One hundred years after the death of Pichichi, the origin of the myth

“To Rafael Moreno’Pitxitxi‘. 1892-1922. Example of dedication to our club and as a tribute to all our players”, reads, in Spanish and Basque, on the plaque that accompanies the Bust of the first great scorer of Spanish footballthe mythical Pichichi, found at the entrance to the changing room tunnel of the new San Mames.

83 goals in 89 matches played with Athletic Club between 1913 and 1921 they converted this interior left, a native of Bilbao, in idol and, later, and after a premature death, in legend.

Today, the captain of the team visiting San Mamés for the first time makes a floral offering to the bust of this legendary scorer, a tradition that was established, in an improvised way, by the Budapest MTK on January 1, 1927.

“From the point of view of the family It is a pride that his figure continues to be remembered and that tribute is paid to him“, he affirms to AS Rafael Moreno, great-nephew of the footballer who today chairs the Pichichi Foundation.

An indisputable personality, on and off the field, defined Rafael Moreno Aranzadi (Bilbao, May 23, 1892), nicknamed Pichichi, says Alberto López Echevarrieta in the book ‘Pichichi: History and legend of a myth’, because “someone called it like that in derivation of ‘pigeon’ or ‘pichín’, terminology affectionately dedicated to close relatives of short stature“.

Son of Dalmacia Aranzadi and Joaquín Moreno, a lawyer who, being deputy mayor of Bilbao, came to act as mayor of the town for a few months, they say that Pichichi played hooky in the Escalopios —religious college of Bilbao— to play football with the English sailors.

There he cured a technique that made him an expert in dribling, which allowed its great football impact. “Player of medium height, and little physical faculties, but very fast and possessing such an extraordinary command of the ball that when he had it in his possession, four players were not enough to take it from him“, Mundo Deportivo said about the interior left that became, at the time, synonymous with goal.

Pichichi joined Athletic, a team in which he would be during his entire football career, in 1910, but he did not begin to stand out as a player until 1913. And he did it in a big way. because in his debut in an official match on March 17 of that year, he scored two goals in the first eleven minutes of the match against Real Madrid in the Cup. The rojiblancos made it through to the final (3-0), in which they fell to Racing Irún. A new goal from the Bilbao attacker was useless.

Thus began the goalscoring career of a Pichichi who, as a lion, reached scoring 83 goals in 89 games and lifting four Copas del Rey (1914, 1915, 1916 and 1921). “He was the first football star in Spain”, tells, with admiration his great-nephew.

Pioneer and genius. and as such he was applauded and cheered, but also booed. San Mamés, whose goal was inaugurated by the Bilbao attacker himself, he was baited with him after a bad game against Sparta Prague and Pichichi, at the age of 29, decided not to play again. Premature withdrawal also for those times.

But before his retirement, Pichichi had also made history with the Spanish National Team. In fact, Raphael Moreno He was part of the first eleven of La Roja in an official match, played against Denmark at the Olympic Games in Antwerp on August 28, 1920 at the St. Gilloise Union Park Stadium.

In that initial team, which went down in the history of Spanish football, Pichichi was accompanied by the following players: the also mythical Zamora; Samitier, Sesúmaga, Otero, Arrate, Belauste, Acedo, Eguiazábal, Patricio and Pagaza.

A veteran of that National Team, the Basque attacker was one of the few who played all the matches of those Olympic Games, debuting his scoring account in the final for second place against the Netherlands that Spain won 1-3.

That was the first and only one for both Pichichi and international and it helped him hang an incredible silver medal. Although he was young, he could safely retire.

One hundred years after the death of the legendary Athletic attacker, there are ten curious facts that enhance his figure, even a little more.

1. There are not a few footballers who have had a reputation for liking the night. Pichichi was also a pioneer in that. “He liked to have a good time. He was a figure on and off the field and protagonist of the Bilbao night in general”affirms his great-nephew, who shares his name and first surname with the legendary footballer.
2. And speaking of great-nephews, Pichichi kept this relationship with the writer Miguel de Unamuno who, they say, wanted to initiate him in the world of philately to separate him from football, but his attempt did not work out.
3. Football was his passion and the Bilbao striker used to play with a white scarf, with four knots, on her heada garment that became iconic for Basque footballers of the time.
4. After his premature retirement, the legendary Athletic player he hung his whistle around his neck to dedicate himself to refereeing.
5. Pichichi he died just a year after his retirement without even having turned 30. Although the cause of his death is not clear, the most widespread version is that it was due to typhoid fever caused by oysters in poor condition.
6. Ricardo Irezbal Gotipresident of Athletic during the periods 1919-21 and 1923-26, He was the one who proposed in a general meeting that a monument be erected in memory of Pichichi, an initiative that was approved unanimously.
7. For its part, Quentin of Torre Berasategui, a visual artist with a variety of themes, he was in charge of making the bronze bust of the attacker, which has had several locations over the years: in the old Misericordia grandstand, the main stand, the box of authorities and, now, at the exit of the locker room tunnel.
8. The first club to make the traditional floral offering to the bust of Pichichi fue the Budapest MTK on January 1, 1927, but before, in March 1924, the Haro Sport Club had already deposited a bouquet of flowers before a picture of Pichichi who presided over the prelude to a match between the people of La Rioja and an Athletic reserve team.
9. The scorer too names a street locatedof course, next to the San Mamés stadium.
10. The word top scorer entered the RAE in 2014 such as: “In football, the player who scores the most goals during the Spanish league and, by extension, a goalscorer”.

That top scorer entered the RAE and today serves to identify the top scorers in our football is largely due to Pike of the Alamoformer director of MARCA, who chose the nickname of the Bilbao attacker to create the trophy for the top scorer in the Spanish League in 1953.

Why he chose Pichichi precisely could be due to several reasons. Alfredo Relaño glimpsed, today honorary president of ASthat perhaps Del Álamo chose him for having scored the first goal in San Mamés. or for that character of myth that gave him his premature death. Or because of the sound of his nickname. Or because Del Álamo himself was a few years after Pichichi, an Athletic player and had admired his left interior in childhood.

There are many possible reasons, but today the word pichichi is synonymous with goal and the strikers of LaLiga they bid each year to win such a prestigious denomination.

Leo Messi has been the top scorer in the First Division eight times, being the footballer who has achieved it the most times. The Argentine star is followed by the Basque Telmo Zarra, with six; and Alfredo Di Stéfano, Quini and Hugo Sánchez, with five.

By club, the one that has had the top scorer of the League in its ranks the most has been Real Madrid, with 27, followed by Barcelona, ​​with 19, and Athletic Club, with 12. By territory, the Basque Country is the country that has contributed the most top scorers to the trophy’s list of winners.

Today, one hundred years after Pichichi’s death (March 1, 1922), the legendary Basque striker continues to preside over every football match played at La Catedralwhile his legacy also continues through the Foundation that bears his name.

The Pichichi Foundation, created in 2015 with the aim of “returning to society something that has been given to Pichichi by permanently reminding him” —he explains to AS its president Rafael Moreno—, is currently picking up the pace after suffering the throes of the pandemic.

Focused on fundraising to help the most vulnerable people, especially to boys and girls, today makes the Pichichi name take on a new dimension. That’s what myths are for.