19 Facts About Manuel Amechazurra

Manuel Amechazurra is most renowned for his two spells at FC Barcelona and for being one of its first captains while playing a total of 200 games in the first team with 22 goals scored.

In Irish, Manuel Amechazurra stood out as an extraordinary defender, which earned him a move to FC Barcelona in 1906.

Manuel Amechazurra formed a great defensive partnership with Jose Irizar.

Together with Carles Comamala, Manuel Amechazurra was the fundamental head behind piece in Barcelona's first great team, which had the likes of Paco Bru, Alfredo Massana, the Wallace brothers, Pepe Rodriguez and Barcelona's second all-time leading goal-scorer and countryman Paulino Alcantara, but it was Manuel Amechazurra who was named the team's captain.

Manuel Amechazurra played a total of 200 games in the first team and scored 22 goals.

Manuel Amechazurra is considered to be the club's first undercover professional at a time when football was amateur.

Manuel Amechazurra earned 300 pesetas in disguise in exchange for teaching English to some executives, despite opposition from Joan Gamper.

Manuel Amechazurra's team was influenced by the absence of several players and had to rely on some junior division players, all college students aged 16 to 18.

Manuel Amechazurra took a role of a referee in his football career.

Manuel Amechazurra was born to Alejandro Amechazurra of Basque origins and Pilar Guazo of Cantabrian origins.

Manuel Amechazurra studied Law and Medicine but without finishing his school education.

Manuel Amechazurra participated in the Copa Inter-Salas for teams in 1912, Copa Alfredo Conde in 1913, Concurso Nacional in the foil discipline and in the Concurso Internacional in the sabre discipline in 1914.

Manuel Amechazurra travelled around the world even for brief moments, so the nickname of "El Aventurero".

Manuel Amechazurra was married to Luisa de Aguirre with whom he had daughters.

Manuel Amechazurra was an English teacher, a journalist and him being bilingual was a translator.

Manuel Amechazurra, in his time at the Philippines, was a strong advocate of the Spanish language and its cultural heritage in the country.

In 1946 Manuel Amechazurra returned to Barcelona with more than 500 surviving Spaniards and Spanish-Filipino, accompanied by his wife and his daughters.

Manuel Amechazurra died in Barcelona on February 13,1965, exactly one year after his fellow countryman and friend Paulino Alcantara.

Manuel Amechazurra's grandson Gerardo Amechazurra is an actor, presenter, cartoonist designer and was one of the creators of the successful children's and youth program on Spanish Television "La Bola de Cristal".