The best Spanish footballers in history

For a long time I had planned to start a thread in which we can propose and talk or discuss the best Spanish footballers of all time and I have decided to start it today. I will be uploading data and images from my archive to be able to illustrate little by little the most outstanding players of the different times, yes, without a specific order, for the moment. I'm going to start by putting an excerpt from the work "Los Mundiales de Fútbol", by Sedmay publishing house, by Ramón Melcón (1978). In chapter 2, the author makes an extensive list of the best players in his opinion, from 1954 to 1970, with the intention of ending with a “selection of contemporary idols”. I have no problem uploading images if they tell me the right thread for them. In this newly created thread I will only put what is related to Spanish players. First, he makes a list by position, and then he proposes an ideal team "1" and another "2". Despite the time he is analyzing, he places them in a 4-3-3 scheme ... He clarifies that those footballers such as Di Stéfano, Puskas, Kubala, Santamaría or Héctor Ral, previously played in other national teams, do not appear on the lists.



The long list is very complete, I cannot think of any important player missing from it and those who appear on it made enough merits to be included in it. Regarding the "ideal eleven" they already seem more debatable. Perhaps it would be more realistic to do a 1-3-2-5 system. In team 1 he would include Rivilla instead of Marquitos, Garay as central and Amancio for Basora. Rivilla is less known internationally than Marquitos since he was champion of the European Cup with Real Madrid, although my perception is that Feliciano Rivilla, right back of Atlético de Madrid had an extensive career with a regularity year after year, not exempt from titles. It is true that Garay appears in team 1, but as a left midfielder; From what I have read, this player stood out more in the center position, where he was better than Biosca. Another realistic option for that position would be Gallego. The place that Garay leaves in the center of the field could be occupied by Adelardo, an institution at Atlético de Madrid that could also play inside. Unfortunately, in this team I have no place for Luis Aragonés, since I consider Luis del Sol slightly superior. Regarding Basora, it is very possible that its best stage is before 1954, which is why the best right winger in this time interval would undoubtedly be Amancio Amaro. This would be my ideal Spanish eleven between 1954 and 1970:
Goalkeeper: Ramallets.
Right back: Rivilla.
Central: Garay.
Left back: Segarra.
Right midfield: Pirri.
Left midfield: Adelardo.
Right winger: Amancio
Right inside: Del Sol.
Center Forward: Gárate.
Left inside: Luis Suárez.
Left winger: Paco Gento.

 

Good observation that of Zoco; He could form the middle line with Pirri on this team, perfectly. For Gárate, perhaps he would see Marcelino as a replacement (the one with the famous goal against Yashin in the final of Euro 64). However Collar and Peiró formed the left wing of Atlético de Madrid; neither of them had Gárate's profile. The latter was a classic center forward, with a fantastic header, a lot of skill and intelligence and, above all, a football gentleman. I recommend these programs from Conexión Vintage of Spanish Television, in which you can see all the goals he scored with Atlético de Madrid. The interview, if you understand Spanish, is very interesting. Unfortunately, he suffered a very strange fungus that removed him from professional football.
https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/conexion-vintage/conexion-vintage-goles-garate-cap-1/5279386/
https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos...xion-vintage-goles-garate-capitulo-2/5281179/

 

Actually, Adelardo played inside and midfielder positions; in fact, as he was adding years, he would play more in this last position. He could perform on both bands.
What happened is that Luis Aragonés was preferably positioned as inside right, leaving the left to Adelardo. Once Irureta joined Atlético de Madrid, Adelardo would occupy the midfield position more frequently.
When the 3-2-5 gave way to the 4-3-3 he would always be a flyer and had to apply himself more in defensive tasks. I'm telling you from memory, but I'd bet the story went something like this.

