42 years ago, a very Burgos Copa del Rey final was played at the Nuevo Estadio José Zorrilla in Valladolid. It is possible that it is the football match in the history of all competitions in which the most Burgos connotations have coincided, without a team from the city or the province being the protagonist.
Present in Zorrilla, Juanito, Portugal, were García Cortés, García Navajas, José Manuel Díaz Novoa, Pereda, Manolo Jiménez and José Luis Urrecho. Some, from Burgos, in the case of Urrecho (Miranda de Ebro), Pereda (Torme – Villarcayo) or Portugal (Quintanilla de las Viñas) and the rest, born in other places, but with a past in Burgos CF in that year 1982 or waiting of the near future (Novoa, coach; Jiménez), at Real Burgos.
On April 13, 1982, the Cup final was played between Real Madrid and Real Sporting de Gijón. Those two super teams, in the final stage of a Burgos CF that was dying and that only a year later disappeared in its first version that gave way to Real Burgos.
Some of the most important players of the late 20th century
In that final some of the most important players of the final years of the 20th century met. And that they had a very close relationship with Burgos. The remembered Juan Gómez, Juanito, played for Real Madrid, who had signed for the merengue club in 1977, at the age of 22, after uncovering the jar of essences at El Plantío for three seasons.
Juanito was an electric, nervous, visceral, combative player with great football quality. He arrived at Burgos CF, in the Second Division, evicted by Atlético de Madrid; The colchoneros ruled him out due to his injuries. At 17 years old he arrived at El Plantío. His second season, that of promotion to First Division – after a match in Córdoba – revolutionized the team and coach Lucien Muller got the best out of him.
The first season in Primera was crowned. And Santiago Bernabéu and Raimundo Saporta signed him for that Real Madrid of Santillana, Stielike, Pirri, Jensen, Gunther Netzer and Paul Breitner.
Miguel Ángel Portugal was also on the Real Madrid squad. After a great season in the primitive Burgos CF in Primera, he was signed by the Casa Blanca where he spent three seasons. He saw the Cup final in the stadium where he played at home a few years later.
A tall center
In the Paseo de la Castellana and Concha Espina team, another very young player stood out who was on loan in the 1979-80 season at Burgos CF, Rafael García Cortes. A tall, strong, old-fashioned centre-back, U-21 international with the El Plantío team who, after a great season, returned to the ‘white house’. With Burgos he played 29 of the 34 games in the league and scored two goals.
Antonio García Navajas was also in the white squad. The man from Córdoba was promoted to the first team of Burgos CF after gaining experience in Third and Preferential with Promesas. An under-21 international, he signed for Real Madrid after establishing himself at El Plantío for two seasons.
And at Sporting…
And at Sporting, Nicolás Pereda and José Luis Urrecho. Later José Manuel Díaz Novoa, the coach of Mareo’s team, and Manolo Jiménez, central defender of the Asturians. Both arrived years later at Real Burgos, which remained in the First Division for three years with notable performances in the first two years.
Pereda debuted in 1980 with Burgos CF in the First Division and was an under-19 international on five occasions. He was 19 years old; He came out of Promesas that had great footballers who later triumphed in other teams, such as Fede Castaños or Teo Abajo. That Burgos CF was relegated. Pereda, who was the finest and most technical, went to Sporting; Fede Castaños was signed by Racing and Teo Abajo accepted the offer from UD Salamanca.
Urrecho was a forward from Mirandés who had forged himself in the youth ranks of CD Mirandés and Alavés. It was from the Gasteiztarra team that he made the leap. In that CD Alavés, illustrious players such as Juan Señor, Andoni Zubizarreta, Larrañaga and López Recarte played in the Second Division. Urrecho’s quality took him to Sporting in First Division.
Coach
José Manuel Díaz Novoa was the coach chosen by the manager of Real Burgos, another Asturian like José Manuel González, to lead the team in First Division. Novoa had two great seasons at Real, and could well have led him to play in UEFA in his second season. But there was a change of scenery and he came to the red and white team from FC Twente.
The next of the sportinguistas to arrive was Manolo Jiménez. A very competent center back at 36 years old, but of exquisite class. The following year he retired from football; He wanted to live an experience outside of Sporting, but surrounded by former Sporting fans, such as Novoa himself, Fernando Tocornal or Narciso.
The New José Zorrilla Stadium was built expressly for the 82 World Cup; The four games of the fourth group were played there with the teams of Kuwait, Czechoslovakia and Platini’s France. Until then, Real Valladolid played in a battered and uncomfortable stadium on Paseo de Zorrilla, today the site of a department store. Modern, functional, comfortable, but then far from the city and buffeted by a strong wind.
That Cup final was one of the first matches played in the Nuevo Zorrilla that had experienced on February 20, just two months before, its first match between the local team against Athletic Club with a solitary goal from Zamorano’s blanquiviolet forward Jorge Alonzo.
