In most leagues around the world, the name of the trophy given to the seasons top scorer kind of makes sense. For example, in England they have the Golden Boot. In Italy, they have the Capocannoniere (Top Gunner). So why is the La Liga top scorer award called the Pichichi? To find out, we need to go back to the Spanish port city of Bilbao at the turn of the 20th century. This is where we can find Athletic Bilbao and their legendary player, Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, aka Pichichi. In 1902, they won the Copa de la Coronacion, held to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. At this time, they were known as Club Vizcaya de Bilbao following a temporary merger between Athletic Bilbao and Bilbao Football Club. Three other teams competed for the trophy: FC Barcelona, Club Espanol de Foot-Ball and New Football Club, possibly so called because they were a football club and they were new. Vizcaya tore their first two opponents to shreds 5-1 and 8-1, and then defeated the mighty Barcelona in the final 2-1.  As this was the only time the competition was played, Vizcaya/Bilbao were given the trophy permanently.

 

Athletic Bilbao became the inaugural winners of the Copa del Rey when they achieved victory in the 1903 edition of the competition, the first time it was ever held. Only three clubs participated: Athletic Bilbao, Espanol and Madrid CF (the future Real Madrid). Played in a round-robin format, the results of the first two games meant that the last game ended up being the final. At the Hipdromo in Madrid, the club defeated Madrid CF 3-2, despite losing 2-0 at half time. In 1904, Athletic Bilbao automatically qualified for the Copa del Rey final. Espanol de Madrid and Madrid-Moderno had drawn their game 5-5. The captains decided not to play extra time, but couldn’t agree on when the replay should take place. Espanol wanted to play it the next day but Moderno wanted to play it 48 hours later. Espanol turned up the next day for the replay but Madrid-Moderno didn’t, so the president of the federation (who conveniently was also the president of Espanol) ruled in favor of Espanol. That club went on to play Moncloa which was suspended with Espanol 1-0 up when one of their players became severely injured. This led them to qualify for the final without actually completing any games. In turn, Athletic Bilbao, who themselves were in the final having not played any matches, hypocritically filed a complaint. In response to their complaint, Espanol did not turn up for the final, and Athletic Bilbao won the 1904 Copa del Rey without even kicking a ball.

 

The club experienced a lull for several years but won the Copa del Rey again in 1910, this time having to actually play for it, and 1911, however, it too was a controversial tournament, with several teams withdrawing in protest of other teams using foreign players. Real Sociedad had plenty to say about Bilbao fielding two Englishmen and they quit the competition half way through, taking other clubs who supported their point of view with them. Bilbao did not field their English players for the rest of the contest but refused to replay their tied game in protest. This dispute was the major factor that influenced the clubs Cantera policy of only recruiting local Basque players, a policy the club is famous for and one which continues to this very day. Bilbao won three Copa del Reys in a row in 1914, 1915 and 1916. The main contributor of this later success was the player they called Pichichi – his story is below.

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Achievements: Copa del Rey – Winners x 7

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Star player: Pichichi, dob 23 May 1892, pob Bilbao, Spain nickname: Little Duck

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Born Rafael Moreno Aranzadi was born in to a wealthy family in Bilbao. His father was a lawyer and former mayor of the city, and when he was growing up, Pichichi’s family tried to steer him away from football and into a life of study and work, but Pichichi’s only loved football. He was mischievious and naughty unless he had a ball at his feet, and he dropped out of university after failing to pass a single exam. No one really knows how he got his unusal nickname, but it may be because he’d be out in the rain sodden alley ways and football pitches of Bilbao, like duck, kicking a football. In a time when football was at times a brutal sport, Pichichi was known for his incredible, light footed dribbling skills and a superior finish. The diminutive 19 year old joined Athletic Bilbao in 1911 and made his debut in the Copa del Rey 1913 semi final against Real Madrid, in which he scored. Pichichi was easily identifiable thanks to the white bandana he alway wore on his head, at 5 feet 1 inch he is one of the shortest players to play professional football in Europe, and he helped Bilbao to dominate Spanish football in the era. A complete forward, he was quick, industrious and lethal in front of goal. In 8 years, Pichichi scored an amazing 200 goals in 170 games and he had been hailed as easily the greatest player of his generation. Pichichi fielded offers from clubs all over Europe, but he was a one club man and remined with Bilbao for his entire career with his finest moment coming when scored a hat-trick in the 1915 Copa del Rey final. Only five players have done this in the last 113 years. Pichichi played in the 1920 Olympic Games as a member of the first ever Spanish national team, helping his nation to the silver medal. He was truly Spain’s first football superstar, and was known for acting like it too. Similarly to modern day heroes, he was accused of being stuck up and playing for himself. His star eventually diminished with Bilabo fans quick to turn against their former icon, becoming sick of his arrogance, turning their backs on him when he had the ball and chanting for him to retire. It eventually became too much for Pichichi, and he retired from football aged 29. He came to the realisation that it was better to resign while he was ahead rather than endure a slow, painful downward spiral. However, he still loved football despite it all, and became a referee, taking control of his first match at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium. Pichichi’s tale gets even sadder however, as the man died just before his 30th birthday from typhus after he ate some contaminated oysters. The same fans who had booed him as a player were devastated and suddenly regretted their behavior and how they had treated a player who they formally loved as their hero. Pichichi remains a cult legend and a part of Spanish football folklore – his legacy includes the La Liga top goalscorer prize being named after him. The Pichichi has since been won by the likes of di Stefano, Sanchez, Zidane, Raul, Romario, both Ronaldos and Messi. Fittingly though, the first winner of the award was Athletic Bilbao’s Telmo Zarra, a Pichichi-esque player within the club.