Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier Vilalta (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛp səmitiˈe]; 2 February 1902 – 4 May 1972), also known as José Samitier, was a Spanish football player, manager and scout who played as a midfielder for FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, OGC Nice, the Catalan XI, and Spain. He later coached Atlético Madrid, Nice and Barcelona and worked as a scout for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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Samitier in 1928 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Enrique Ignacio Samitier Vilalta | ||
| Date of birth | 2 February 1902 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 4 May 1972 (aged 70) | ||
| Place of death | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1914–1916 | Internacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1917–1919 | FC Internacional | 18 | (1) |
| 1919–1932 | Barcelona | 174 | (133) |
| 1932–1934 | Real Madrid | 14 | (7) |
| 1936–1939 | Nice | 48 | (21) |
| International career | |||
| 1920–1936 | Catalan XI | 26 | (20) |
| 1920–1931 | Spain | 21 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1936 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| 1942 | Nice | ||
| 1944–1947 | Barcelona | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's football | ||
| Representing Spain | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| 1920 Antwerp | Team competition | |
During his playing career with Barcelona, Samitier scored 187 official goals and was the club's all-time highest goalscorer at the time of his retirement. As of 2020, he is the club's fifth all-time top goalscorer behind Luis Suárez, László Kubala, César, and Lionel Messi. As a player, Samitier pioneered the midfield general role and was nicknamed Surrealista (The Surrealist) and Home Magosta (The Grasshopper Man) due to his style.
As a manager, he led Barcelona to a title in La Liga in 1945, and as a scout he recruited another Barcelona legend, László Kubala. However, Samitier was later accused of acting as a double agent when the club tried to sign Alfredo Di Stéfano, and in the 1960s, he fell out with Helenio Herrera and went to work for Real Madrid. Despite his role in the Di Stéfano affair, twice defecting to Real Madrid, and his friendship with Francisco Franco, Samitier remained a legendary figure of FC Barcelona. When he died in 1972, he was given a state funeral and a street that leads to Camp Nou.