José Vilanova

José Vilanova Rubio (20 April 1910 – 30 December 1989) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Valencia in the 1930s.

Playing career Valencia Born in Valencia on 20 April 1910, Vilanova began his career for the now-defunct Norte FC team in Ruzafa. On 14 April 1929, just six days before his 19th birthday, he was given a trial by Valencia in a friendly match against Burjassot at the Mestalla Stadium, where he stood out for his dribbling skills and opportunism, scoring one of the side's four goals, which earned him an official contract.

Together with Luis Pasarín, Carlos Iturraspe, and Bertolí, he played a crucial role in helping Valencia reach the 1934 Copa del Rey final, scoring a hat-trick against his future club Real Murcia in the round of 16, and scoring a goal in the first leg of the quarter-finals against his future club Hércules, and in the first leg of the semifinals against Real Oviedo. In the final against Real Madrid, he opened the scoring in an eventual 2–1 loss. In 1935, he scored a spectacular goal against Oviedo, which was hailed as "the best ever seen at Mestalla". In total, he scored 59 goals in 96 La Liga matches for Valencia, Hércules, and Real Zaragoza.

In 1943, Vilanova joined Albacete Balompié, then in the First Regional Division, helping Albacete finish the season as the team with the second most goals scored. He then joined Alcoyano, with whom he faced Sabadell and Real Betis in January 1945, scoring a goal against the latter.

Later life and death After retiring, Vilanova became a coach, working as an assistant at Levante. He died in Manresa on 30 December 1989, at the age of 79.

Honours Valencia Segunda División: Champions (1): 1930–31

Valencia Championship: Champions (4): 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1934

Copa del Rey: Runner-up (1): 1934