Quini

Quini

Personal information
Full name	Enrique Castro González
Date of birth	23 September 1949 (1949-09-23)
Place of birth	Oviedo, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
	Don Bosco
	Ensidesa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1967–1968	Ensidesa
1968–1980	Sporting Gijón	380	(215)
1980–1984	Barcelona	100	(54)
1984–1987	Sporting Gijón	61	(17)
National team
1968	Spain U18	2	(0)
1971	Spain U23	1	(0)
1969–1972	Spain amateur	9	(11)
1970–1982	Spain	35	(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Castro and the second or maternal family name is González.

Enrique Castro González (born 23 September 1949), aka Quini, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.

In a career totally connected with Sporting de Gijón and FC Barcelona, he was widely regarded as one of the country's best strikers, having won a total of seven Pichichi Trophy awards, five of those in La Liga.

A Spanish international for 12 years, Quini represented the nation in two World Cups and one European Championship.

Club career

Born in Oviedo, Asturias, Quini joined local Real Oviedo's neighbours Sporting de Gijón in 1968, from amateurs Ensidesa. In his first season in La Liga, 1970–71, he netted 13 goals in 30 matches and, during the following nine years, only netted once in single digits (nine) and won three Pichichi, one in division two - ironically, in the year in which he won his second, Sporting was relegated, the player's 21 goals being insufficient to avoid the last place.

In the 1980 summer, Quini signed with FC Barcelona, which had already tried to sign the player after Sporting's relegation. In his first two years combined, he scored 47 league goals, good enough for two more scoring accolades. He also helped the Catalans to the 1981 Spanish Cup, scoring twice to put away his beloved Sporting, in a 3–1 win in the final; additionally, in the 1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup, he helped Barça come from behind to beat Belgium's Standard Liège 2–1, as the final was held at the Camp Nou.

In his final two years, Quini appeared little with Barcelona (but scored the club's 3000th goal in the league, in a home match against CD Castellón), and chose to retire in 1984, at 35, even being awarded a testimonial match by the club. However, he reconsidered, and eventually returned to former club Sporting, for three more years in the topflight, being relatively used. On 14 June 1987, he played his last match, against Barcelona, and totalled 448 games and 219 goals in the first division alone (5th all-time); in the following two decades, he continued linked to Sporting, in several directorial capacities.

Kidnapping

On 1 March 1981, after scoring twice for Barcelona against Hércules CF (6–0 home win), Quini was kidnapped by two men at gunpoint, being forced into a van.

After many developments and 25 days - during this time, Barcelona could only draw once in four games, eventually losing the title race - he was rescued unharmed, upon cooperation between the Spanish and Swiss law enforcement agencies.

International career

Quini made his debut for Spain on 28 October 1970, in a friendly in Zaragoza with Greece: having played the second half, he scored in a 2–1 win.

With a total of 35 caps and eight goals, he participated in two FIFA World Cups, 1978 and 1982, as well as UEFA Euro 1980; in all those competitions combined, he could only score once (Euro '80), and Spain suffered a 1–2 loss to Belgium.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	28 October 1970	La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain	Greece	2–0	2–1	Friendly
2.	20 November 1974	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	1–1	1–2	Euro 1976 qualifying
3.	20 November 1974	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	1–2	1–2	Euro 1976 qualifying
4.	29 March 1978	El Molinón, Gijón, Spain	Norway	1–0	3–0	Friendly
5.	26 April 1978	Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain	Mexico	1–0	2–0	Friendly
6.	16 April 1980	El Molinón, Gijón, Spain	Czechoslovakia	2–2	2–2	Friendly
7.	15 June 1980	Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy	Belgium	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 1980
8.	24 February 1982	Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain	Scotland	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours

Team

Barcelona

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1981–82
• Spanish Cup: 1980–81, 1982–83
• Spanish Supercup: 1983
• Spanish League Cup: 1982–83

Individual

• Don Balón Award - Best Spanish Player: 1978–79
• Pichichi Trophy: 1973–74, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82; Second Division 1969–70, 1976–77

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Quini at National-Football-Teams.com
• Quini – FIFA competition record
• International appearances; at RSSF
• FC Barcelona archives (Spanish)