Ricardo Zamora : The Stone Age Star Of Goalkeeping (Part 1)

Goalkeepers are forever different. Whether in the color of the jersey, or in the gloves of the hand, the exclusive right to touch with the hand, or in the solitude of the position. Goalkeepers have been seen a little differently from outfield players. Goalkeepers have a world of their own. That world has its own heroes. That world has its own imperfections. Have your own math, skill or mind game. The emphasis on goalkeeping began a long time ago. But that thought took flight from the point of view of an anti hero.

Poet and journalist Galliano called goal of football an orgasm. The keeper's job is to prevent that. What else but an anti hero. But still, the keepers have become heroes on the throne of the love of the audience. Have become stars. If the first superstar goalkeeper in football history had been Lev Yachine, who ruled the world in the fifties and sixties, the first star rated goalkeeper would have been a some Spanish guy who guarded the Spanish fort between two world wars, known as "El Divino" or "God-like". Old-school fans are reminded of the immortal saying: "There are only two 'keepers' in the world. Ricardo Zamora in the human world and St. Peter in the upper world."

Football professionalism in Spain dates back to the third decade of the last century. Goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora was the first star in that growing field. Ricardo spent his childhood in the city of Barcelona in the early twentieth century. His father was a doctor. He used to get annoyed when he saw his son playing football in the street all day long. In order to save goals, Ricardo used to return home every day, tearing his clothes, along with innumerable scars on his hands and feet. Ricardo's father enrolled him in medical school at a very young age, but Ricardo did not mind. He turned to a club there and started playing with more perseverance. In fact, when Ricardo was just fourteen years old, the founder of Barcelona, Joan Gamper, once saw him play. Gamper advises the young goalkeeper to pursue football with one mind. Despite Gamper's encouragement, only 16 year old Ricardo Zamora played his first match of his career for Barcelona's Derby Rival Espanyol. It was the amateur era then. Espanyol's first-choice goalkeeper could not go to the Madrid match that day, so the tall, slender boy was forced to play against Real Madrid. Santiago Bernabeu, after whom is Real Madrid's proud stadium named, was captain of Los Blancos that day. Zamora played very well without giving in to pressure. He snatched the spot of first choice keeper of the team. He was in that club for a couple of years. There was then a football league with teams from Catalonia, which Espanyol won in 1918. At the age of seventeen, Zamora was one of the main pillars of the team. Seventeen years as a goalkeeper is basically a childhood. The 23-24 year old keeper is also called a newcomer in top level football. It is understandable how talented Zamora was. In 1919 he had a disagreement with the Espanyol authorities. He moved to Barcelona. For the next three years he was in Barcelona. The Barcelona team of this period is one of the most memorable of the early Blaugrana teams. Barcelona have won two Copa del Rey (the annual knock-out competition between Spanish clubs to this day, with the same name) and three consecutive Catalan league titles. Zamora contributed a lot. (1/5)