 

In the same work as my first post in this thread, Melcón Jr. makes a complete inventory with the best Spanish footballers between 1920 and 1954. He explains that he has preferred to make two ideal eleven, one until the Civil War and the other from the conclusion of the conflict. As he did for the period 1954-1970, he grouped the candidates by positions in the field, and then selected those who, in his opinion, were the best. Regarding the first team (from 1920 to 1936) I understand that its author had many difficulties due to the quality and quantity of Spanish footballers during that time. I note that most of the players have been mentioned in other proposals that I have read (and that I will be putting here little by little); Personally, I am somewhat surprised by the inclusion of Zabalo as a right defender who, although I know that he had great quality, did not achieve the fame that Ciriaco acquired with his inseparable companion Quincoces. Regarding Samitier, many will be surprised by his inclusion as a right-hand midfielder, but the truth is that, although he stood out in other positions and that, as a Barcelona center forward he scored a huge number of goals, in the Spanish team he stood out in positions in the center of the field. On the far right he places Vantolrá, a very valid option, although it could have been equally successful to put Piera, another of Barcelona's great players in the 1920s. The one who surprises me a little more is Gaspar Rubio as a left inside; This was a player, according to the chronicles and the testimonies of his contemporaries, great as few others, but with an impressive irregularity due to his special character; As a player, he is known, especially for the great game he played in the Spanish team's triumph against England in 1929. I would have no doubt in putting Alcántara in his place as a left interior, even ahead of Iraragorri. Without going much deeper, at this time, my ideal Spanish selection between 1920 and 1936 was this: Zamora; Ciriaco, Quincoces; Samitier, Gamborena, José Mari Peña; Piera, Luis Regueiro, Lángara, Alcántara and Gorostiza. For the period 1939-1954, he designs a 3-2-5. The Civil War was a social and economic catastrophe from which football was not spared. The general level dropped from the previous period and, I think, the competition for the ideal eleven is not as "fierce" as in the previous era. Considering understandable the doubt in the left interior between César and Herrerita, in coherence with what was expressed days ago, for the extreme right I would clearly opt for Basora (which Melcón put him in the next era). It is true that this decision implies eliminating from this ideal team another of the great extremes of history in Spain such as Epi.

 

On the occasion of the centenary of the Spanish team, RTVE (Radio Televisión Española) is conducting a macro-survey to choose the ideal eleven of all time.
https://www.rtve.es/deportes/20201114/seleccion-equipo-ideal-historia/2052896.shtml
As a general rule, only those who have played at least 40 games with the Spanish team are eligible, although there are some exceptions: Di Stéfano, Luis Suárez, Zarra, Marcelino, Fernando Llorente, Pepe Reina and Víctor Valdés. After a first phase in which three players were voted per line, as of today, the list has been reduced to 33 players, 3 per line.
https://www.rtve.es/deportes/mejor-equipo-seleccion-espanola/
It is announced that coinciding with the Spain-Germany match next Tuesday, the final eleven will be announced. Unfortunately I cannot find the final results of the first phase or the shortlisted players. I took a look a few days ago and I remember there would be about 100 in total. I'm afraid the links have been superseded by the current ones. If I'm not mistaken, some of the candidates in the second phase have been relocated relative to the first.

Incredible by the way. Sergio Ramos misses two penalties in a row against Switzerland. This can be expensive in this survey just kidding.

 

The macro-survey organized by RTVE to designate the best historical Spanish team of all time has ended. Nostalgic people miss Súarez and Gento, but you have to understand that those who will have voted the most are the new generations. I put a link with comments about each player and with the percentages achieved:
https://www.rtve.es/deportes/mejor-equipo-seleccion-espanola/
https://www.rtve.es/deportes/20201117/seleccion-espanola-centenario-equipo-ideal-final/2056310.shtml

 

By opting for a 4-3-3 instead, for example a 4-4-2 or another similar scheme, high quality midfielders are sacrificed, as logically, Luis Suárez. On the other hand, when deciding on 4-3-3, the logical thing would have been to place pure wingers as candidates with a classic center forward; here I would have loved Basora, Lángara or Zarra and Gento. But in that case, would Raúl and Villa stay out? Very difficult to reach a balance. You are not without reason in other of your comments: the issue of the right sides is complicated. As you say, in the absence of a better option, the position is occupied by Camacho, representative of the "Spanish fury." In any case, Camacho also played perfectly right back. As a left back, in my opinion two very clear options: Jordi Alba and Gordillo (a spectacle of a footballer who, in addition to going up and down throughout the game, had plenty of energy to do a good defensive job). As a midfielder, I would lean towards Busquets rather than Xabi Alonso, although, in many of the successful matches of the Spanish team, both participated as "double pivot". In the case of a 4-4-2, ahead of Busquets would put Xavi and Luis Suárez and Iniesta as interiors and Raúl and Villa in the lead. Paco Gento would be essential in a hypothetical selection with pure extremes. As for the center of defense, I have no doubt: Ramos accompanied by Puyol (with some options for Piqué ...). Unfortunately, the phenomenal Hierro and Pirri would remain on the bench of my ideal selection. Of Samitier I have read wonders, but we will never know if he would fit in such a physical football. I think Melcón Jr. was right proposing teams for ages.

