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Josep Espada
Josep Espada Virgós (7 June 1912 – 7 October 1989) was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for Palafrugell and Espanyol.[1][2][3] He was also international with the Catalan national team during the 1930s.[1] After retiring, he became a coach, taking charge of the likes of Espanyol, Girona, and Terrassa.[1][3] Playing careerClub careerBorn on 7 June 1912 in Palafrugell, Espada began playing football in the youth ranks of his hometown club FC Palafrugell in 1926, aged 14, before making his senior debut two years later, in 1928. He stayed loyal to Palafrugell for six years, playing in the first-tier Catalan championship in the early 1930s.[3] He soon stood out, becoming a highly valued player sought after by the big clubs, including FC Barcelona.[4] In 1934, he signed for Espanyol,[1][3][5] remaining at the club until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.[1] After the War, Espada played for Levante-Gimnástico (1940)[1][6] and Girona FC (1940–43), before returning to Espanyol for two more seasons between 1943 and 1945.[1] In total, he played 103 official matches for Espanyol, including 9 goals in 49 La Liga games.[1][3] He then moved to CE Constància, where he was relegated to the Tercera Division in 1945. He played his last season of football at Reus Deportiu in 1946–47, doing so as a player-coach.[1][7] International careerOn 29 June 1934, Espada made his debut for the Catalan national team in a charity match against Athletic Bilbao, scoring once to help his side to a 5–1 win.[8] During this match, Espada's performance impressed Oliveras de la Riva, who took him to Espanyol.[8] Managerial careerAs a coach, he managed Espanyol twice, for two seasons in 1947–1949, and then again in 1955–1957.[3] During the 1954–55 season, he was the second-in-command of Ricardo Zamora.[1][3] His last stage on the Espanyol bench was in 1966, forming this time a tandem with Alfredo Di Stéfano, and managing to save the team from relegation.[1][3] In addition to Espanyol, he was coach of CE Alcoià, CD Tenerife, Girona FC, Terrassa FC, and Club León in Mexico.[3] Including the entire institution of RCD, he spent 24 years linked to the club as a player or coach.[1] Later life and deathOn 29 April 1988, Espada received the Medal of Sports Merit from the Generalitat de Catalunya.[9] Espada died in Barcelona on 7 October 1989, at the age of 77.[1][3] References
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