Francisco Baonza García

Francisco Baonza García (5 April 1889 – 20 April 1959) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Espanyol and FC Barcelona in the 1910s. He later worked as a referee in the 1920s, and as a manager in the early 1930s.

Playing career Gimnástica and Madrid Born in Madrid on 5 April 1889, Baonza began his football career at his hometown club Sociedad Gimnástica in 1909, which at the time had a great team, captained by the midfielder Sócrates Quintana, and with José Carruana and José Manuel Kindelán teaming up on defense. Together, they helped Gimnástica win the 1910–11 Centro Championships, and reach the final of the 1912 Copa del Rey, which ended in a 0–2 loss to his future club Barcelona. In June 1912, he played two friendly matches for Madrid FC, both against Deportivo de La Coruña in Galicia, scoring the winner in the former.

Espanyol and Barcelona Baonza played for Gimnástica for three years, until 1912, when he joined Espanyol, making his debut in a charity match against Universitari SC, doing so alongside Carruana. However, he only stayed one season at Espanyol, playing a total of seven official matches, all in the Catalan championship. In total, he played 18 matches for the club, including 11 official ones. He initially played as a right winger, but later established himself as a midfielder.

On 17 May 1917, Baonza started for Barça in a friendly against the Catalan national team, helping his side to a 2–1 victory. In 1921 and 1923, he returned to Barça to play a few more friendlies for the club.

Managerial career In the late 1920s, Baonza imturrumped his refereeing career to take charge of Deportivo Alavés, which he led to promotion to La Liga in 1930. Due to a mistake that has persisted through time, some sources wrongly state that the name of this coach was José or Pepe Baonza. On 2 March 1930, after a heated league fixture in the second division against Cultural Leonesa (1–1), Baonza had to be rescued from the crowd by the Civil Guard, and when the situation was finally calmed, both the referee Rogelio García Soleto and the coach Baonza were taken to the León Civil Government as detainees, but they were both eventually released after paying fines.

Baonza coach Alavés for two years, from 1929 until 1931, when he was replaced by Ramón Encinas. In 1932, Baonza, the first-ever La Liga coach in the history of Alavés, was appointed to the helm of Malagueño, a position that he held for just one year.

Honours Sociedad Gimnástica Centro Championship: Champions (2): 1910–11 Copa del Rey: Runner-up (1): 1912

FC Barcelona Catalan championship Champions (2): 1915–16 and 1918–19