José Vilanova

José Vilanova Rubio (20 April 1910 – 30 December 1989) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Valencia in the 1930s.

Playing career

Valencia

Born in Valencia on 20 April 1910, Vilanova began his career for the now-defunct ''Norte FC'' team in Ruzafa. On 14 April 1929, just six days before his 19th birthday, he was given a trial by Valencia in a friendly match against Burjassot at the Mestalla Stadium, where he stood out for his dribbling skills and opportunism, scoring one of the side's four goals, which earned him an official contract.

In his second season at the club, ''el xiquet'', as he was known in Valencia, helped his side win the 1930–31 Segunda División, scoring a hat-trick in the decisive match against Real Betis on 5 April 1931. A few months later, on 29 November 1931, he made his top-flight debut at the Mestalla, scoring twice to help his side to a 5–1 win over Racing Irún. In the 1932–33 La Liga, Valencia was only able to avoid relegation on the last matchday of the season, helping his team hold rivals Deportivo Alavés to a 1–1 draw.

Together with Luis Pasarín, Carlos Iturraspe, and Bertolí, he played a crucial role in helping Valencia reach the 1934 Copa del Rey final, scoring a hat-trick against his future club Real Murcia in the round of 16, and scoring a goal in the first leg of the quarter-finals against his future club Hércules, and in the first leg of the semifinals against Real Oviedo. In the final against Real Madrid, he opened the scoring in an eventual 2–1 loss. In 1935, he scored a spectacular goal against Oviedo, which was hailed as "the best ever seen at Mestalla". The arrival of Gaspar Rubio in 1934 caused a rivalry between the two, which grew beyond the pitch, but after his departure, he developed a healthier rivalry with Amadeo. He stayed at Valencia for seven years, from 1929 until 1936, when his career was interrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, scoring a total of 146 goals in 206 matches for Valencia.

Later career

Once the conflict was over, Vilanova participated in the Mestalla's reopening match against Osasuna and even played a friendly against Levante, but ultimately signed for the newly promoted Hércules, where he scored 17 goals in 20 matches, which made him the second-highest scorer in the 1939–40 La Liga, only behind Víctor Unamuno. He then played one season each at Real Zaragoza (1940–41), Real Murcia (1941–42), and Levante (1942–43). In total, he scored 59 goals in 96 La Liga matches for Valencia, Hércules, and Real Zaragoza.

In 1943, Vilanova joined Albacete Balompié, then in the First Regional Division, helping Albacete finish the season as the team with the second most goals scored. He then joined Alcoyano, with whom he faced Sabadell and Real Betis in January 1945, scoring a goal against the latter.

Later life and death

After retiring, Vilanova became a coach, working as an assistant at Levante. He died in Manresa on 30 December 1989, at the age of 79. His wife Rosario died in January 2021, aged 100.

Honours

;Valencia
Segunda División:
*Champions (1): 1930–31

Valencia Championship:
*Champions (4): 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934

Copa del Rey:
*Runner-up (1): 1934

References

External links

José Vilanova
at Quesomecanico.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilanova, Jose
1910 births
1989 deaths
Spanish men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Footballers from Valencia
Valencia CF players
Hércules CF players
Real Zaragoza players
Real Murcia CF players
La Liga players
Segunda División players
20th-century Spanish sportsmen
Spanish people of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)