 

Finally, Melcón, in the same work, makes a list of what he titled "Figures of Today". It would correspond to the best Spaniards between 1970 and 1978.

 

Although I will continue to upload more information in this thread, I will open another to try to find out the best Spanish footballers in each season.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/annual-ranking-of-spanish-footballers.2112645/

 

As you say, Spanish football in the years following the Civil War fell a lot compared to the previous level. Many of those who excelled in the 1920s and 1930s retired, went into exile, or even perished in battle. The clubs started almost from 0. These players that you mention, although they were among the best Spanish footballers of their time, if we extrapolate their quality to a wider time interval, they are diluted among a group of much more talented footballers. Parra took more importance thanks to his good world championship; It is said that he was a different center-back, he knew how to play the ball and he was very clean. As far as Panizo is concerned, it is not the same case. This belongs to a very famous forward from Athlétic de Bilbao along with Iriondo, Venancio, Zarra and Gaínza. Obviously I have never seen him play, but I do read him a lot. Panizo was a very technical footballer, intelligent of and of precise passing, perhaps too technical for what he liked in Spain at that time: direct football and fighting (what is known as "Spanish fury." Sometimes he was criticized for his pause and slowness, accusing it of being excessively cold, but hindsight places it as one of the best Spanish interiors of all time. As for the possibility of putting Basora and Epi in the same team, it seems complicated to me. As far as I know, they were both pure extremes and they ran the same band ...

 

You're right. Camacho usually played as a left back. For a few years, in the Spanish team he played on the right, since Gordillo was fixed on the left, but once Gordillo passed to the center of the field, they put him back on the left. At Real Madrid, except for brief periods, he almost always played on the left. However, I do not find a better option than Camacho on the right side of the defense for a hypothetical historical Spanish team, I do not even consider the option of Sergio Ramos. Puyol also started as a right back, but the position that made them both great was in the center of defense.

 

I didn't see Segarra ... Gordillo and Jordi Alba, yes ... It would be hard for me to decide on one of the two ... I less and less like to elaborate onces of the whole story instead of doing it for shorter time intervals.
By the way, I'm glad to have read these days how Segarra performed so phenomenally in midfield during the 1959-60 season.
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/annual-ranking-of-spanish-footballers.2112645/#post-39126546

 

On the occasion of the brand's 50th anniversary (it was published for the first time in 1938 as a weekly magazine), this newspaper organized a large survey among all readers. To participate, you had to send the attached sheet, in which you had to mark the boxes of the chosen players (5 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 15 midfielders and 20 forwards).
The initial list contained 796 names, corresponding to the best Spanish soccer players (according to Marca) between 1938 and 1988. However, in case any of the chosen players were not on that list, the reader was given the opportunity to do so. added in the coupon.
The newspaper's system for choosing the top 50 was by successive screens. Of this first list 396 were eliminated to remain 400 (soon I will publish the list); then from the list of 400, 200 were removed and of the remaining 200, half were screened. Definitely, out of the best 100, the 50 most voted came out. This whole process took almost half a year.
It will be noted that nationalized persons are included. If you take the reading of this first list calmly, you will see that some players place them in a demarcation with which, perhaps, we are not so familiar. In fact, not long ago, in another thread there was talk of the possibility of placing Gordillo or Segarra as the best left back in the history of Spanish football, and neither of them is on the list of defenders. In any case, it is difficult to find such an extensive list, which I leave a few days for those who have the patience to see it calmly.

 

Lángara and Zubieta do not appear ...

 

After two weeks of voting, a second list was published in which the 400 most voted Spanish footballers appeared: therefore, the other half disappeared. A new vote was opened to send coupons with the 50 chosen by each reader.

 

Two more weeks and a new list. This time the 400 remain at 200; therefore it is already an interesting list to look at more closely.

 

Some important assists on the top 200 list:
Goalkeepers: Acuña and Sadurní.
Defenders: De Felipe, Eladio, Olivella, Orué, Pachín, Parra and Reija.
Midfielders: Escolá and Lecue.
Forwards: Arteche (Athlétic), Pepillo, Tejada and Zaldúa.