Born in Barcelona,Catalonia, a young Josep Samitier began his football journey with FC Internacional. His immense potential was evident from the very beginning, which led to his signing by Barcelona at age 17. In what may sound to be quite surprising for modern football fans, the Spanish forward had received a luminous watch and a three-piece suit as a signing-on bonus. Samitier also had his childhood friend Sagibarba as teammate at Barcelona.
Let us now look at how the rest of his club career panned out, as we go back to his legendary days in football.
Success in Spain's biggest clubs
Samitier joined the Blaugrana in 1919, and had become their highest paid player by 1925. He was a key player in Barcelona's magnificent side at the time, which had several greats of that era like Ricardo Zamora, Félix Sesúmaga, and Paulino Alcántara. During his decade plus stay at the club, the Spanish forward managed to win twelve Campionat de Catalunya titles , five Copa del Rey and the inaugural La Liga season in 1929. He was especially influential in the Copa del Rey, scoring in 4 finals (1922, 1925, 1926 and 1928) .
It was in 1933 that an ageing Samitier found himself in a dispute with the Barcelona management, which led to his Omission from the first-team. This situation was quickly taken advantage of by rivals Real Madrid, as Samitier ended up joining Los Blancos. The move also saw him reunite with former colleagues Ricardo Zamora and Francisco Bru. Samitier only stayed at Madrid for 2 years, but managed to win the 1932-33 La Liga title and the Copa de España in 1934.
Tribute match, political issues, and return to football
A tribute match for Samitier was held on 13 May 1934 at Estadio Chamartín in Madrid between Madrid FC and Espanyol. The match ended in a 8-2 scoreline, with Samitier coincidentally scoring the first and last goal.
It was in 1936 that the Spaniard began his brief start to life as a coach. Samitier succeeded Fred Pentland at Atlético Madrid in the middle of the season, but failed to prevent them from being relegated. However, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War saw the postponement of the following season.
Samitier ended up being arrested by an anarchist militia as well, but was eventually released and he left for France on a warship. In October of the same year, he joined French side Nice. The move saw him yet again be reunited with Ricardo Zamora. The former Barca star managed to score 21 goals in 48 matches for the French team. He eventually retired as a player in 1939, and was briefly their coach in 1942.
The homecoming
After 12 long years, Samitier finally made his return to Barcelona in 1944, this time as a manager. Within a year, he guided them to their second La Liga title. This was followed by clinching the Copa de Oro Argentina after beating Copa del Generalísimo winners Atlético Bilbao. In addition to his coaching duties, Samitier worked as the club's chief scout and was instrumental in the recruitment of Ladislao Kubala, who went on to become an all-time club legend.
It was while playing in a friendly that Kubala was spotted by Real Madrid and Samitier. Although the Hungarian was offered a contract by Real Madrid, Samitier managed to convince the player to join Barca. It was later reported that Samitier used his connections within Francoist Spain to help arrange the transfer. Thus, this move made him a hero both on and off the field for Barca fans.
Samitier eventually left Barcelona in 1947, bringing a permanent end to his historic chapter with the Blaugrana.
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