Introduction
Enrique Castro González (born 23 September 1949), known as Quini, is a Spanish retired 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 Spain 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 CD Ensidesa. In his first season in La Liga, 1970–71, he scored 13 goals in 30 matches and, during the following nine years, only netted once in single digits and won three Pichichi, one in Segunda División; 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 Copa del Rey, netting 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 age 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 top flight, 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 (fifth all-time); in the following decades he continued linked to Sporting, in several directorial capacities.
Kidnapping
On 1 March 1981, after scoring twice for Barcelona in a 6–0 home win against Hércules CF, 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 amass one draw in four games, eventually losing the title race – he was rescued unharmed, upon cooperation between the Spanish and Swiss law enforcement agencies.
It was subsequently speculated that Quini developed Stockholm syndrome, since he decided not to press charges against his kidnappers and never claimed his personal damages award of 5 million pesetas.
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, Quini participated in two FIFA World Cups, 1978 and 1982, as well as UEFA Euro 1980. In all those competitions combined, he could only find the net once (Euro '80), and the nation 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 |
Personal life
Quini's younger brother, Jesús, was also a footballer. A goalkeeper, he too spent several years with Sporting.
On 29 April 2016, the Town Hall of Gijón named Quini adoptive son of the city.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Totals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ensidesa | 1967–68 | 22 | 17 | - | - | – | – | 22 | 17 | ||
| Totals | 22 | 17 | - | - | – | – | 22 | 17 | |||
| Sporting | 1968–69 | 21 | 15 | - | - | – | – | 21 | 15 | ||
| 1969–70 | 35 | 24 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 36 | 25 | |||
| 1970–71 | 30 | 13 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 13 | |||
| 1971–72 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 1 | – | - | 27 | 10 | |||
| 1972–73 | 34 | 11 | 8 | 5 | – | – | 42 | 16 | |||
| 1973–74 | 34 | 20 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 36 | 21 | |||
| 1974–75 | 32 | 12 | 6 | 3 | – | – | 38 | 15 | |||
| 1975–76 | 34 | 21 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 37 | 23 | |||
| 1976–77 | 38 | 26 | 5 | 4 | – | – | 43 | 30 | |||
| 1977–78 | 32 | 15 | 10 | 9 | – | – | 42 | 24 | |||
| 1978–79 | 33 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 38 | 23 | ||
| 1979–80 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 45 | 28 | ||
| Totals | 381 | 214 | 50 | 29 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 421 | 243 | |
| Barcelona | 1980–81 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 1 | – | 42 | 32 | |
| 1981–82 | 32 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | – | 42 | 30 | ||
| 1982–83 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| 1983–84 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 11 | |
| Totals | 100 | 54 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 142 | 77 | |
| Sporting | 1984–85 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | – | 6 | 5 | 32 | 17 | |
| 1985–86 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 10 | |
| 1986–87 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 17 | 2 | |||
| Totals | 62 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 78 | 32 | |
| Career totals | 565 | 302 | 80 | 55 | 23 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 686 | 369 | |
Honours
Club
- Barcelona
- Copa del Rey: 1980–81, 1982–83
- Supercopa de España: 1983
- Copa de la Liga: 1983
- UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1981–82
Individual
- Don Balón Award – Best Spanish Player: 1978–79
- Pichichi Trophy (La Liga): 1973–74, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82; Segunda División: 1969–70, 1976–77