Joaquín García (footballer, born 1875)

Joaquín García Cenarro (1875 – Unknown) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for FC Barcelona and Club Español (now known as RCD Espanyol).[1][2] Although little has been recorded of his life, he was one of the most prominent footballers in the Copa Macaya, the first football championship played on the Iberian Peninsula, winning the competition with both Barça (1901–02) and Espanyol (1902–03).[1]

Joaquín García
Personal information
Full name Joaquín García Cenarro
Date of birth 1875
Place of birth Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Date of death Unknown
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1891–1896 Plymouth College
1901–1902 FC Barcelona
1902–1904 Club Espanyol
International career
1903 Barcelona 2 (0)
1904 Catalonia 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career edit

García was introduced to football during his time as a student in England.[3] While there, he developed a deep interest in football and began playing it in Plymouth.[1][3][4] At the age of 26, García returned to Spain and settled in Barcelona, where he decided to continue his love of football and joined the city's main club, FC Barcelona, in 1901.[1]

Together with captain Joan Gamper, Udo Steinberg and Gustavo Green, he played a pivotal role in helping Barça win the 1901–02 Copa Macaya, which was the club's first-ever piece of silverware, netting 5 goals including back-to-back braces against Club University and his future club RCD Espanyol.[5] The following season, he was recruited by Club Español where he spent two seasons. In his first season at the club, together with René Fenouillière, Ángel Ponz, and Gustavo Green, he managed to win the third and last Copa Macaya, which means that he won two back-to-back championships in a row with different teams.[6] Together with Joaquim Escardó, Ángel Rodríguez, and Green, he was part of the team that won the first edition of the Campionat de Catalunya in 1903–04.[7]

International career edit

In 1903, García played three friendly matches between teams made up of the best players in Barcelona, the first at Muntaner on 21 May, the second on 8 September, scoring once for the Reds in 3–4 loss to the Whites, and the third on 24 September, a test match between two "Barcelona teams" that was meant to decide who would integrate the first selection of the Catalan national team the following year.[8]

On 13 April 1904, García made his debut for Catalan national team, only its second-ever match, which ended in a 2–3 loss to Sportsmen's Club. In the following month, on 29 May, García played for Espanyol against Catalonia, scoring once in a 4–1 victory. This was his farewell match as he then went on to live in Tangier, Morocco.[3][9]


Later life edit

On 29 October 1917, García arrived in the United States from Brest, France.[3] The date of his death is unknown.

Honours edit

FC Barcelona

RCD Espanyol

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Joaquín García Cenarro stats". players.fcbarcelona.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Joaquim García Cenarro - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Joaquim García CENARRO". www.periquito.cat. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. ^ "La Copa de 1902" [The 1902 Cup] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. 17 October 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Barça Rewind: The first ever title". www.fcbarcelona.com. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Squad of Club Español 1902-03". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Squad of Club Español de Foot-ball 1903-04 Campionat de Catalunya". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  8. ^ "La selección de Barcelona y el primer intento de un campeonato de España de regiones" [The Barcelona team and the first attempt at a regional Spanish championship] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Tots els partits de la Selecció Catalana de futbol" [All the matches of the Catalan national football team]. www.seleccions.cat (in Spanish). 16 December 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2024.