Mariano Gonzalvo

Club career

Born in Mollet del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Gonzalvo began his career a youth with his local team in Mollet, before joining CE Europa. He then signed for FC Barcelona but initially was unable to establish himself in the first team. He spent the 1941–42 season at Real Zaragoza, playing alongside his brother Juli, and helped them gain promotion to La Liga after they finished as runners-up in the Segunda División. He returned to FC Barcelona and made his Primera División debut on 13 December 1942 in a 4–2 away defeat against Sevilla FC. Over the next thirteen seasons he was a prominent member of a very successful Barcelona team, playing 331 games and scoring 56 goals 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 brother, José, he assisted with Barcelona's five consecutive La Liga titles and the Copa del Generalísimo three consecutive times. In the 1951 Copa final he scored the third goal in 3–0 win over Real Sociedad. Gonzalvo finished his career playing one season each at UE Lleida and CD Condal. The latter team were originally the reserve team of FC Barcelona but then was designated its own separate club during the 1950s. After winning promotion from the Segunda División, they briefly played in La Liga and were joined by the veteran Gonzalvo.

International career

Between 1946 and 1954 Gonzalvo also played 16 times…

FC Barcelona

Spanish Champions (5): 1945, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953 Copa del Generalísimo (3): 1951, 1952, 1953 Copa Latina: 1949 Copa de Oro Argentina/Copa Eva Duarte (4): 1945, 1949, 1952, 1953 Copa Martini Rossi (2): 1952, 1953 Real Zaragoza

Segunda División runners-up: 1942