Goalkeeping Museum

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  Ricardo Zamora in action

  Name: Ricardo Zamora

• DOB: 21/01/1901 Barcelona, Spain
• Height: 6ft 4.5 Inches / 1.94m
• Clubs:
  • Espanol (1916-19)
  • Barcelona (1919-1922)
  • Espanol (1922-30)
  • Real Madrid (1930-36)
  • Nice (1936-38)
• Years Active: 1916-1938
• Club Appearances: ?
• International Appearances: (Spain) 46

Ricardo Zamora was a big, tall, controversial goalkeeper who enjoyed great success with a number of clubs in a country and world which was experiencing political turmoil.

As if to demonstrate the good, bad and ugly of his character in one tournament, in the 1920 Olympic Games at Antwerp, Zamora would come home with a Silver medal, and be arrested, imprisoned and fined for attempting to smuggle Havana Cigars on the way home. During the tournament, he had been sent off for punching an Italian opponent. Zamora was also banned for a full year after failing to declare on his tax forms that he had received a signing on fee on his 1922 return to RCD Espanol.

Despite all of this, Zamora was widely regarded as a brave and extraordinary talent between the sticks. His bravery came to the fore in an historic match against England, in 1929. England had never been beaten by a team from outside of the British Isles, and Ricardo Zamora would prove to be very much the difference as Spain won 4-3. At the end of the match, it became apparent that Zamora had played much of the game with a broken sternum (breastbone) which only goes to show what a tough character Zamora was.

He was also credited as something of a trendsetter as his cloth cap and white polo neck jumper, which he claimed was to keep the sun off, was copied by many others playing in Spain at the time.

Zamora was the most capped player of his generation, and managed to play in several parts of a Spain that was fighting a civil war with itself: such was his talent that it rose above these territorial grievances.

Ricardo Zamora Honours:

• Copa Del Rey: Winner 1928-29 (Espanol), 1919-20, 1920-21 (Barcelona)
• Copa De Espana: Winner 1933-34, 1935-36 (Real Madrid)
• Catalan Champions: 1917-18, 1928-29 (Espanol), 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22 (Barcelona)
• La Liga: 1931-32, 1932-33 (Real Madrid)

Catalan XI

• Copa Princep de Asturies: 1922, 1924, 1926

Spain

• Olympic Games: Silver Medal 1920