FCBARCELONA.CAT

25.06.2010 12:55

From Quini to Villa, 30 years on

Jordi Clos

Three years after the signing of Enrique Castro ‘Quini’ by Barça, David Villa, who has followed in his footsteps, says he is delighted to be compared with such a legend.

One June 24, at 20.00, Enrique Castro ‘Quini’ arrived in Barcelona as the club’s latest signing. The following day he took his medical and trod the turf of his new home, the Camp Nou. The ‘warlock’ was a noted goalscorer, having been the top scorer at Sporting Gijón, even though questions were asked about the signing of somebody aged 30.

Quini, living legend

Quini announced that his desire was to become the league’s top scorer at Barça. And he did just that. He gave everything on the picth, and won the fans’ hearts by winning the pichichi award in 1981 and 1982. No other FCB player has done that in consecutive seasons. In his time at Barça, he left us many memories to cherish, such has his two Cup Final goals against the team he loves, Sporting, his Cup Winners Cup winning goal in 82 and the club’s 3,000th Liga goal.

Villa, curious similarities

Thirty years on, Quini has a successor in David Villa. ‘El Guaje’ also started at Sporting Gijón, although he left for Zaragoza at the age of 21. Last May 21, he signed for Barça, having scored 100 goals in the Spanish championship, including a triumphant spell at Valencia.

In an interview with Barça TV shortly before joining the team, David Villa said “Quini and Luis Enrique have always been my heroes and have set an example that I have followed … It fills me with pride to come to a club where they triumphed … I love the fact that they compare me to Quini. Anybody would like that … he helped me a lot when I was 16 or 17 years old and he was still at Sporting. I am sure he’s very glad to hear of my signing”. Villa has a hard act to follow, but there is no reason to doubt that he won’t do just as much as his predecessor at his new club.