The Language of Athletic Club (pt.8): Pichichi
The Language of Athletic Club (pt.8): Pichichi
Rafael ‘Pichichi’ Moreno Aranzadi was one of Athletic’s first superstars before his nickname became an eponym for ‘top goalscorer’
Every football club has its own particular set of vocabulary, a glossary of terms that reflects its history and the pride of its fans. And in that sense Athletic Club is no different. However, the Club’s unique history in addition to the blend of Basque, Spanish and English has given Athletic’s vernacular a distinct flavour.
In this series, we briefly explain the origins and meanings behind some of the most popular Athletic Club terms.
Pichichi
Although the word ‘Pichichi’ is now synonymous with ‘top goalscorer’ in many parts of the world, and is therefore not as unique to the Club like the other terms in this series, its origins do come from Athletic.
This is because Rafael ‘Pichichi’ Moreno Aranzadi was a prolific Athletic striker in the 1910s.
Moreno was an icon of his time. He scored 83 goals in 89 appearances, including the first ever goal scored at San Mamés, and won a total of four Copas del Rey and five Regional Championships.
It is said that he was nicknamed Pichichi -which is a Basque word for ‘minimum’- as a child while playing football with older boys.
In 1921, he retired at 29 years old, his last match at San Mamés a friendly for a Basque XI against West Ham. Unfortunately, he died less than a year later, allegedly as a result of typhoid brought on by eating bad oysters.
After his death, Athletic Club had a bust of the striker comissioned. He’s taken pride of place at San Mamés ever since. The statue currently sits at the entrance to the tunnel and has the best view in the stadium.
What’s more, since January 1927, all teams playing at San Mamés for the first time pay their respects to Pichichi by laying a bouquet of flowers next to the bust.
In the 1952-53 season, the sports magazine Marca started awarding the Trofeo Pichichi to the player who scored most goals in a LaLiga season. This subsequently led to Moreno’s nickname becoming a widely used eponym for top goalscorer.
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