Gabriel Jorge Sosa

Gabriel Jorge Sosa (26 June 1916 – 28 November 2014) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Espanyol and the Spanish national team in the 1940s. He is the sixth-highest goal scorer in Espanyol's history with 81 goals, including two goals in the 1940 Spanish Cup final against Real Madrid in a 3–2 extra-time victory.

Career Club career Born on 26 June 1916 in the Canary Islands town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Jorge began his career in the youth ranks of his hometown club Real Unión, where he played alongside his two brothers, Manuel and Valentin, who also went on to play in the top flight. In the 1938–39 season, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, he signed for Tenerife, where he quickly stood out from the rest, so in late 1939, Patricio Caicedo, the manager of Espanyol, signed him for 5,000 pesetas, along with fellow Canary Islanders Quique and Bernardino Semán, with the arduous negotiations with the Tenerife boardp being carried out directly by the club's president, Genaro de la Riva.

In his first season at the club, Jorge played a crucial role in helping Espanyol win the 1939–40 Campionat de Catalunya, the last-ever edition of the Catalan championships, and then the 1940 Copa del Generalísimo, scoring two goals 3–2 win over Real Madrid. The following season, he helped Espanyol reach the Cup final again, which ended in a 3–1 loss to Valencia. In his latter years at the club, Jorge moved to the midfield, where he formed a partnership with Antonio Fàbregas, a duo that became known as the "Pirates of Manigua".

Jorge stayed at Espanyol for 8 years, from 1939 until 1947, scoring a total of 50 goals in 158 La Liga matches, and having an overall tally of 81 goals in 224 official matches, which makes him the sixth-highest goal scorer in Espanyol's history. After leaving Espnayol, Jorge signed for Segunda División side Badalona, with whom he played for two seasons, from 1947 until his retirement in 1949, aged 33.

As an Espanyol player, Jorge was eligible to play for Catalonia, making three appearances in the early 1940s. On 3 September 1944, he started for Espanyol against Catalonia in a tribute match to Crisant Bosch held at the Sarrià, scoring a goal to help his side to a 2–1 win.

Later life and death In 1993, Espanyol took advantage of their first-ever visit to Tenerife to award him the club's gold badge.

Jorge died in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on 28 November 2014, at the age of 98. At the time of his death, he was not only the oldest player in Espanyol's history, but also the oldest living international player.

Honours RCD Espanyol Copa del Rey: Champions (1): 1940 Runner-up: 1941 and 1947

Campionat de Catalunya: Champions (2): 1936–37 and 1939–40