César Rodríguez Álvarez
Encyclopedia
César Rodríguez Álvarez (born 29 June 1920 – died 1 March 1995), sometimes known as just César, was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 football forward and manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

.

During his career, which spanned more than two decades, he played mainly for FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

, appearing in 351 official games for the club and scoring 235 goals, making him the highest goalscorer in the club’s history. He won five La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 championships with the team, in a total of 13 major trophies.

After retiring, César managed both Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

 and Barcelona, amongst several other professional teams. He represented Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 at the 1950 World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...

.

Barcelona

Rodríguez was born in León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...

, Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...

, and joined FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 in 1939. However, military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...

 saw him being relocated to Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...

 and Granada CF
Granada CF
Granada Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 14 April 1931, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes....

 the following year, and he played two seasons on loan in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

, helping the team promote to La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 for the first time ever, then adding 23 goals in only 24 games in the following season for a final 10th position - out of 14 clubs, good enough for league status preservation; this included six in a 7–3 home win against CD Castellón
CD Castellón
Club Deportivo Castellón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Castellón de la Plana, in the Valencian Community. Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Tercera División – Group 6, holding home games at Nou Estadi Castalia, which has a capacity of 16,000.-History:Football first appeared in...

, on 22 March 1942.

In 1942, César returned to Barcelona, winning his first national championship in 1944–45, to which conquest he contributed with 15 goals in 24 matches. During his 13-year stint in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

, he scored in double digits in 11 seasons, surpassing the 20-goal mark in three. His early teammates included, among others, Antoni Ramallets
Antoni Ramallets
Antoni Ramallets Simón is a retired Spanish football goalkeeper and manager.He spent most of his career at FC Barcelona, during the 1950s and early 1960s, winning the Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in La Liga on five occasions, and 17 major club honours...

, Juan Velasco
Juan Zambudio Velasco
Juan Zambudio Velasco, was a Spanish football goalkeeper. He played for Mollet and FC Barcelona. He retired playing in CE Sabadell FC....

, Josep Escolà
Josep Escolà
Josep Escolà Segalés , also referred to as José Escolà, was a Spanish Catalan footballer who spent most of his career at FC Barcelona. Escolà also played for both Spain and the Catalan XI...

, Joan Segarra
Joan Segarra
Joan Segarra Iracheta was a Catalan footballer, captain of the "Barça of the Five Trophies", one of the best teams that FC Barcelona have had in their history...

, Estanislao Basora
Estanislao Basora
Estanislao Basora Brunet is a former Spanish footballer who spent most of his career at FC Barcelona. In 1974, during the club’s 75th anniversary celebrations, he was included in their all-time best XI. Basora also played for both Spain and the Catalan XI...

, José Gonzalvo and Mariano Gonzalvo; in 1948 he won his first and only Pichichi Trophy (28 goals) and, three years later, he scored twice in the 3–0 win over Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...

 in the Copa del Generalísimo
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

 final.

Subsequently, Rodríguez was part of a legendary Barcelona forward line alongside Basora, László Kubala, Eduardo Manchón and Moreno
Tomás Hernández
Tomás Hernández Burillo, aka Moreno , was a Spanish footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:Born in Zaragoza, Aragon, Moreno spent four years of his career with La Liga giants FC Barcelona...

 that helped the club win five trophies during the 1951–52 season. He scored again in the domestic cup final, a 4–2 extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...

 win against Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...

, and netted the only goal in the Latin Cup
Latin Cup
The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...

 triumph over OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

 of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Later years / Management

After leaving Barcelona at the age of 35, César had spells at Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in León, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in Tercera División – Group 8, holding home games at Estadio Reino de León, with a capacity of 13,451 seats.-Season to season:----*1...

 - his only top flight relegation, in 1956 - and Perpignan F.C. in France, returning to his country with Elche CF
Elche CF
Elche Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Elche, Alicante, in the Valencian Community. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, holding home matches at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, with a capacity of 38,750 seats.-Recent seasons:-Season to...

, and helping the Valencian
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...

 move from Tercera División
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...

 to the top level in only two years, acting as the side's player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....

 in his last season. He scored 33 in only 25 games in the third division campaign.

