ANTONI RAMALLETS

Antonio Ramallets (Barcelona, 1924) was one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Barça and the whole of Spanish football signed up from Europa.

He was initially the substitute for Velasco until 1949 when the team´s goalkeeper became seriously injured and he was given the opportunity to play.

When Ramallet became Barça´s official goalkeeper it coincided with an era of maximum glory for the team and he acheived many awards in the “Cinco Copas”(Five Cups) era as well as in the era of the trainer Helenio Herrera.

Swift, agile, and above all very smart. In short these were the best qualities of Antoni Ramallets who knew how to be spectacular and simple at the same time. He established himself definitively as a goalkeeper in the 1950 World Cup celebrated in Brazil. It was at this time that he was christened with the nickname “gato de Maracaná” (The cat of Maracana).

However his worst memory was certainly the unfortunate final of the European Cup in Berna in 1961. Barça played against Benfica and lost
3-2 after a match full of missed chances for the blue and clarets and in which Ramallet scored an own goal. This more than likely influenced his decision to retire.

On the 6th March 1962 Ramallet received an emotional homage from the Nou Camp fans in a match between Barça and Hamburg(5-1). In this match he was awarded the “Medalla de Mérito Deportivo” (a medal for sports excellence).