Ricardo Zamora Martinez was a Spanish footballer and manager.
23 Facts About Ricardo Zamora
2.
Ricardo Zamora played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
3.
Ricardo Zamora claimed it was to protect him from both the sun and his opponents.
4.
Ricardo Zamora is remembered for a spectacular last-minute save he made in the 1936 Copa del Rey final while playing for Real Madrid against FC Barcelona.
5.
The award for the best goalkeeper in La Liga, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, is named in his honour.
6.
Ricardo Zamora was Spain's most capped player for 45 years until being surpassed by Jose Angel Iribar.
7.
Ricardo Zamora allegedly enjoyed drinking Cognac and smoking up to three packs of cigarettes a day.
8.
Ricardo Zamora received 40,000 pesetas of the 150,000 peseta fee that took him from Espanyol to Real Madrid.
9.
Ricardo Zamora died in 1978 and is interred in the Montjuic Cemetery in Barcelona.
10.
Ricardo Zamora made his debut for the club on 23 April 1916 against Madrid FC, keeping a clean sheet in a goalless draw.
11.
Ricardo Zamora then helped Espanyol win the Campionat de Catalunya in 1918.
12.
Ricardo Zamora never had the support of his parents to play football because they wanted him to focus on studying medicine like his father, but his teammates such as Pakan encouraged him to keep playing.
13.
Between 1919 and 1922 Ricardo Zamora was a prominent member of the legendary FC Barcelona team, coached by Jack Greenwell, that included his close friend Josep Samitier, Sagibarba, Paulino Alcantara and Felix Sesumaga.
14.
Ricardo Zamora was one of several new arrivals, and among the others was Jacinto Quincoces.
15.
In 1920 together with Josep Samitier, Felix Sesumaga, Pichichi and Jose Maria Belauste, Ricardo Zamora was a member of the first ever Spanish national squad.
16.
Ricardo Zamora played at least 13 games for the Catalan XI.
17.
In July 1936 during the early days of the Spanish Civil War, ABC falsely reported that Ricardo Zamora had been killed by Republicans.
18.
However, Ricardo Zamora was alive and well and, as rumours began to spread of his death, he was arrested by Republican militia and then imprisoned at the Modelo prison.
19.
Ricardo Zamora's life was saved by both the actions of the prison governor Melchor Rodriguez Garcia and because of his own willingness to play and talk football with the guards.
20.
Ricardo Zamora was eventually released after the Argentinian Embassy interceded on his behalf.
21.
Ricardo Zamora later returned to Spain and on 8 December 1938 played for a Spain XI against Real Sociedad in a benefit game for Nationalist soldiers.
22.
In 1939 Ricardo Zamora was appointed coach of Atletico Madrid, then known as Athletic Aviacion and later to become Atletico Aviacion, following a merger with Aviacion Nacional, a Spanish Air Force team.
23.
Ricardo Zamora later returned to Celta de Vigo and then had two spells as coach at Espanyol.