Josep Samitier

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Samitier's legacy is tied to his long career at Barcelona, where he played from 1919 to 1933. Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, he made his debut for FC Barcelona at age 17 in 1919, receiving a luminous watch and a three-piece suit as his signing-on bonus. Among his teammates was his childhood friend Sagibarba. During holidays at the Catalan resort of Cadaqués, Samitier and Sagibarba played football with, among others, Salvador Dalí. By 1925 Samitier was the highest-paid player in Spain. He was a member of the legendary FC Barcelona team, coached by Jack Greenwell, that also included Paulino Alcántara, Ricardo Zamora, Félix Sesúmaga and, later, Franz Platko. Between 1919 and 1933 he won twelve Campionat de Catalunya titles, five Copa del Rey and the very first La Liga title in the 1929 season. Among the goals he scored were four in the Copa del Rey finals of 1922, 1925, 1926 and 1928.

In Their Own Story

In 1933 an aging Samitier found himself in dispute with the FC Barcelona management and was dropped from the first team. Real Madrid, then known as Madrid CF, were quick to take advantage. Samitier was reunited with both his friend Ricardo Zamora and then Francisco Bru. Although his career with Madrid was short, he helped them win La Liga 1932–33 and the Copa de España in 1934. The tribute match to Samitier was held on 13 May 1934 at Estadio Chamartín in Madrid, between Madrid FC and Espanyol, and Samitier scored both the first and the last goals of an 8–2 win. In 1936 Samitier made a brief start to his career as a coach, succeeding Fred Pentland at Atlético Madrid, but failed to prevent relegation. With the start of the Spanish Civil War, he was arrested by an anarchist militia, released, and left for France on a warship. In October 1936 he joined OGC Nice as a player, reunited with Ricardo Zamora, scoring 21 goals in 48 matches. He retired as a player in 1939 and was briefly coach at OGC Nice in 1942.

Reader's Guide

Samitier returned to Spain and became manager of CF Barcelona in 1944. In 1945 he guided them to only their second ever La Liga title. Then they beat the Copa del Generalísimo winners Atlético Bilbao to win the Copa de Oro Argentina. Samitier subsequently worked as the club's chief scout and was instrumental in the recruitment of another CF Barcelona legend, László Kubala. In the summer of 1950, Kubala arrived in Spain with his own team, Hungaria, made up of fellow refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. Kubala was offered a contract by Real Madrid but was then persuaded by Samitier to sign for CF Barcelona. It has been suggested that Samitier used his connections within Francoist Spain to help arrange the transfer. In the midst of the Cold War, Kubala's escape to the West was used by Francoist Spain and was made into a film, The Stars Search for Peace, which saw Kubala and Samitier playing themselves. Despite later being accused of acting as a double agent when the club tried to sign Alfredo Di Stéfano, and in the 1960s falling out with Helenio Herrera and going to work for Real Madrid, 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.

Did You Know?

• Samitier received a luminous watch and a three-piece suit as his signing-on bonus when he joined FC Barcelona at age 17 in 1919.
• During holidays at Cadaqués, Samitier and his childhood friend Sagibarba played football with, among others, the famous artist Salvador Dalí.
• Samitier scored four goals in Copa del Rey finals across 1922, 1925, 1926 and 1928.
• In his tribute match on 13 May 1934, Samitier scored both the first and last goals of an 8–2 win for Madrid FC against Espanyol.
• Samitier was arrested by an anarchist militia during the Spanish Civil War but was released and escaped to France on a warship.