Guillermo Gorostiza

1927/28 Arenas Getxo (ESP) 7 games, 5 goals

(Spanish Cup: 4 games, 4 goals)

(Basque Regional Championship: 3 games, 1 goal)

1928/29 Racing Ferrol (ESP) 13 games, 9 goals

(Spanish Cup: 4 games, 3 goals)

(Galician Regional Championship: 9 games, 6 goals)

1929/36 Athletic Bilbao (ESP) 256 games, 196 goals

(Spanish Championship: 140 games, 109 goals)

(Spanish Cup: 47 games, 37 goals)

(Basque Regional Championship: 69 games, 50 goals)

1940/46 Valencia CF (ESP) 149 games, 98 goals

(Spanish Championship: 115 games, 72 goals)

(Spanish Cup: 34 games, 26 goals)

1946/47 Barakaldo (ESP) 20 games, 14 goals

1947/48 Real Juvencia (ESP) 13 games, 4 goals

1948/49 Logroñés (ESP)

With the National Team :

19 caps, 2 goals

(Friendly matches: 15 caps, 2 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 2 caps)

(World Cup: 2 caps)

1st cap: June 14, 1930 against Czechoslovakia (0-2)

Last cap: December 28, 1941 against Switzerland (3-2)

Guillermo Gorostiza Paredes

Born on February 15, 1909 in Santurtzi (ESP)

Died on August 23, 1966 in Bilbao (ESP)

Spanish, Left-winger, 1m78

Nickname: "La Bala Roja"

Guillermo Gorostiza was born on February 15, 1909 in Santurtzi, Spain, the son of a doctor father. Far from being a good student, he is more interested in partying and having fun. He will also be sent to Argentina, Buenos Aires to calm down, there, he is educated by his uncle and he will discover a passion for football, tango and alcohol.

Back in Spain, he signs for the local club Arenas Getxo where he proves decisive, he then continues with the Racing Ferrol club where he has a great campaign in the Spanish Cup, scoring 3 goals in 4 games. His great performances in the Spanish Cup made him noticed by the Athletic Bilbao management who recruited him in 1929, he was then 20 years old.

Left winger, he would quickly establish himself as one of the best Spanish players of his time, with Bata, Chirri, Iraragorri and Lafuente, he formed the wonderful "Primera Delantera Histórica", an attacking line that would mark one of the most glorious eras of Athletic Bilbao.

The 1929/30 season would be legendary, with its fiery attack, Athletic Bilbao would achieve a season where they remained undefeated, 12 wins and 6 draws for 62 goals scored and 28 conceded. A true complete winger, he finished this season as the top scorer in the championship with 19 goals scored.

In 1932 he won his second Pichichi title with 12 goals scored during the 1931/32 season. With Gorostiza, Athletic Bilbao would win 4 Spanish league titles, in 1930, 1931, 1934 and 1936. He left the Basque club in 1940 after being replaced as a defensive full-back.

His history with the Spanish national team is also legendary despite only playing 19 games for 2 goals. In a more creative and percussion winger style, he would form the famous "Delantera eléctrica", more commonly known as "La Traca", composed of Asensi, Epi, Amadeo and Mundo. He would also participate in the 1934 World Cup.

At 31, the player would experience a new golden age, this time with Valencia FC. In the club of the bat, the winger will make himself more than useful, he wins 2 titles of Champion of Spain as well as 1 Spanish Cup. Unfortunately, his addiction to alcohol and the mismanagement of his money tarnishes the image of this wonderful striker. He still plays until 1949, the year in which he retires, he is then 40 years old. He dies at the age of 57 from a lung disease, and a silver cigarette case given by the Valencian president Luis Casanova with the following inscription was found on him: "To the best left winger of all time".

- Top Scorer in the Spanish Championship in 1930 (19 goals) and 1932 (12 goals) (Athletic Bilbao)

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