Rodríguez retired from football in 1960 aged 40, with Spanish top division totals of 353 games and 226 goals. In the competition's history, only three players - Zarra
Telmo Zarraonaindía
Telmo Zarraonandia Montoya , popularly known as Zarra, was a Spanish Basque football player for Athletic Bilbao from 1940 to 1955....

, Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. Sanchez is considered the first highly talented Mexican player. He was also a member of the Mexico national team, and...

 and Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...

 - scored more goals.

Afterwards, he coached nine seasons in the main category, mainly with Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

, guiding the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...

ese to the third position in 1961, the fourth in 1962 and the fifth in 1963, also reaching the domestic cup final in the latter campaign, losing against his former team Barcelona.

In the 1963 summer, César succeeded former teammate Josep Gonzalvo at the helm of Barça, being sacked only five games into the 1964–65 campaign. He suffered consecutive top flight relegations with RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....

 and Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....

, and his last professional job was with Zaragoza in 1968–69, leading the team to the 13th position, the first above the relegation zone. He died at the age of 74 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

.

International career

César played 12 times for Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 during seven years, scoring six goals. He netted on his debut in a 2–2 draw with Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...

 on 11 March 1945, and was included in the squad for 1950 FIFA World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...

 in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, being an unused member.

Rodríguez also appeared for the Catalan XI
Catalonia national football team
Catalonia national football team is the official football team of Catalonia. It is organized by the Catalonia Football Federation. The team has been referred to by various names including Selecció Catalana, Selecció de Barcelona and the Catalan XI...

 during more than one decade. On 19 October 1947, at the Estadi de Sarrià, he scored twice in a 3–1 win over the Spanish national side.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 March 1945 Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...

, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 
2–2 Draw Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

2 6 May 1945 A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
4–2 Win Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

3 21 March 1948 Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
2–0 Win Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

4 18 February 1951 Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
6–3 Win Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

5 1 June 1952 Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
6–0 Win Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

6 28 December 1952 Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 
2–2 Draw Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...


Player

Barcelona:
  • La Liga
    La Liga
    The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

    : 1944–45, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53
  • Copa del Generalísimo
    Copa del Rey
    The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

    : 1950–51, 1951–52
  • Copa de Oro Argentina/Copa Eva Duarte
    Supercopa de España
    The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...

    : 1945, 1948, 1952, 1953
  • Latin Cup
    Latin Cup
    The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...

    : 1949, 1952
  • Pichichi Trophy: 1948–49


Granada:
  • Segunda División
    Segunda División
    The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...

    : 1940–41


Elche
  • Segunda División
    Segunda División
    The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...

    : 1958–59
  • Tercera División
    Tercera División
    Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...

    : 1957–58

Manager

Zaragoza
  • Copa del Generalísimo
    Copa del Rey
    The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

    : Runner-up 1962–63


Hércules
  • Tercera División
    Tercera División
    Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...

    : 1969–70

Club statistics

Club Season League Cup Europe Other Totals
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Granada
Granada CF
Granada Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 14 April 1931, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes....

1941–42 24 23 ? ? ? ?
Totals 2423??|–??
Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

1942–43 23 13 8 3 31 16
1943–44 26 12 4 1 30 13
1944–45 24 15 4 6 28 21
1945–46 26 11 2 0 1 1 29 12
1946–47 25 10 4 3 29 13
1947–48 19 19 2 0 21 19
1948–49 24 28 4 2 3 2 31 32
1949–50 23 19 2 2 0 0 25 21
1950–51 27 29 7 4 34 33
1951–52 24 23 7 5 3 1 34 29
1952–53 27 14 5 4 32 18
1953–54 15 2 7 6 22 8
1954–55 4 0 1 0 5 0
Totals 2871955736Cultural Leonesa
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in León, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in Tercera División – Group 8, holding home games at Estadio Reino de León, with a capacity of 13,451 seats.-Season to season:----*1...

1955–56 15 3 ? ? ? ?
Totals 153? –!!colspan="2"|–!!?!!?
Elche
Elche CF
Elche Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Elche, Alicante, in the Valencian Community. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, holding home matches at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, with a capacity of 38,750 seats.-Recent seasons:-Season to...

1959–60 27 5 ? ? ? ?
Totals 275? –!!colspan="2"|–!!?!!?
Career totals 353226??defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

, he played eight seasons in the top division in representation of three teams - including Barcelona, five years - appearing in 71 league games.

He scored the first goal ever in the first division for both Granada and Leonesa.

External links

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