Paco Bienzobas

Francisco 'Paco' Bienzobas Ocáriz (26 March 1909 – 30 April 1981) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Bienzobas and the second or maternal family name is Ocáriz.
Paco Bienzobas
Personal information
Full name Francisco Bienzobas Ocáriz
Date of birth (1909-03-26)26 March 1909
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Date of death 30 April 1981(1981-04-30) (aged 72)
Place of death San Sebastián, Spain
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1921–1926 Unión San Sebastián
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1926–1934 Real Sociedad 65 (39)
1934–1940 Osasuna 22+ (10+)
1940–1942 Real Sociedad 5+ (1+)
Total 92+ (50+)
National team
1928–1929 Spain 2 (2)
Teams managed
1936–1937 Osasuna
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Having spent most of his 16-year career with Real Sociedad – 196 official games and 109 goals[1] – he was the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy award, given to the top scorer in La Liga.

Club career

Born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Bienzobas arrived at local Real Sociedad at the age of 17 from amateurs Unión Deportiva de San Sebastián, helping the Basques win the regional championship in his first year.[2] He reached his first Copa del Rey final with the former in 1928, facing FC Barcelona in three games (two 1–1 draws and a 1–3 loss).

In 1929, a national league was created and Real Sociedad participated in La Liga's first edition, finishing fourth out of the ten teams competing.[3] Bienzobas scored 17[2] goals during the season, being the first player to be crowned Pichichi;[4] he spent a further four years with the club.

In 1934, Bienzobas joined CA Osasuna, at the time in Segunda División,[2] helping the Navarrese club immediately achieve promotion, only to be being relegated back the next season. The Spanish Civil War put a stop to his career for three years and subsequently he returned to Real Sociedad in 1940,[2] retiring from football at the end of 1941–42 (aged 33) after making only five appearances during the campaign. He amassed Spanish top division totals of 92 games and 50 goals, and overall totals of 196 games and 109 goals for Real Sociedad.[1] He was a penalty specialist, failing to convert only one of 75 spot kicks in his career.[2]

International career

Bienzobas appeared for Spain on two occasions, scoring as many goals. His debut came on 4 June 1928, as the national team lost 1–7 against Italy in the Summer Olympics.

Coaching and refereeing

After his retirement, Bienzobas worked briefly as a manager with Osasuna. In 1942 he began a referee in a spell that would eventually feature him in 48 Spanish top flight games, his debut coming in 1948.[1][2]

Personal life

Paco Bienzobas had two brothers who were also footballers:[2] the older Custodio, a forward, was a teammate at Real Sociedad for two seasons;[5] the younger Anastasio (Cuqui), a midfielder, also started his career at the Txuriurdin club but became established at Osasuna where he was joined by Paco, and after the Spanish Civil War was a regular in the team at Deportivo La Coruña for most of the 1940s.[6]

He died in 30 April 1981, a day after being informed that Real Sociedad had finally won La Liga for the first time.[2]

References
  1. "Leyendas de la Real Sociedad – Paco Bienzobas" [Real Sociedad legends – Paco Bienzobas]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  2. Ignacio Vázquez de Balmaseda (24 February 2016). "Leyendas de la Real Sociedad: Paco Bienzobas" [Real Sociedad legends: Paco Bienzobas]. Vavel (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  3. "Historia del club" [Club history] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  4. "Spain – List of topscorers". RSSSF. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  5. "Bienzobas: Custodio Bienzobas Ocariz". BDFutbol. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  6. "Bienzobas: Anastasio Bienzobas Ocariz". BDFutbol. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
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