 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Domènec Balmanya Perera | ||
| Date of birth | 29 December 1914 | ||
| Place of birth | Girona, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 14 February 2002(2002-02-14) (aged 87) | ||
| Place of death | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1933–1935 | Girona | ||
| 1935–1937 | Barcelona | ||
| 1937–1941 | Sète | ||
| 1941–1944 | Barcelona | 48 | (5) |
| 1944–1948 | Gimnàstic | 3 | (0) |
| 1948–1949 | Sant Andreu | ||
| 1949–1950 | Gimnàstic | 6 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1935–44 | Catalan XI | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1949–1952 | Gimnàstic | ||
| 1952 | Girona | ||
| 1952–1953 | Zaragoza | ||
| 1954–1955 | Oviedo | ||
| 1956–1958 | Barcelona | ||
| 1958–1960 | Sète | ||
| 1960–1962 | Valencia | ||
| 1963–1964 | Betis | ||
| 1964–1965 | Málaga | ||
| 1965–1966 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| 1966–1968 | Spain | ||
| 1970–1971 | Zaragoza | ||
| 1972–1974 | Cádiz | ||
| 1974–1976 | Sant Andreu | ||
| 1980 | Sant Andreu | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Domènec Balmanya i Perera (Catalan pronunciation:[duˈmɛnəɡbəlˈmaɲə]; 29 December 1914 – 14 February 2002), also referred to asDomingo Balmaña, was a former Spanishfootballmidfielder and manager who spent most of his playing career atFC Barcelona. As a manager, he guidedCF Barcelona to the aCopa del Generalísimo win in 1957. He then had moderately successful spells atValencia CF,Real Betis andCD Málaga before he guidedAtlético Madrid to aLa Liga title in 1966. He subsequently managedSpain between 1966 and 1968. After retiring as a coach he worked as a director of sport at bothRCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona and as a director at a Catalan coaching school. He also worked as a radio commentator.
Born inGirona,Catalonia, before joiningFC Barcelona, Balmanya began his playing career with his hometown club,Girona FC.[1] He made hisLa Liga debut with Barça on November 10, 1935, under coachPatrick O'Connell, in a 1–0 defeat toRCD Espanyol. During his time at Barcelona he played 111 games for the club in various competitions and among his early teammates wereJoan Josep Nogués,Josep Escolà andEnrique Fernández. During his debut season, 1935–36, he helped the club win theCampionat de Catalunya and reach theCopa de España final. During the following season, 1936–37, national football was suspended because of theSpanish Civil War. However Barcelona and other clubs in theRepublican area of Spain competed in theMediterranean League and Balmanya and O’Connell helped the club win this title.
In 1937 Barcelona, including Balmanya, Escolà and O’Connell, went on a fund raising tour to Mexico and the United States. The club played fourteen games and opponents includedClub América,Atlante F.C.,Necaxa and aMexican XI. In the United States, FC Barcelona played in and won a tournament against aBrooklyn XI, aNew York XI and aHebrew XI and then played aUSA XI. In financial terms this tour saved the club, but O’Connell returned to Spain with only four players. The remaining players went into exile with Balmanya and Escolà joiningFC Sète in France.
After theSpanish Civil War ended in 1939, theFrancoist government imposed a six-year ban on any exiled sportsmen returning to Spain. HoweverEnrique Piñeyro, the president of Barcelona, campaigned in favour of several of the club's players and Balmanya and Escolà returned from exile in 1941. During their first season back, Barça, withJoan Josep Nogués as coach, narrowly avoided being relegated after winning a play-off againstReal Murcia. Despite this however the club managed to win theCopa del Generalísimo, beatingAthletic Bilbao 4–3 after extra time.
Between 1935 and 1944, Balmanya also played 4 games for theCatalan XI. On 19 January 1936, at theLes Corts, he played in a testimonial forJosep Samitier against SK Sidenice ofCzechoslovakia. Other players in the Catalan XI that day includedSagibarba
Balmanya subsequently followed Nogués toGimnàstic de Tarragona where he both finished his playing career and began his coaching career when he succeeded Nogués as coach in 1949. However his first appointment as coach ended in disappointment as Gimnástic were relegated in 1950. After spells at bothGirona FC andReal Zaragoza, Balmanya found his first taste of success atReal Oviedo when he guided them to second place inSegunda División, Group 1 in 1955. However Real missed out on promotion after finishing only third in a play-off group.
Balmanya served as coach atFC Barcelona for two seasons between 1956 and 1958. With a squad includingVelasco,Joan Segarra,Ramallets,Ladislao Kubala,Luis Suárez andEvaristo, he won theCopa del Generalísimo in 1957. However, during his two seasons with Barcelona, they finished third inLa Liga on both occasions and in 1958 he was replaced byHelenio Herrera.
After two seasons in France withFC Sète, Balmanya returned toLa Liga to take charge ofValencia CF in 1960 and in 1961 he helped them win their own summer trophy, theTrofeo Naranja. Guest playerSándor Kocsis scored in both games as Valencia beatBotafogo and Barcelona. He also guided the club to the 1962Fairs Cup final. However the original final date clashed with the1962 World Cup and was postponed. By the time the final was eventually played, Balmanya had moved on and he missed out on the club's 6–3 aggregate win over Barcelona.
During the 1963–64 season Balmanya was coach atReal Betis and he guided the club to third place inLa Liga. He then coachedCD Málaga for the 1964–65 season, helping them win promotion after they finished runners-up inSegunda División, Group 2 and then beatLevante UD in a play-off. He was then appointed coach atAtlético Madrid for the 1965–66 season and with a squad that includedEnrique Collar,Miguel Jones,Adelardo andLuis Aragonés he won his onlyLa Liga title. These successes saw him appointed coach ofSpain and between 1966 and 1968 he was in charge of the national side for 11 games.
Real Oviedo
Barcelona
Valencia
Málaga
Atlético Madrid
