Gregorio Blasco Sánchez

Gregorio Blasco Sánchez (Mundaca, Vizcaya, Spain, June 10, 1909 - Mexico City, Mexico, January 31, 1983) was a Spanish soccer player who became a Mexican national. He is mainly remembered as the goalkeeper of Athletic Club in the 1930s. Following the Spanish Civil War he went into exile in Mexico, where he finished his football career and stayed until his death.

Biography

Blasco's arrival at the goal was coincidental. As a child he played as an outfield player until an injury at age 12 forced him to try his luck in goal. He played in the lower categories of Chávarri de Sestao and the powerful Arenas de Getxo, teams from his native Vizcaya, but he took his first steps as a senior footballer after signing for the modest Acero de Olabeaga, which played in the regional championship of Biscay.

They say that in the 1926-27 season Acero had to face Athletic Club in the regional championship and Blasco made his debut in that match with a sensational performance, since the red and white forwards were unable to pierce Blasco's goal, despite Acero being a significantly inferior rival. This match earned Blasco being signed by Athletic at the end of that same season. His first match for Athletic Club dates back to May 22, 1927 in a friendly against Swansea.

He was the team's starting goalkeeper in the 1928-29 season, when the Spanish league was created. He debuted in the Spanish First Division on February 10, 1929 in the Real Sociedad 1:1 Athletic match. It was on the first day of the first Spanish football league, with which Blasco became the player who opened Athletic's goal in the Spanish First Division.

He became the first Athletic goalkeeper to win a Zamora Trophy (29-30 season). He was the second player to win this trophy and also won the trophy two more times. With Athletic he won four Leagues and four Copas del Rey, the league championship of the 29-30 season being special, as it was the first league title in the history of his club. Blasco played a total of 113 games in the Spanish First Division. His official matches with Athletic Club were 203 between League, Cup and regional competition matches.

Career in America

Blasco's triumphant career in Spanish football was cut short with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. In 1937 Gregorio joined the Euzkadi team, a national team created by the Basque Government in order to raise funds. in Europe for Basque refugees and carry out propaganda work in favor of the Basque Government and the Republic. Gregorio Blasco coincides in this selection with many of the best Basque footballers of the time such as Isidro Lángara, Guillermo Gorostiza, Luis Regueiro or Txato Iraragorri. Blasco was the starting goalkeeper for the Basque team on their tour. Euzkadi made a brilliant tour of Europe playing friendly matches. After Bilbao fell into Franco's hands, the Euzkadi National Team left for America to continue the tour.

The team finally ended up in Mexico, where it played the 1938-39 Major League under the name of Club Deportivo Euzkadi [1], finishing in second place. After the Euzkadi national team dissolved at the end of the war, Blasco chose to stay in Mexico and played in the 1939-40 season with Real Club España in the Federal District Major League, winning the tournament.

In 1940 he went to try his luck in Argentina, where he signed for the famous River Plate. However, he had no luck with the & # 34; millionaires & # 34; and he returned to Mexico before the end of the year, where he rejoined Spain, with whom he would play until 1946. With the & # 34; españistas & # 34; He is champion again of the Major League of the Federal District, wins a Mexico Cup and obtains the championship of the First Division of Mexico in 1945, in the second season in which the professional league is played.

In 1946 he signed for CF Atlante. During his first season with the club he broke a finger on his hand, which would end up forcing his retirement from football at the end of that same season, when he was already 38 years old. Blasco still said goodbye in style by rounding off his record with a final League win in the 1946-47 season.

Later he coached the Atlante Football Club, which he became champion of the Mexico Cup and Champion of Champions in 1952.

Blasco put down roots in Mexico, where he lived until his death in 1983.

National team

Blasco was one of many players who made up the first football team of the Basque Country, created by the Basque Government during the period of the Spanish civil war.

He has been international with the Spanish soccer team five times. His international debut was on November 30, 1930 in the Portugal 0-1 Spain match. He played his last game in 1936. His coincidence with the great Ricardo Zamora in the 1930s and his subsequent exile outside of Spain deprived him of a greater number of international caps.

Clubs

Palmarés

National Championships

Title	Club	Country	Year
Copa del Rey	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1930
League	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1930
President of the Republic Cup	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1931
League	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1931
President of the Republic Cup	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1932
President of the Republic Cup	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1933
League	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1934
League	Athletic Club	SpainSpain	1936
Amateur League D.F.	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1940
Amateur League D.F.	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1942
Copa Mexico	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1944
Champion of Champions	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1944
First Mexican Division	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1945
Champion of Champions	Real Club Spain	Mexico Mexico	1945
First Mexican Division	CF Atlante	Mexico Mexico	1947

Regional championships

Individual distinctions