José Gonzalvo

José Gonzalvo Falcón (16 January 1920 – 31 May 1978), sometimes referred to as Gonzalvo II or – especially as of late – by the Catalan rendition of his given name Josep Gonzalvo, was a Spanish Catalan footballer and manager. Gonzalvo played for, among others, FC Barcelona, Spain and the Catalan XI.

Gonzalvo II
Personal information
Full name José Gonzalvo Falcón
Date of birth (1920-01-16)16 January 1920
Place of birth Mollet del Vallès, Spain
Date of death 31 May 1978(1978-05-31) (aged 58)
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender / Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1941–1943 Ceuta
1943–1944 Sabadell 25 (0)
1944–1950 Barcelona 144 (2)
1950–1953 Zaragoza 65 (0)
Total 234 (2)
International career
1942–1950 Catalonia 5 (1)
1948–1950 Spain 8 (0)
Managerial career
1963 Barcelona
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

After retiring as a player, he became a coach and briefly managed Barcelona. He died in 1978 after an unsuccessful operation.

Playing career

Born in Mollet del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Gonzalvo played for Segunda División team SD Ceuta while doing his military service. He then joined CE Sabadell FC, playing alongside his older brother Juli. He made his La Liga debut with CD Sabadell on 26 September 1943 in a 5-2 defeat to Sevilla CF. After just one season he signed for FC Barcelona. During six seasons with the club he played 198 games and scored 5 goals games in all competitions. Together with a team that included, among others Antoni Ramallets, Velasco, Josep Escolà, Joan Segarra, Estanislao Basora, César, Ladislao Kubala and his younger brother, Marià, he helped Barcelona win three La Liga titles. He finished his playing career with one season at Real Zaragoza.[2]

International career

Between 1948 and 1950 Gonzalvo also played 8 times for Spain. He made his debut for Spain in a 2-1 win against Ireland on 5 May 1948 and, together with Marià, went on to represent them at the 1950 World Cup. Between 1942 and 1950 he also played five times for the Catalan XI. His first game was 6-2 defeat against CF Barcelona on 5 July 1942 at Les Corts.

Managerial career

In January 1963 Gonzalvo succeeded Ladislao Kubala as manager of FC Barcelona, but only took charge of the club for fifteen La Liga games. During his brief spell as manager, he did however guide a team that included Joan Segarra, Jesús Garay, Chus Pereda, Sándor Kocsis and Ferran Olivella to a Copa del Generalísimo win. In the final they beat Real Zaragoza 3-1.

Personal life

His two brothers were also notable footballers. Juli Gonzalvo, known as Gonzalvo I played for RCD Espanyol while Marià Gonzalvo, known as Gonzalvo III, also played for Barcelona and Spain.

His two sons, Josep Maria Gonzalvo and Jordi Gonzalvo were also managers.

Honours

Player
Barcelona

Manager
Barcelona

References
  1. "Gonzalvo II, Josep Gonzalvo Falcón - Footballer | BDFutbol". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  2. "Galería de Internacionales: Jose Gonzalvo Falcon" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 12 August 1988. p. 25.
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