Antoni Ramallets

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

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ramallets and the second or maternal family name is Simón.

Antoni Ramallets
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 (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing 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)
National team
1948–1960 Catalonia 7 (0)
1950–1961 Spain 35 (0)
Teams managed
1962–1963 Valladolid
1963–1964 Zaragoza
1964 Murcia
1965–1966 Valladolid
1966 Logroñés
1968 Hércules
1968–1969 Ilicitano
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his career at Barcelona, winning the Ricardo Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in La Liga on five occasions and 18 total honours.[1] He represented Spain in the 1950 World Cup.

Ramallets managed several teams in his country in the 60s, notably winning two major trophies with Zaragoza.

Club career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Ramallets signed for FC Barcelona in 1947 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 victory over 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 conquer six leagues and five domestic cups; in 1951–52, as they 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.[2] 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.[3][4]

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.[5]

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.[6] During the tournament he earned the nickname The Cat of Maracanã, helping the nation to the second group stage.[7]

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.[8][9][10]

Honours

Player

Club

Barcelona

Individual

Manager

Zaragoza

References
  1. Las 85 vidas del 'Gato con Alas' azulgrana (The 85 lives of the blaugrana 'Winged Cat'); La Vanguardia, 13 July 2009 (in Spanish)
  2. 1950–61. Kubala y su tiempo (1950–61. Kubala and his time); FC Barcelona, 13 March 2018 (in Spanish)
  3. 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)
  4. 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)
  5. 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)
  6. Antonio Ramallets Simón – International Appearances Archived 8 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  7. Ramallets, el gato de Maracaná (Ramallets, the cat of Maracaná); Sport, 10 June 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. Ha muerto Antoni Ramallets (Antoni Ramallets has died) Archived 9 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Mundo Deportivo, 31 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  9. 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)
  10. Former Spain keeper Ramallets dies aged 89; Euronews, 31 July 2013
  • Antoni Ramallets at BDFutbol
  • Antoni Ramallets manager profile at BDFutbol
  • "FC Barcelona profile". Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  • Antoni Ramallets at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Antoni Ramallets – FIFA competition record
  • Spain stats at Eu-Football
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