Pichichi (footballer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pichichi

Personal information
Date of birth	(1892-05-23)23 May 1892
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Date of death	1 March 1922(1922-03-01) (aged 29)
Place of death	Bilbao, Spain
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Escolapios
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1910–1911	Bilbao FC
1911–1922	Athletic Bilbao
National team
1920	Spain	5	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain Olympic Games Silver 1920 Antwerp Team competition
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Rafael Moreno Aranzadi (born May 23, 1892 – died March 1, 1922) was a famous Spanish footballer. He was known by his nickname, Pichichi. He played as a forward, which means he was a goal-scorer.

Pichichi played for Athletic Bilbao during the 1910s and early 1920s. He got his nickname because he was quite thin and had a small build.

Pichichi's Club Career

Pichichi was born in Bilbao, Biscay. He played in his first Copa del Rey final in March 1913. His team, Athletic Bilbao, lost 1–0 to Real Unión. This was his only club team.

Later that year, on August 21, Athletic Bilbao played Real Unión again. This game was special because it was the first ever match at the new San Mamés Stadium. Pichichi scored the very first goal at this new ground! Two months later, he also scored the first goal at Real Sociedad's new Atotxa Stadium.

Pichichi was easy to spot on the field. He always wore a white cloth tied around his head. He played in five more Spanish cup finals. He helped Athletic Bilbao win four of them. In the 1915 final, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) as Athletic beat RCD Español 5–0.

After returning from the 1920 Olympics, some fans felt his playing wasn't as good as before. This made him upset, and he decided to stop playing football. He then became a referee.

Pichichi sadly died on March 2, 1922, when he was only 29 years old. He passed away suddenly from typhus, a serious illness. Fans were very sad and regretted how he had left the club. He scored 83 goals in 89 games for Athletic Bilbao.

Pichichi's International Career

In 1920, Pichichi was part of the very first Spain national team. They played in the Summer Olympic Games in Belgium.

He played five international games for Spain in just one month. His first game was on August 28, a 1–0 win against Denmark.

Pichichi's Personal Life

Pichichi's father was the mayor of Bilbao. He was also the nephew of a famous writer, Miguel de Unamuno.

A painting by Aurelio Arteta shows Pichichi and his future wife. It is said that the painting first showed his teammate José María Belauste. But after Pichichi died, it became known as a picture of him and his fiancée.

Honoring Pichichi

Bust of Pichichi at the San Mamés Stadium

In 1926, a bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) was put up at the San Mamés Stadium. This was done to honor Pichichi. It became a tradition for visiting teams to leave flowers at its base before their first game there.

When Athletic Bilbao moved to their new stadium in 2013, people worried the bust might not fit. But a good spot was found at the entrance to the players' tunnel. This allowed the tradition to continue at the new location.

In 1953, a Spanish sports newspaper called Diario Marca created the Pichichi Trophy. This award is given each year to the top goal-scorers in Spain's main football leagues, La Liga and Segunda División.

Pichichi's Achievements

Athletic Bilbao

• Copa del Rey:
  • 1914
  • 1915
  • 1916
  • 1921
• Northern/Vizcayan Regional Championship: 1913–14, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1919–20, 1920–21

Spain

• Summer Olympic Games:
  • Silver medal 1920

See also

• List of one-club men
• In Spanish: Pichichi (futbolista) para niños