Ricardo ZAMORA | 1929-1933

[Plava Čigra]

Collaboration between Xyder, Plava Čigra & Tom

Nickname: "El Divino"

Club: RCD Espanyol (1929/1930) | Real Madrid (1930/1933)

Spoiler: show

Consistency: 7
Growth type: Late/Lasting

INFO:

Ricardo Zamora Martí­nez (born: 21/01/1901), nicknamed "El Divino", was noted for wearing a cloth cap and a white polo-neck jumper on the field, a look later copied by several of his contemporaries. He claimed it was to protect him from both the sun and his opponents. He was also noted for his bravery. In 1929 while playing for Spain against England, he carried on playing despite breaking his sternum. Spain won the game 4-3, becoming the first team from outside of the British Isles to defeat England. Zamora is also remembered for a spectacular last minute save he made in the 1936 Copa de España final while playing for Real Madrid against FC Barcelona. The award for the best goalkeeper in La Liga, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, is named in his honour and he was voted one of the greatest players of the 20th century by World Soccer magazine. He was also Spain's most capped player for 38 years until being surpassed by José Ángel Iribar.

Zamora was also the subject of controversy throughout his career. He allegedly enjoyed drinking Cognac and smoking up to three packs of cigarettes a day. During the 1920 Olympic Games he was sent off against Italy after punching an opponent and on the way back from the same tournament he was arrested, imprisoned and fined for attempting to smuggle Havana cigars. In 1922 he was suspended for a year when he lied to the tax authorities about the signing on fee he received when he returned to RCD Español. He also received 40,000 pesetas of the 150,000 peseta fee that took him from RCD Español to Real Madrid.

Zamora began his career as a junior with Universitari SC before signing for RCD Español in 1916. He helped RCD Español win the Campionat de Catalunya in 1918 before an argument with one of the club's directors saw him being transferred to local rivals FC Barcelona in 1919. After three successful seasons at Barça he returned to Español in 1922. On 2 February 1929, he made his La Liga debut with RCD Español during the competitions inaugural season. In the same year he also helped the club win both the Campionat de Catalunya and their first ever Copa del Rey in 1929. The team was coached by Jack Greenwell and also included Ricardo Saprissa. In the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey they beat Athletic Madrid 9-3 on aggregate before beating eventual La Liga champions, FC Barcelona, 3-1 in the semi-finals and Real Madrid 2-1 in the final. After playing 26 La Liga games for RCD Español, he joined Real Madrid in 1930.

Between 1919 and 1922 Zamora was a prominent member of the legendary FC Barcelona team, coached by Jack Greenwell, that also included his close friend Josep Samitier, Sagibarba, Paulino Alcántara and Félix Sesúmaga. During his time at FC Barcelona he helped the team win the Campionat de Catalunya three times and the Copa del Rey twice.

In 1930 Zamora signed for Real Madrid, at the time known as Madrid CF. He was one of several new arrivals, and among the others was Jacinto Quincoces. During the 1931–32 season they helped the club win La Liga for the first time. The following season Zamora and Quincoces were joined at the club by Josep Samitier and the trio helped Real retain the title. In 1934 Francisco Bru took over as the Real coach and he guided Zamora and company to victory in two Copa de España finals. In 1934 they beat a Valencia CF team coached by Jack Greenwell 2-1. The 1936 final saw Real Madrid meet FC Barcelona for the first time in a cup final. Despite playing with ten men for most of the game, the Madrid club beat Barça 2-1 at the Mestalla. Barça’s attempts to equalise in the final minutes were thwarted by Zamora’s spectacular save from Josep Escolà.


HONOURS:

Club:

RCD Espanyol
Copa del Rey: 1928–29
Catalan Champions: 1917–18, 1928–29

FC Barcelona
Copa del Rey: 1919–20, 1921–22
Catalan Champions: 1919–20, 1920–21, 1921–22

Real Madrid
La Liga: 1931–32, 1932–33
Copa de España: 1933–34, 1935–36

Country:
Catalonia
Copa Princep de Asturies: 1922, 1924, 1926
Spain
Olympic Games: Silver medalist 1920


VIDEOS:




ADDITIONAL INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Zamora

http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/1193041516860/1202817724631/jugador/JugadorLegendario/Zamora.htm

http://hallofameperico.wordpress.com/category/0limp0-blanquiazul/zamora-0limp0-blanquiazul/

[yourigo]

TBH the balls back in the 50s and 60s were a lot heavier than the ones used today. Yashin's amazing ability was his agility, positioning and reaction which is why he was so good at saving one on ones and penalties. His handling, although very good for his time, I don't think he would be anything above 95 if he was playing today with the lighter balls. He was head and shoulders above anybody else in his generation of footballers though.

how can zamora have 95 KS? i think we can agree he wasn't as good as yashin and the balls he defended were of even worse quality than in yashin's time, harder to catch, so i would say zamora deserves high 80's, possibly 90 fos KS

[Paddy]

How'd you see that post?

