Victorio Unamuno

Victorio Unamuno Ibarzabal (21 May 1909 – 20 May 1988), also known as Unamuno I, was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Unamuno and the second or maternal family name is Ibarzabal.
Victorio Unamuno
Unamuno in 1931
Personal information
Full name Victorio Unamuno Ibarzabal
Date of birth (1909-05-21)21 May 1909
Place of birth Bergara, Spain
Date of death 20 May 1988(1988-05-20) (aged 78)
Place of death Durango, Spain
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1924–1927 Aurrerá Bergara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1927–1928 Alavés
1928–1933 Athletic Bilbao 45 (36)
1933–1936 Betis 55 (29)
1939–1942 Athletic Bilbao 44 (36)
Total 144 (101)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He amassed La Liga totals of 144 games and 101 goals, with Athletic Bilbao and Betis.[1]

Football career

Unamuno was born in Bergara, Gipuzkoa. After helping Deportivo Alavés to the semi-finals of the 1928 Copa del Rey he was signed by neighbouring Athletic Bilbao to be part of their team in the newly-formed national league. He went on win two La Liga titles and four consecutive domestic cups, notably forming an attacking partnership with Bata, Guillermo Gorostiza, José Iraragorri, Chirri II and Lafuente.[2][3][4][5]

In the summer of 1933, Unamuno joined Real Betis. In the 1934–35 season he scored a team-best 13 goals, and the club won its first and only national championship.[6]

After leaving Seville, Unamuno's career was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, and he subsequently returned to Athletic. In the 1939–40 campaign he netted 20 times – and Gorostiza added 16 – en route to being crowned the competition's Pichichi, helping the side to third place;[7] he retired in 1942, aged 33.

Personal life

Unamuno's younger brother, Vicente (1917–1988, known as Unamuno II), was also a footballer and a forward. The siblings were teammates at Athletic Bilbao during 1939–40 even though the latter did not appear in the league, but the pair did help the club win the Biscay Championship in that year; the former died in Durango, Biscay, one day before his 79th birthday.

Honours

Club

Individual

References
  1. "Yo jugué en el Real Betis: Victorio Unamuno" [I played for Real Betis: Victorio Unamuno] (in Spanish). Vavel. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  2. "Las tres grandes delanteras que hubo en la historia el Athletic" [The three great forward lines in the history of Athletic]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 2 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  3. "History: 1928-1937". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  4. "El 'Abecedario' del fútbol: Guillermo Gorostiza, la bala roja de San Mamés" [The 'ABC' of football: Guillermo Gorostiza, the red bullet of San Mamés]. Fútbol Primera (in Spanish). 12 March 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  5. Radnedge, Keir (1 August 1977). "The history of Athletic Bilbao 1898-1936". World Soccer (via In Bed With Maradona). Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  6. "Feliz aniversario, campeón" [Happy anniversary, champion] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  7. "Victorio Unamuno, un goleador de verdad" [Victorio Unamuno, a true scorer]. Marca (in Spanish). 22 October 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  8. "Spain – List of Topscorers ("Pichichi") 1929–2015". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
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