PICHICHI 2010/2011

PICHICHI 2010/2011:


Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 15
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 13
Fernando Llorente (Athletic) 9
Guiseppe Rossi (Villarreal) 8
Nilmar (Villarreal) 7
Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) 7
David Trezeguet (Hercules) 6
David Villa (Barcelona) 6
Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid) 6
Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla) 5

(Pichichi 2009/2010: Final Clasification)

Lionel Messi 34
Gonzalo Higuaín 27
Cristiano Ronaldo 26
David Villa 21
Diego Forlan 18
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 16
Roberto Soldado 16
Luis Fabiano 15
Fernando Llorente 14
Nino 14
 

A LITTLE HISTORY: Rafael Moreno Aranzadi ‘Pichichi’

Each year the topscorer in Spain receives the ‘Trofeo Pichichi’. The award was introduced in 1953 by the ‘Marca’ newspaper and, of course, this year was won by Lionel Messi with 34 strikes. However few people stop to think about who or what ‘Pichichi’ is or was? Well, Pichichi was one of the finest Spanish goalscorers of the pre-war and pre-Primera Liga era playing for Athletic Bilbao between 1911 and 1921. He was born and died in Bilbao, his uncle was a famous Basque writer and he got his ‘Pichichi’ (which means little duck) nickname from friends while playing football on the streets of Bilbao.

It is surprising, perhaps, that in the time of Franco’s Spain, a Basque was chosen by such a Madrista paper to effectively represent the ultimate goalscorer. However, that is before you see ‘Pichichi’s’ record. In Copa Del Rey matches he scored 77 goals in 89 games and 200 goals in 170 matches (more than one a game) in total most of which came in the Northern regional league of the time. He was top scorer in the Northern and Viscayan (the national La Liga – began in 1929) every year of his career. He played in 6 Copa del Rey finals winning 4 of them and scored the first ever goal at the San Mames stadium home of Athletic. He also played in Spain’s first ever international (alongside goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora – of the goalkeeping Zamora award) and was the star of the 1920 Antwerp Olympics football tournament where Spain won the silver medal. On top of this he achieved these feats not as a big bruising centre forward but as a 5 foot (154 cm) and 8 stone (51 kg) feather of a man who played, rather bizarrely, with a white handkerchief tied to his head. All this in a time when challenges were barbaric and it is surprising he didn’t sometimes use the handkerchief to wave surrender to defenders who must have towered over him. He was, it seems, despite his size the complete player: in great physical shape, tireless and pacy, a fine dribbler and striker of the ball and, strangely enough, the scorer of quite a few headed goals.

Amazingly, despite this record he doesn’t seem to have been a crowd favourite and, criticism from Bilbao fans in his last 2 or 3 years, partially explain his retirement at age 27. Disappointed, but still in love with the game, he started training to be a referee. However, before he got the chance he was suddenly struck down with typhus and died at 28 years old in 1922. He was unsurprisingly remembered much more favorably in death than in life by Bilbao fans and football fans in general, and within a few years a bronze statue of him stood outside San Mames. By tradition teams on their first visit to the stadium bring a bouquet which they lay at his statue in tribute. The Trofeo Pichichi has been won by many superb players Di Stefano, Puskas, Kempes, Sanchez, Ronaldo, Raul and now, of course, Messi.

We will never know how ‘Pichichi’ would stand up against such players but undoubtedly, he was one of the greatest players of his day, whose goalscoring statistics and honours won, never mind his short stature and tragic end, justify his immortality and his name on that top scorer trophy.