[yourigo]

its posted in yashin's thread, no mysteries there buddy

[Paddy]

Ah okay, I was flustered was I

[Raúl-7]

His height was 181 cm and his weight was 89 kg. Proof: http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil/zamora/, http://www.geocities.jp/fb_museum/Great ... amora.html

[Xyder]

I know that you have a lot of work here, in classic section. So let me help you a bit updating some spanish players, here you can find the same stats that Tom post, but his height/weight updated, standarized a bit SA, Curl and Header and added the necessary information to have a nice post about Zamora

** See First Post ***

[zguc]

What is the most real height and weight Ricardo Zamora? Somewhere writes 183, 186, 194?

[Xyder]

It's very difficult to say an exact value for his height, I was reading some books about Espanyol history (Cent anys d'història del RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, El llibre del centenari del RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and De l'encís de Sarrià al somni de Cornellà) and the only references to Zamora's height is (own translation):

"Ricardo has all that a good keeper needs, a height over 1,80 m, long arms and big hands."

So we know that him is over 1,80 but the exact value is so difficult to rate, I was watching some photos from his Espanyol times and don't seems to me a very high keeper, so I discard a value over 1,90 m.

[zguc]

Xyder Hello! I see that a lot of time dedicated to Spanish players and a lot of them know. If you are not a problem I would ask you to give me his assessment of Ricardo Zamora. Here in Croatia where I live are many stories about this as the greatest goalkeeper of all time, from old people who have even delayed for years and watched or listened to him. I wonder if in your opinion, he deserves better ratings than the present and that in Spain, looking at him as perhaps the biggest in history, although a very long time he appeared on the world stage. Thanks for your help.

[Xyder]

Ricardo is been toled 1.94 m

I don't think so, I was watching some photos of him and never appeared a big keeper compared with his teammates.

Xyder Hello! I see that a lot of time dedicated to Spanish players and a lot of them know. If you are not a problem I would ask you to give me his assessment of Ricardo Zamora. Here in Croatia where I live are many stories about this as the greatest goalkeeper of all time, from old people who have even delayed for years and watched or listened to him. I wonder if in your opinion, he deserves better ratings than the present and that in Spain, looking at him as perhaps the biggest in history, although a very long time he appeared on the world stage. Thanks for your help.

Well, Zamora was a gifted keeper, an advanced keeper at his time. He was so brave, furthermore his behaviour could infect all the people that watch him, this made of him a charimatic player. The sum of these abilities increase his legend.
In fact, he was Lev Yashin's idol. When the russian keeper comes to Spain to play EURO '64, Lev Yashin could meet Zamora, after that Yashin said that was one of the best days of his life.
His stats represent him so well, a great defence, amazing response... his jump wasn't so outstanding, but his mentality and keeper skills, are so good, maybe mentality could sit on orange range, but with 88 he is one of the classic ladders in this aspect.

[zguc]

Yes, I agree, perhaps only slightly increased his BB and MEN, if you agree. He was very strong and robust man ..

[Pumpernikiel]

I've also seen from few sources that he had 1.94 m,

didnt see he has 1,81 m (im sure he was taller).

[zguc]

I found this information:
http://www.goalkeeping-museum.com/tag/ricardo-zamora
http://soccerblogs.net/blog/post/395486/ricardo_zamora
http://www.freebase.com/view/en/ricardo_zamora
http://www.worldsoccer.com/forums/showt ... age/0/vc/1

[Pumpernikiel]

3 times 1,94 and 1 time 1,86.. don't know what should i think about it

(1.94 + 1.94 + 1.94 + 1.86)/4 = 1.92

[zguc]

Proof that it is very difficult to determine the right height ... much information and I do not know ..

[Xyder]

Well a little prove that he is taller than 1,81 m (if Gianpiero Combi is really 1,81 m):



That was the match between Italy and Spain in the WC '34, as we can see, Zamora is taller than him.

But for example, there he doesn't appear so tall:







Here with Quincoces and Ciriaco, Zamora seems only a little bit taller than Quincoces (1,81 m)






The only conclusion that I can have, he is a bit more taller than 1,81 m, but never look to be 1,94 m. If I have to choose, I'd go for 1,86 m (a height that some info indicate); but it's only a feeling rather than a fact.

[zguc]

Xyder Congratulations, great job. Over 186 would not have told me that the higher

***

Looking at these pictures and comparing them to the players, I think that Zamora was 184cm tall, what do you think?

[Pumpernikiel]

He could have other pair of boots or sth.. imo we should give him 1,86 (like in few sources) - there's no need to labour the point.

[zguc]

Perhaps his balance should be in orange.