Agustí Cruella i Tena
Spanish footballer and referee
About Agustí Cruella i Tena
Lived 1897 – 1968 (aged 71). Agustí Cruella i Tena was a Spanish association football player and association football referee.
Agustín Cruella Tena (29 August 1897 - 29 September 1968) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for FC Espanya, and later become a football referee. In 1928, he was involved in a controversial incident known as "the first ghost goal".
Playing career Born in Barcelona, Cruella began his career as a midfielder at FC Internacional in 1912, playing for them until 1915, when he signed for FC Espanya along with Rafael Raich. With Espanya he become a forward, from where he helped his club to compete head-to-head against the likes of Barcelona and Espanyol, winning the Catalan championship in 1916–17,
Refereeing career Cruella became a referee in 1920, shortly after his retirement. His most important task was to oversee the matches of the Catalan championship, and if available, the Copa del Rey. He was a referee in the first-ever Spanish league in 1928, with more than 100 matches refereed between the First and Second Division, between 1928 and 1947.
On 7 October 1928, in a Catalan championship match between RCD Espanyol and CE Europa, held at the Sarrià Stadium, Cruella took the controversial decision of disallowing a goal from Europa's Manuel Cros after protests from Espanyol's goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora, who claimed there was a hole in the net through which the ball went in. His linesmen, Pedro Prada and Enrique Peris, and especially Joaquín Just, who was in charge of monitoring Espanyol's goal, told him otherwise, that the goal was legal, however, Cruella ruled it out, and the match ended in a goalless draw. This incident is known in Spain as "the first ghost goal".
On 20 June 1943, he referred the 1943 Copa del Generalísimo Final between Club Atlético de Bilbao and Real Madrid CF, which was won by the latter 1–0 after extra-time.
Honours FC Espanya Catalan championship: Champions (1): 1916-17
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Important facts
People in Agustí Cruella i Tena's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Agustí Cruella i Tena's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Agustí Cruella i Tena?
Spanish footballer and referee
When was Agustí Cruella i Tena born?
Agustí Cruella i Tena was born on 29 August 1897 in Barcelona.
When did Agustí Cruella i Tena die?
Agustí Cruella i Tena died on 29 September 1968 in Berga.
What was Agustí Cruella i Tena's occupation?
Agustí Cruella i Tena was an association football player and association football referee.
What nationality was Agustí Cruella i Tena?
Agustí Cruella i Tena was Spanish.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Agustí Cruella i Tena
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Agustí Cruella i Tena. https://biography.guide/agusti-cruella-i-tena/
MLA: "Agustí Cruella i Tena." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/agusti-cruella-i-tena/.
Chicago: "Agustí Cruella i Tena." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/agusti-cruella-i-tena/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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