 
With thanks to Michael.P.Butler (European Football Correspondent - Footballista)

PICHICHI WINNER LIST:

1928–29 Paco Bienzobas - Real Sociedad 14

1929–30 Guillermo Gorostiza - Athletic Bilbao 19

1930–31 Bata - Athletic Bilbao 27

1931–32 Guillermo Gorostiza - Athletic Bilbao 12

1932–33 Manuel Olivares - Madrid CF 16

1933–34 Isidro Lángara - Oviedo CF 27

1934–35 Isidro Lángara - Oviedo CF 26

1935-36 Isidro Lángara - Oviedo CF 27

1939-40 Víctor Unamuno - Athletic Bilbao 26

1940-41 Pruden - Atlético Aviación 30

1941-42 Mundo - Valencia 27

1942-43 Mariano Martín - Barcelona 32

1943-44 Mundo - Valencia 27

1944-45 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 19

1945-46 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 24

1946-47 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 34

1947-48 Pahiño - Celta de Vigo 23

1948-49 César - Barcelona 28

1949-50 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 25

1950-51 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 38

1951-52 Pahiño - Real Madrid 28

1952-53 Telmo Zarra - Atlético Bilbao 24

1953-54 Alfredo di Stéfano - Real Madrid 27

1954-55 Juan Arza - Sevilla 28

1955-56 Alfredo di Stéfano - Real Madrid 24

1956-57 Alfredo di Stéfano - Real Madrid 31

1957-58 Manuel Badenes - Real Valladolid 19 , Alfredo di Stéfano - Real Madrid 19, Ricardo - Valencia 19

1958-59 Alfredo di Stéfano - Real Madrid 23

1959-60 Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid 26

1960-61 Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid 27

1961-62 Juan Seminario - Real Zaragoza 25

1962-63 Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid 26

1963-64 Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid 20

1964-65 Cayetano Ré - Barcelona 25

1965-66 Vavá - Elche 19

1966-67 Waldo - Valencia 24

1967-68 Fidel Uriarte - Atlético Bilbao 22

1968-69 Amancio - Real Madrid 14, José Eulogio Gárate - Atlético Madrid 14

1969-70 Amancio - Real Madrid 16, Luis Aragonés - Atlético Madrid 16, José Eulogio Gárate - Atlético Madrid 16

1970-71 José Eulogio Gárate - Atlético Madrid 17, Carles Rexach - Barcelona 17

1971-72 Enrique Porta - Granada 20

1972-73 Marianín - Real Oviedo 19

1973-74 Quini - Real Gijón 20

1974-75 Carlos - Atlético Bilbao 19

1975-76 Quini - Sporting de Gijón 18

1976-77 Mario Kempes - Valencia 24

1977-78 Mario Kempes - Valencia 28

1978-79 Hans Krankl - Barcelona 29

1979-80 Quini - Sporting de Gijón 24

1980-81 Quini - Barcelona 20

1981-82 Quini - Barcelona 26

1982-83 Poli Rincón - Real Betis 20

1983-84 Jorge da Silva - Real Valladolid 17, Juanito - Real Madrid 17

1984-85 Hugo Sánchez - Atlético Madrid 19

1985-86 Hugo Sánchez - Real Madrid 22

1986-87 Hugo Sánchez - Real Madrid 34

1987-88 Hugo Sánchez - Real Madrid 29

1988-89 Baltazar - Atlético Madrid 35

1989-90 Hugo Sánchez - Real Madrid 38

1990-91 Emilio Butragueño - Real Madrid 19

1991-92 Manolo - Atlético Madrid 27

1992-93 Bebeto - Deportivo La Coruña 29

1993-94 Romário - Barcelona 30

1994-95 Iván Zamorano - Real Madrid 28

1995-96 Juan Antonio Pizzi - Tenerife 31

1996-97 Ronaldo - Barcelona 34

1997-98 Christian Vieri - Atlético Madrid 24

1998–99 Raúl - Real Madrid 25

1999–00 Salva Ballesta - Racing de Santander 27

2000–01 Raúl - Real Madrid 24

2001–02 Diego Tristán - Deportivo La Coruña 21

2002–03 Roy Makaay - Deportivo La Coruña 29

2003–04 Ronaldo - Real Madrid 24

2004–05 Diego Forlán - Villarreal 25

2005–06 Samuel Eto'o - Barcelona 26

2006–07 Ruud van Nistelrooy - Real Madrid 25

2007–08 Dani Güiza - Mallorca 27

2008–09 Diego Forlán - Atlético Madrid 32

2009–10 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 34

2010-2011 ?