Spain has always been characterized as a country in which the goal is an old ally of anyone. A custom go. Since almost its inception there have been resounding victories, but none like that of Athletic on the Barça of February 8, 1931. 90 years ago there was a 12-1 in San Mamés that no one has been able to overcome despite having spent almost a century, in which there have been blushing goals, but never at that level.
[+] Check here the MD edition of that day
The ‘lions’ are proud of having that milestone, while the Catalans drag that slab, although it is almost like an anecdote of little importance. “Without a doubt, this will be the result and the talk of sports circles throughout Spain and it will be talked about for a long time,” he began writing in his chronicle for this newspaper Neguri in his day. Reason was not lacking. That afternoon in San Mamés is pure history of the First Division, now known as LaLiga Santander, and it is presumed impossible that someone could steal that milestone by Athletic, which surprised a whole Barcelona and the entire country, bringing out the colors of a benchmark and champion team only in the first half (6-1).
The day started gray in Bilbao, with an omen of rain and fearing the collection at the box office of the field but the day cleared and the stadium was filled so that no one would miss what finally happened. It was three thirty and under a hot sun when players of the Athletic Y Barcelona they entered the field of play without being aware of what was to come. Among the starters of Athletic was Agustín Sauto, better known as
Bata
, since the technician Frederick Beaconsfield Pentland He did not have Unamuno, the starting forward, at his disposal. The play did not go wrong for the Basque team since Bata, unleashed, scored a whopping seven goals for Barça, contributing in a meaningful way to a night that those who witnessed it never forgot, for better or for worse. It didn’t take two minutes to convert the first one. This was the Athletic eleven:
Ispizua under sticks, Castellanos Y Urquizu in defense, Pichi, Muguerza Y Roberto in the center of the field and, up front, Lafuente Iraragorri, Bata, Chirri and Gorostiza
. An offensive team like those of the time, in which, on the contrary, they now bet on scoring a lot left at risk to fit the same or more.
Mundo Deportivo reflected in its pages Athletic’s historic win against Barça on February 8, 1931
The one who took the greatest bitterness, on the other hand, was
Nogués
, goalkeeper of the Barça, which conceded all twelve goals. It must be said, however, that The Catalans had to play very early with nine players due to the injuries of Cristobal Marti, at 18 ‘, and Roig
, which favored the escabechina and that also served as the justification for the azulgranas, little used to defeats of that depth. “I was sorry, if not I put twelve. I saw his face and I was desperate, “he confessed years later Bata on Nogués
. Not only did he overcome it, in the history books the scores of Gorostiza, Lafuente, Pichi, Iraragorri and the poor Sastre, Barça player who scored in his own goal. Header he was the author of the so much of consolation of the Catalans, although neither for that it served.
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Bata, the flaming hero, with that match he almost signed his renewal and stayed at Athletic until after the Civil War, when he decided to leave it and not rejoin despite the call from the club, with which he had raised four glasses. His bar, his daughter and his wife were the reasons for turning away from elite football. Of course, not sports, since he continued playing for Barakaldo, without charging. A player who was once an international for Spain and who scored 105 goals in 118 games for Athletic. Chapó. Happy Anniversary
