”. trail of unbeatable successes. MAURI-MAGUREGI IRIONDO, VENANCIO, ZARRA, PANIZO AND GAINZA But the Athletic club was famous not only for its forward line, but also for its Each of them should have their own halfback line. Actually the names of the heading, but as the collective memory whole team were recited like a poem by of the red and white supporters have Espronceda: Carmelo. Orue, Garai, joined their names, it is not for me to se- Canito, Mauri, Maguregi, Artetxe, Mar- parate them. Moreover, although du- kaida, Arieta, Uribe and Gainza. Mau- ring their long life as Athletic players ri and Maguregi played so well toget- they were joined by other excellent pla- Zarra in full flight just before scoring a goal. her that everybody remembers them as yers such as Artetxe, for example, these a couple married for life. This soccer five men were the components of the rrounded by specialists in the last pass. marriage was particularly well attuned mythic forward line. They scored alto- The best of them, Piru Gainza, was a re- and each one played their part accor- gether no less than 662 goals, which gi- al phenomenon. He not only had a pro- ding to their talents. Mauri represented ve an accurate impression of their qua- digious left-foot kick, but a great capa- the strength, the pull, the aggressiveness lity. Telmo Zarraonaindia “Zarra” was city for dribbling and a great amount of and he also had a knack for goals. Ma- specially gifted for this, for he was best cunning. For all these reasons, he was guregi on the contrary represented ele- goal scorer of the league 6 times, and the master of the left line for 20 seasons, gance and precision. They could some- he achieved figures that are unthinkable and he holds the record of cups: a total how be considered as the forerunners of nowadays: 252 goals in 278 matches. of 7. Although he was a genius of “as- the double pivot, which is so apprecia- Moreover, he scored another 20 goals sistance”, he wasn’t bad either at sco- ted at the moment. After all, soccer has in the same number of matches with the ring goals. Those who had the chance not changed so much deep down. selection. One of these was the goal to to see him play still remember the 8 go- have greater consequences. We are tal- als he scored to the Celta in the prelimi- JESÚS GARAI king of the goal scored to England in nary round of the Cup on May the eigh- the Brazil World Championship (1950). teenth 1947. His memorable perfor- All those who knew him admired People said at the time that Zarra had mance against Ireland won him the his elegance and his skill in managing “the best head in Europe after Chur- nickname of “the Dublin deer” the ball, a skill that was unusual in the chill”. Among the components of the myt- defenders of the time. He was the fore- If Zarra was the prototype of the hical forward line there was a player runner of the “sweeper” that became so born shooter, the scorer, he was su- who was not always well understood: popular in soccer some years after. His

29 fine qualities attracted the interest of the Barcelona that managed to lure him to their team in August 1960. They had to pay 5.5 million pesetas, which was a big sum for the time. The red and white supporters gave his name to the North stand, which was inaugurated on the following year, for they considered it had been built with the money of his transferal, although the Athletic always denied it. Iribar, from Zarauz, was much more than a goalkeeper. FOTOS: ARCHIVO ATHLETIC JOSE ANGEL IRIBAR “EL CHOPO” we should also mention some other pla- ● This is maybe the most representati- yers who left a deep trace in the sup- Poema baten antzera ve player of the recent history of the porters as well. For example, Txetxu Ro- errepika dezakete club. His elongated silhouette, his so- jo, the delicate and temperamental left- Athletic-zaleek euren briety and his post enabled him to be- handed outside forward, who played bihotzean daramaten come the undisputed number one pla- more than 500 matches with Athletic. yer of his time. In a few years he beca- His silky soccer is still in the memories of delantera ospetsu haren me a real mass idol, and many red and those who watched him play. Fidel izenak. white supporters sprung all over the Uriarte, extremely skilled for head Spanish geography because of him. He shots, who won the Pichichi trophy du- ● Athletic-en iragana stayed for 18 seasons in the Athletic ring the season 67-68. , and after he retired he became a part of a promise who saw his career end paregabea izan arren, the technical staff of the club, where he when he was under 20, because of a oraindik ere, lorpen continues. His figures are his best pre- severe injury. He could make it up after- handiak eskuratzeko gai sentation: 446 league matches with wards helping the Athletic win the last da taldea. Athletic (absolute record), 93 cup mat- three titles of its history, but this time ches, 26 feria cup matches, 23 UEFA from the bench. Dani also has a special Cup matches, and he was international place in the red and white altars. He decision created an intense debate 49 times. He also fought a match with was the second best goal-scorer of all ti- among the supporters, and the Real So- the Euskadi selection and in the last few mes and he could be considered as the ciedad cancelled all relations with Ath- years he has directed the Basque team. autochthonous version of the German letic. However, time is proving that that In relation to titles his career was not so goal-scorer Gerd Müller. We cannot decision was right. spectacular. Only two Spain cups and forget either Andoni Goikoetxea, sadly will doubtless leave his trace. the Nations Eurocup in 1964. The cup known for the injuries to Maradona and However is the final that Athletic lost to the Zaragoza of Schuster, but who had important quali- most popular and idolized player “the magnificent five”, only served to fe- ties as a soccer player. He was a man among the social mass. A player with ed the legend, for the supporters began who knew how to move a ball, and he a great instinct for scoring goals, he is to sing: “Iribar, Iribar, Iribar es cojonu- was excellent in air play. He was bapti- about to take part in his second World do, como Iribar no hay ninguno”, re- zed as “the last great lion”. Championship, and he is barely 24. warding this way the exceptional per- He is a symbol of the present Athletic, formance of the Basque goalkeeper, in JULEN GUERRERO “THE PEARL” but the admiration the red and white spite of the defeat. family has for him is not mainly due to All these data, important though The history does not stop. We have his undeniable values as a soccer pla- they are, do not describe in our opinion at present names and events that will be yer but to his fidelity to the Athletic, the most interesting traits of his bio- remembered in the future. For example which has made him repeatedly reject graphy. We should certainly point out Roberto Ríos became a short while ago multimillionaire offers from more po- his love for the Athletic team, that made involuntarily the most expensive transfer werful clubs. This is a strange case in him reject offers which were practically of the 100 years of history of the club. the mercantile landscape of contempo- irresistible, and his devotion to Euskera. The two billion pesetas paid for this de- rary soccer, and it could set an exam- For instance, he gave the whole gate of fender are a difficult record to surpass ple for future generations. Doubtless the ceremony in his honor for the pro- and to forget. Julen Guerrero and some other players motion of Basque language. Something similar happened with will be mentioned when the history of We have already said that José An- Joseba Etxeberria. The Athletic paid the second centennial of Athletic is gel Iribar was an international idol, but 550 million when he was only 17. This written. ■

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