Rafael González (Spanish footballer)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Martín.
Rafael González
Personal information
Full name Rafael González Martín
Date of birth (1903-02-28)28 February 1903
Place of birth Las Palmas, Spain
Date of death 28 November 1961(1961-11-28) (aged 58)
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1921–1923 CD Gran Canaria
1923–1925 Marino
1925–1929 Espanyol 12 (0)
1929–1931 Atlético de Sabadell
1931–1932 Zaragoza
Managerial career
1931–1932 Zaragoza
1933–1935 Logroñés
1936 Vic
1940–1941 Girona
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rafael González Martín (28 February 1903 – 28 November 1961) was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Espanyol in the late 1920s. After retiring, he became a manager, taking over the likes of Zaragoza and Logroñés in the 1930s.

Early life

Born on 28 February 1903 in Las Palmas,[1] González began playing football with his friends in the shady fields of the Fuera de la Portada neighborhood, and they soon developed into organized teams with pompous names which played matches that either lasted hours or were interrupted by the city guards.[2]

Playing career

González began his career at his hometown club CD Gran Canaria in 1921, aged 18, from which he joined Marino, where he quickly stood out for his defensive skills, as he was tall, strong, and had a powerful physical and athletic abilities, thus being considered the best player in his position.[2] On 30 July 1925, he sailed for Catalonia, accompanied by Paco Bru, the coach of Espanyol, which signed González in August, as well as fellow Canarians José Padrón and Rafael Oramas just a few months later.[2][3]

González stayed at Espanyol for four years, from 1925 until 1929, playing a total of 28 official matches,[1] including 12 La Liga matches in its inaugural edition in 1929,[4] and the 1929 Copa del Rey final, helping his side to a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid.[2][5][a] However, he was sidelined due to a serious injury suffered at the Montjuïc stadium in June 1929,[6][7] so he then joined Atlético de Sabadell.[1]

Managerial career

After retiring, González became a coach, taking over Zaragoza CD during the 1931–32 season, where he was also a substitute player.[8] In 1933, he took charge of Logroñés,[9] a position he held for two years, until 1935.[10] Following a brief stint at the helm of Vic in 1936,[11] González took over Girona in the 1940–41 season.[10]

Death

After leaving the world of football, González settled in Barcelona, where he married and where he died on 28 November 1961, at the age of 58.[1][12]

Honours

Espanyol

Catalan championship

Copa del Rey:

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources wrongly state that it was Portas who played in the final and not González.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Rafael GONZÁLEZ Martín". www.periquito.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rafael González Martín". lahistoriadelfutbolcanario.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Paco Bru ha regresado de su viaje a Canarias" [Paco Bru has returned from his trip to the Canary Islands]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 7 August 1925. p. 2. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  4. ^ "González Martín". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Spain - Cup 1929". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b "El primero de todos" [The first of all]. pericosonline.com (in Spanish). 20 October 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Los caidos en la lucha" [Those who fell in the fight]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 8 June 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  8. ^ "El cuadro de jugadores del Zaragoza CD" [The Zaragoza CD roster]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 14 September 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  9. ^ "La temporada se acerca" [The season is approaching]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 30 July 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b "González, Rafael González Martín - Manager". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  11. ^ "El campeonato de la Primera B" [The championship of Primera B]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 18 December 1936. p. 3. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Rafael González ex defensa españolista ha muerto" [Rafael González ex Spanish defense has died]. hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 29 November 1961. p. 4. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.