Pichi Alonso

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Alonso and the second or maternal family name is Herrera.

Pichi Alonso
Personal information
Full name Àngel Alonso Herrera
Date of birth (1954-12-17) 17 December 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth Benicarló, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Benicarló
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1977 Castellón 57 (20)
1977–1982 Zaragoza 159 (92)
1982–1986 Barcelona 51 (12)
1986–1989 Español 79 (25)
Total 346 (149)
International career
1979 Spain U23 5 (1)
1981 Spain B 1 (2)
1978–1980 Spain 3 (0)
Managerial career
1992–1993 Figueres
1995–2005 Catalonia
2006 Metalurh Donetsk
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Àngel "Pichi" Alonso Herrera (born 17 December 1954) is a Spanish retired football striker and manager.

A player with a prolific scoring rate, though he never won the Pichichi Trophy, he represented, amongst others, both Barcelona major clubs during his career. He amassed La Liga totals of 261 games and 107 goals over 11 seasons, and won four titles with FC Barcelona.[1]

Playing career

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Born in Benicarló, Castellón, Valencian Community, Alonso made his professional debut with local club CD Castellón in the Segunda División, in 1975.[2] He signed for Real Zaragoza two years later, playing 33 La Liga matches in every season he remained there and never netting less than 15 goals;[3] in his debut campaign, he scored five in an 8–1 rout of RCD Español.[4]

For the 1982–83 campaign, Alonso moved to FC Barcelona, being used frequently in his first year but losing his importance after the purchase of Scotland's Steve Archibald, and never regaining it again. Still, he scored three goals against IFK Göteborg in the 1986 European Cup semi-finals, allowing the Catalans to reach the final of the competition against FC Steaua București in Seville,[5] where he came on as a substitute in extra time, in an eventual penalty shootout loss; he was one of four players that had his attempt saved by opposing goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam.[6]

Alonso regained his scoring prowess at Barça neighbours Espanyol, helping the side to finish third in his first season with 17 goals.[7] In 1987–88 another penalty shootout defeat occurred, now in the UEFA Cup against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[8] He retired the following year at the age of 35, having won three caps for the Spain national team – his debut came on 21 December 1978 in a 1–0 friendly loss with Italy, in Rome.[9][2]

Coaching career

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Alonso started his manager career as assistant to his former Barcelona teammate Víctor Muñoz at RCD Mallorca.[10] He then coached the autonomous team of Catalonia for several years,[11][12] while also working as a pundit for Televisió de Catalunya.[13]

In 2006, Alonso had a brief managerial spell at Ukraine's FC Metalurh Donetsk.[14]

Honours

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Zaragoza

Barcelona

Español

References

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  1. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan; Bevan, Chris (22 April 2008). "When Bryan Robson tamed Barca". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b Sastriques, Jorge (24 February 2017). "El Municipal de Benicarló por fin llevará el nombre de Ángel 'Pichi' Alonso" [Municipal de Benicarló to be finally named after Ángel 'Pichi' Alonso] (in Spanish). Golsmedia. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  3. ^ Machín, Raquel (17 March 2014). "Ángel 'Pichi' Alonso: "Al verme Arsenio dijo, ¿éste es el delantero que me han fichado?"" [Ángel 'Pichi' Alonso: "When Arsenio saw me he said, is this the forward they have signed me?"]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  4. ^ Ventura, Xavié (26 February 1979). "8–1: Debacle españolista en Zaragoza" [8–1: Españolista debacle in Zaragoza]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  5. ^ Domènech, Oriol (1 December 2006). "La noche mágica de Pichi Alonso" [Pichi Alonso's magical night] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Duckadam inspires Steaua". UEFA. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. ^ Luengo, Jordi (20 June 2021). "El segundo Espanyol más goleador de la historia" [Espanyol with the second-most goals in history] (in Spanish). La Grada. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Ángel "PICHI" Alonso" (in Spanish). Hall of Fame Perico. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  9. ^ Díez Serrat, Javier (22 December 1978). "1–0: Los jóvenes "Kubala-Boys" vendieron cara su piel" [1–0: Young "Kubala-Boys" made opposition sweat it out] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  10. ^ Candia, Patricio (22 April 1997). "El Mallorca líder de Segunda, despide a su entrenador" [Segunda leaders Mallorca sack their manager]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Alonso busca recambios para Tamudo, Gerard y Rubén Navarro" [Alonso looks for replacements for Tamudo, Gerard and Rubén Navarro]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 24 December 2001. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Pichi Alonso presenta una convocatoria plagada de novedades" [Pichi Alonso presents selection with novelties aplenty]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 23 December 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  13. ^ Martínez, Christian (28 December 2015). "De comentaristas a entrenadores" [From commentators to managers]. El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Pichi Alonso és el nou entrenador del Metalurg de Donetsk ucraïnès" [Pichi Alonso is the new manager of Ukraine's Metalurg Donetsk] (in Catalan). Televisió de Catalunya. 24 May 2006. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  15. ^ Giménez, Paco (23 April 2016). "Aquel ascenso del Real Zaragoza el Día de San Jorge de 1978..." [That Real Zaragoza promotion on Saint George's Day in 1978...]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  16. ^ a b c "Pichi Alonso: "Jugar en el Barça es la culminación de un sueño que piensas que nunca llegará"" [Pichi Alonso: "To play for Barça is a dream come true that you think will never be"] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
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