Quini
Encyclopedia
Enrique Castro González (born 23 September 1949), aka Quini, is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a striker.
In a career totally connected with Sporting de Gijón
and FC Barcelona
, he was widely regarded as one of the country's best strikers, having won a total of seven Pichichi Trophy awards, five of those in La Liga
.
A Spanish international
for 12 years, Quini represented the nation in two World Cups
and one European Championship
.
, Asturias
, Quini joined local Real Oviedo
's neighbours Sporting de Gijón
in 1968, from amateurs Ensidesa. In his first season in La Liga
, 1970–71, he netted 13 goals in 30 matches and, during the following nine years, only netted once in single digits (nine) and won three Pichichi, one in division two
- ironically, in the year in which he won his second, Sporting was relegated, the player's 21 goals being insufficient to avoid the last place.
In the 1980 summer, Quini signed with FC Barcelona
, which had already tried to sign the player after Sporting's relegation. In his first two years combined, he scored 47 league goals, good enough for two more scoring accolades. He also helped the Catalans
to the 1981 Spanish Cup
, scoring twice to put away his beloved Sporting, in a 3–1 win in the final; additionally, in the 1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup, he helped Barça come from behind to beat Belgium
's Standard Liège
2–1, as the final was held at the Camp Nou
.
In his final two years, Quini appeared little with Barcelona (but scored the club's 3000th goal in the league, in a home match against CD Castellón
), and chose to retire in 1984, at 35, even being awarded a testimonial match
by the club. However, he reconsidered, and eventually returned to former club Sporting, for three more years in the topflight, being relatively used. On 14 June 1987, he played his last match, against Barcelona, and totalled 448 games and 219 goals in the first division alone (5th all-time); in the following two decades, he continued linked to Sporting, in several directorial capacities.
(6–0 home win), Quini was kidnapped by two men at gunpoint
, being forced into a van
.
After many developments and 25 days - during this time, Barcelona could only draw once in four games, eventually losing the title race - he was rescued unharmed, upon cooperation between the Spanish and Swiss
law enforcement agencies.
on 28 October 1970, in a friendly in Zaragoza
with Greece
: having played the second half, he scored in a 2–1 win.
With a total of 35 caps and eight goals, he participated in two FIFA World Cup
s, 1978
and 1982
, as well as UEFA Euro 1980; in all those competitions combined, he could only score once (Euro '80), and Spain suffered a 1–2 loss to Belgium.
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...
footballer who played as a striker.
In a career totally connected with Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
and 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....
, he was widely regarded as one of the country's best strikers, having won a total of seven Pichichi Trophy awards, five of those in 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...
.
A Spanish international
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...
for 12 years, Quini represented the nation in two World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and one European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Club career
Born in OviedoOviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Quini joined local Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....
's neighbours Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
in 1968, from amateurs Ensidesa. In his first season in 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...
, 1970–71, he netted 13 goals in 30 matches and, during the following nine years, only netted once in single digits (nine) and won three Pichichi, one in division two
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:...
- ironically, in the year in which he won his second, Sporting was relegated, the player's 21 goals being insufficient to avoid the last place.
In the 1980 summer, Quini signed with 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....
, which had already tried to sign the player after Sporting's relegation. In his first two years combined, he scored 47 league goals, good enough for two more scoring accolades. He also helped the Catalans
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...
to the 1981 Spanish Cup
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 ....
, scoring twice to put away his beloved Sporting, in a 3–1 win in the final; additionally, in the 1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup, he helped Barça come from behind to beat Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
2–1, as the final was held at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
.
In his final two years, Quini appeared little with Barcelona (but scored the club's 3000th goal in the league, in a home match 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...
), and chose to retire in 1984, at 35, even being awarded a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
by the club. However, he reconsidered, and eventually returned to former club Sporting, for three more years in the topflight, being relatively used. On 14 June 1987, he played his last match, against Barcelona, and totalled 448 games and 219 goals in the first division alone (5th all-time); in the following two decades, he continued linked to Sporting, in several directorial capacities.
Kidnapping
On 1 March 1981, after scoring twice for Barcelona against Hércules CFHércules CF
Hércules Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alicante, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1922, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, and holds home games at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which seats 30,000 spectators.-History:After first...
(6–0 home win), Quini was kidnapped by two men at gunpoint
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
, being forced into a van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
.
After many developments and 25 days - during this time, Barcelona could only draw once in four games, eventually losing the title race - he was rescued unharmed, upon cooperation between the Spanish and Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
law enforcement agencies.
International career
Quini made his debut for SpainSpain 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...
on 28 October 1970, in a friendly in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
with Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
: having played the second half, he scored in a 2–1 win.
With a total of 35 caps and eight goals, he participated in two FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s, 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
and 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, as well as UEFA Euro 1980; in all those competitions combined, he could only score once (Euro '80), and Spain suffered a 1–2 loss to Belgium.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 28 October 1970 | La Romareda La Romareda Estadio de La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on September 8, 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna . The official capacity is 34,596, with an average attendance of around 30,000 for Real Zaragoza matches.The stadium has gone through... , Zaragoza Zaragoza Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain... , 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 | 2–1 | 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. | 20 November 1974 | Hampden Park Hampden Park Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
1–1 | 1–2 | Euro 1976 qualifying | |
| 3. | 20 November 1974 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 1–2 | 1–2 | Euro 1976 qualifying | |
| 4. | 29 March 1978 | El Molinón El Molinón Estadio El Molinón is an association football stadium in Gijón, Asturias-Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Sporting de Gijón.The stadium's address is Parque de Isabel la Católica, 33390 Gijón.-History:... , Gijón Gijón Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history... , 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... |
1–0 | 3–0 | 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. | 26 April 1978 | Los Cármenes Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes -External links:*... , 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... , 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... |
1–0 | 2–0 | 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. | 16 April 1980 | El Molinón El Molinón Estadio El Molinón is an association football stadium in Gijón, Asturias-Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Sporting de Gijón.The stadium's address is Parque de Isabel la Católica, 33390 Gijón.-History:... , Gijón Gijón Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history... , 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 | 2–2 | 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... |
|
| 7. | 15 June 1980 | Giuseppe Meazza San Siro The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano... , Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1980 | |
| 8. | 24 February 1982 | Luis Casanova, Valencia, 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 | 3–0 | 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... |
Team
Barcelona- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1981–82 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe 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 ....
: 1980–81, 1982–83 - Spanish SupercupSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1983 - Spanish League CupCopa de la LigaThe Copa de la Liga was a Spanish football tournament created in 1982.Due to time constraints, saturation and club pressure, the competition only lasted four years, being cancelled in 1986...
: 1982–83
Individual
- Don Balón AwardDon Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga...
- Best Spanish Player: 1978–79 - Pichichi Trophy: 1973–74, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82; Second Division 1969–70, 1976–77
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data
- International appearances, at RSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...
- FC Barcelona archives