Ricardo Zamora, emblem of the silver fury in Antwerp

In the walk on the shoulders of his teammates to the locker room in recognition of his prodigious performance against Denmark, the fable that would become Ricardo Zamora's professional career and personal life was born.

His brilliant career in Espanyol (two stages), Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Nice (during the Spanish Civil War) lasts for 22 years and is rewarded with two Leagues and five Cups, but it is his 46 games with Spain that They contemplate his international rise, coming to be considered the best goalkeeper in the world of the time.

The Antwerp Games served to make itself known and the World Cup in Italy in 1934, no less than 14 years later, its definitive consecration. His figure passed the rules of the goalkeeper to use. His mere presence frightened rival forwards and emboldened his teammates.

He created a new style between the three suits. The punt was invented with the forearm, or the elbow, which went down in history as the “Zamorana”, forged in her love of Basque pelota and in her top basket games. That atypical punt was also a self-defense trait to scare off the forwards before they hit him.

Impossible to quantify the current equivalent of his 46 international matches, but his numbers defied the future. Iríbar did not surpass his mark of internationalities until 40 years later, in 1976. His last match was against Germany (26-2-1936), shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, in which he was considered missing and saved her life in dramatic circumstances.

He played the first 26 matches of the national team and his first absence was due to the fact that he could not play the Amsterdam Games in 1928 because he was already a professional. After those three Olympic games, he regained ownership with minimal absences, some due to injury.

In the 34th World Cup, the first in Spain, already 33 years old, he again obtained international recognition as the best goalkeeper in the world for his performance in the game against Italy, in which he was injured by an Italian player and could not play the tiebreaker . His names followed one another in time. “The great Ricardo”, “The only one”, 'Il miracoloso', but above all “El Divino”.

Off the pitch, he was a true galactic. She starred in two movies, made commercials, was on the cover of magazines, sticker albums, posters. Their sweaters, made to measure, and their caps set trends in fashion. Real Madrid paid 150,000 pesetas in 1930 for his transfer and his salary of 5,000 pesetas a month was unmatched in the League.

And with Zamora as the goalkeeper, as the popular saying went, Spain faced its next game in the Games 24 hours after its premiere against Denmark. Against Belgium, the host, who was well rested because he had not played the first game against Poland and who had been competing since 1904 with 47 international matches of experience.

Four changes had to make Paco Bru. Mandatory for injuries. Vallana, Artola, Sancho and Vázquez made their debut. The chronicles speak of a Spanish team that started with scoring chances, but the one who went ahead was Belgium before the break. Upon return, two goals canceled to Spain, and two consecutive by the locals that sentenced the match. Arrate the Spanish goal scored a penalty, already without any comeback options.

That defeat does not mean the final elimination. The complexity of the competitive formula allowed those defeated in the quarterfinals to aspire to the silver and bronze medals. The draw holds that the next rival is Sweden, who had also lost to the Netherlands in a controversial match that caused the Nordics to threaten withdrawal, but finally played.

There, in that third match, played on September 1, 1920, was when the National Team was given the nickname of 'the Spanish fury'.

It would not hurt to read everything that has been written about the historical and political origin of that name with which, precisely in the city of Antwerp, sacked in 1576, the Spanish troops had been baptized, but the occasion requires putting the accent in which the nickname was recovered several centuries later to assess, this time positively, the brave behavior of the National Team in that match played with enormous harshness by both contestants.

That meeting, in addition to being a pitched battle and the Spanish victory (2-1), will always be remembered for Belauste's goal that tied the game and his phrase to call the attention of his teammate who was going to take a foul on the Swedish area. “To me Sabino, that I run them all down.” The epic also introduces the element of the ball in the play and the phrase that passed down to posterity remained in “To me, Sabino el peloton, I ran over them.

Overwhelm, he ran over how many Swedes he encountered on the way and what the chronicles do not agree on is whether he finished off with his chest or with his head, but the ball and several rivals ended up inside the goal. Acedo scored 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining. In 87 Olsson missed a penalty and Spain, already called the 'fury', qualified to play the quarterfinals of the play-off against Italy … the next day.

The victory left his losses on the way and the coach had to fit pieces forced by circumstances. Both wingers made their debut, Moncho Gil and Silverio. Spain was superior despite the absences. Sesúmaga, an improvised center forward, scored both goals, one at each half. And now with 2-0 on the scoreboard Ricardo Zamora was sent off for punching Badini, who also went to the locker room. Silverio, the left-handed winger, put on the 'El Divino' jersey, and endured the last eleven minutes of the Italian siege as a goalkeeper.

“The final petit”. This is what the local press called the game for the silver medal. The Olympic gold was already for Belgium, which had defeated Czechoslovakia in the final in a match that was played immediately after the Spain-Italy. The Czechs left the field outraged by the refereeing and as they refused to return, they were disqualified, so they could not play against Spain for the silver medal. Holland took his place.

Three days off before the silver game. The Selection recovers troops. Samitier, Eguiazábal, Patricio and Acedo, starters. His superiority is evident and materializes with Sesúmaga's first goal in the seventh minute. Eight of the break again both from the Basque interior of Barcelona. The Netherlands came to close the gap, but a goal from Pichichi hung the silver medal on his neck and that of all his teammates. The image that opens the article is the eleven of Spain that played that game. Above are Zamora, Eguiazabal, Vallana, Belauste, Samitier, Arrate and Lemmel (Masseuse). Below: Silverio, Moncho Gil, Sesúmaga, Patricio, Pichichi and Acedo.