Clemente Gràcia

Bosch Josep-Clemente Gràcia (5 February 1897 – 6 March 1981),[1] known as Grace, was a Spanish Catalan footballer who played as a forward and out as header during a career which lasted from 1917 to 1926.[2] In the midst of his years (1919–26) as a member of FC Barcelona, he achieved a record, during the 1921–22 season, which has remained unbroken into 2010 — the most goals (59) scored by a player in a season.[3]

Grace
Personal information
Full name Josep Bosch-Clemente Gràcia
Date of birth 5 February 1897
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Date of death 6 March 1981(1981-03-06) (aged 84)
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Playing position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1917–18 Espanyol
1919–24 Barcelona
1924 Terrassa
1926 Martinenc
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

A native of Barcelona, Clemente Gràcia began his career at Terrassa FC. In the 1917-1918 season he was top scorer for RCD Espanyol, who undefeated won the Copa Catalunya. In 1919 with Ricardo Zamora, he left the club to join FC Barcelona. With Vicente Piera, Paulino Alcántara and Emilio Sagi Barba, he formed one of the best front considered Barcelona's history.[2]

His best season was 1921-1922, where he won the Copa Catalunya and the Copa del Rey, scoring one of five goals for his team in the final against Real Union. That season he was the team's top scorer with 59 goals (35 goals in friendly matches, 19 in the Championship of Catalonia and 5 in the Championship of Spain) in 50 games, a record that still stands.[3]

He played for FC Barcelona for five years, and won five Copa Catalunya: 1919, 1920, 1921,1922 and 1924, and two Copa del Rey (1920 and 1992). In total, he scored 161 goals in 151 games for Barcelona, scoring an average of more than one goal per game.[4] After leaving Barcelona in 1924, he again played for Terrassa FC[5] and then later for FC Martinenc.[6][7] Professionally, it was official Guardia Urbana de Barcelona.[8]

National team

In 1920 he played several games with the Catalonia national football team, and participated in the Copa Príncipe de Asturias in 1923.[9]

Honours

Barcelona
  • Copa del Rey: 1920 and 1922
  • Campeonato de Cataluña: 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924

Death

Clemente Gràcia died in his native Barcelona at the age of 84.

References
  1. "Climent Gracia :: Josep-Clemente Gracia Bosch ::". ogol.com.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  2. "Jose Clemente Gracia Dead" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 March 1981. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  3. "Cifras records at FC Barcelona" (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  4. Closa, Antonio (1999). Diccionari Barca. Encyclopedia Catalana. p. 171. ISBN 84-412-0126-9.
  5. "Hoy Grace plays his farewell match with FC Barcelona" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 9 June 1924. p. 2. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  6. Teddy (6 October 1926). "Una martinenses reaction in the second half allowed them to join a well deserved victory" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  7. Teddy (1926-10-25). "Tras one match played, the martinenses deserve the victory achieved by the minimum difference" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. p. 4. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  8. "Obituary" (PDF). La Vanguardia. 3 August 1981. p. 24. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  9. Closa, Antonio; Rius, James (1999). Selecció catalana de futbol: nou dècades d'història. Editorial Jaume Rius. ISBN 84-922994-3-4.
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