Antoni Ramallets
Ramallets in 1950
Personal information
Full name Antoni Ramallets Simón
Date of birth (1924-07-01)1 July 1924
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Date of death 30 July 2013(2013-07-30) (aged 89)
Place of death Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1941–1942 Europa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1942–1944 San Fernando
1944–1946 Mallorca 39 (0)
1946–1962 Barcelona 288 (0)
1946–1947 → Valladolid (loan)
International career
1950–1961 Spain 35 (0)
1948–1960 Catalonia 7 (0)
Managerial career
1962–1963 Valladolid
1963–1964 Zaragoza
1964 Murcia
1965–1966 Valladolid
1966 Logroñés
1968 Hércules
1968–1969 Ilicitano
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antoni Ramallets Simón (1 July 1924 – 30 July 2013) was a Spanish football goalkeeper and manager.

He spent most of his career at FC Barcelona, during the 1950s and early 1960s, winning the Ricardo Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in La Liga on five occasions, and 18 major club honours.

He represented Spain in the 1950 FIFA World Cup and, in the 1960s, managed several clubs in his country, notably winning two major trophies with Real Zaragoza.

Club career

Ramallets signed for FC Barcelona in 1946 at the age of 23, from Real Valladolid, where he also spent his first season after being purchased, on loan. He returned to the club to play second-fiddle to Juan Velasco, making his La Liga debut in a 2–1 win against Sevilla FC, on 28 November 1948. Although this was his only appearance during the season, he eventually became the starter, being an essential defensive unit as his team - then named Club de Fútbol Barcelona - went on to win six leagues and five domestic cups; in the 1951–52 campaign, as Barça won five major trophies, he contributed with 28 league games, being awarded his first Ricardo Zamora Trophy.

During the 1950s, Ramallets was a prominent member of the successful Barcelona side that also included Joan Segarra, Marià Gonzalvo, László Kubala, Sándor Kocsis, Evaristo, Luis Suárez and Zoltán Czibor.[1] During his spell with the club he made 538 appearances, including 288 in the domestic league; on 6 March 1962 the Blaugrana played a testimonial in his honour against Hamburger SV, winning 5–1.[2][3]

Ramallets coached several teams over the following decade, including old acquaintance Valladolid. In the 1963–64 campaign he led Real Zaragoza to the fourth place in the league, the Spanish Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – a competition he had won twice as a player with Barcelona – defeating fellow league team Valencia CF in the latter.[4]

International career

Ramallets played 35 games for Spain during 11 years, making his debut against Chile on 29 June 1950, during the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[5] During the tournament he earned the nickname The Cat of Maracanã, helping the nation to the second group stage.[6]

Ramallets also played seven games for the unofficial Catalan national side.

Death

Ramallets died in his Vilafranca del Penedès home near Barcelona, on 31 July 2013. He was 89 years old.[7][8][9]

Honours

Player

Club

Barcelona

Individual

Manager

Zaragoza

References

  1. ^ 1950–61. Kubala y su tiempo (1950–61. Kubala and his time); FC Barcelona, 13 March 2018 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Fútbol | Obituarios – Fallece Ramallets, mítico portero del Barcelona, a los 89 años (Football | Deaths – Death of Ramallets, legendary Barcelona goalkeeper, at the age of 89); RTVE, 30 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Antoni Ramallets, el portero sin guantes que saltaba como un gato (Antoni Ramallets, the goalkeeper without gloves who jumped like a cat); El País, 30 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ Fallece Ramallets, entrenador del Real Zaragoza en la época de los Magníficos (Death of Ramallets, manager of Real Zaragoza during the age of the Magnificent); El Periódico de Aragón, 31 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Antonio Ramallets Simón – International Appearances Archived 8 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  6. ^ Ramallets, el gato de Maracaná (Ramallets, the cat of Maracaná); Sport, 10 June 2014 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ Ha muerto Antoni Ramallets (Antoni Ramallets has died) Archived 9 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Mundo Deportivo, 31 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Fallece a los 89 años Antoni Ramallets, el mítico portero del Barcelona (Antoni Ramallets, legendary Barcelona goalkeeper, dies at the age of 89); ABC, 31 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  9. ^ Former Spain keeper Ramallets dies aged 89 Archived 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Euronews, 31 July 2013

External links

Spain squad – 1950 FIFA World Cup fourth place
Awards
Managerial positions
Authority control databases
Categories