Bata (footballer) explained

Bata
Full Name:Agustín Sauto Arana
Birth Date:11 May 1908
Birth Place:Barakaldo, Spain
Death Place:Valle de Trápaga, Spain
Position:Striker
Youthclubs1:San Vicente Barakaldo
Years1:1925–1929
Years2:1929–1936
Caps2:118
Goals2:105
Years3:1938–1942
Caps3:42
Goals3:18
Years4:1942
Caps4:0
Goals4:0
Years5:1942–1944
Caps5:13
Goals5:6
Nationalyears1:1931
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0

Agustín Sauto Arana (11 May 1908 – 21 August 1986), known as Bata, was a Spanish footballer who played as a striker.

He spent most of his career with Athletic Bilbao, scoring 208 goals in as many matches across all competitions and winning four La Liga championships.[1] [2] He is the only player to have scored 7 goals against Barcelona in a single match. The goals were scored during the 1930/1931 Laliga season in which Bilbao crushed the Catalans 12-1.

Club career

Born in Barakaldo, Biscay, Bata started his career at hometown club Barakaldo CF. His nickname derived from the fact he used to wear an overall (bata in Spanish) made by his mother in order to prevent him from staining his better clothes; he was also dubbed El Bertha bilbaino (Bilbao's Bertha), El terror de San Mamés (terror of San Mamés) and El león enfurecido (raging lion).[3]

Bata signed with Athletic Bilbao in 1929, and made his professional debut for them on 22 September in a 4–1 win against Deportivo Alavés for the Biscay Championship. In his first season, he won both the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles. His first goal in the former competition came on 23 March 1930, in a 4–3 success at Atlético Madrid;[4] he was the focal point of what become a famous forward line at the club, along with José Iraragorri, Chirri II, Lafuente and Guillermo Gorostiza.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Bata achieved the same feat of league and cup double the following campaign, while also earning the Pichichi Trophy having scored 27 goals.[9] Seven of those came in Athletic's historic 12–1 defeat of FC Barcelona on 18 February 1931,[2] even though some sources only awarded him five and others as many as eight;[10] [11] he continued to play regularly until 1935–36 when he won the championship for a fourth time, but his career was then effectively ended at the age of 28 by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

In the summer of 1938, Bata re-joined Barakaldo, but the competition would only be resumed the following year after the end of the war. He retired at the age of 35 after four seasons in Segunda División, and died on 21 August 1986 at 78 in Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran.[11]

International career

In spite of his club achievements, Bata won only one cap for the Spain national team. It happened on 19 April 1931, in a friendly with Italy played in Bilbao.[12]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupRegional championshipTotals
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Athletic Bilbao1929–30La Liga7154872012
1930–311727710112538
1931–321812668113229
1932–331815978153537
1933–341712677153034
1934–3521161012123428
1935–36202242863230
Total11810538365267208208
Barakaldo1938–39Segunda División006565
1939–4012320143
1940–4119761179
1941–4211800118
Total4218146005624
Osasuna1941–42Segunda División003232
Barakaldo1942–43Segunda División9520115
1943–44410041
Total1362000156
Career total17312954425267279238

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36

1930, 1931, 1932, 1933

Individual

1930–31, 1931–32[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: Zarra, el rey de la antigüedad. Zarra, king of old. El País. Eduardo. Rodrigálvarez. es. 22 November 2014. 23 May 2016.
  2. News: Leyendas del Athletic Club de Bilbao – 'Bata'. Athletic Club de Bilbao legends – 'Bata'. El Correo. es. 23 May 2016.
  3. Web site: Breves y curiosos relatos (II). Short fun facts (II). Bilbao.net. es. August 2004. 23 May 2016.
  4. News: Athlétic de Madrid, 3 – Athlétic de Bilbao, 4. Mundo Deportivo. es. 24 March 1930. 23 May 2016.
  5. News: Las tres grandes delanteras que hubo en la historia el Athletic. The three great forward lines in the history of Athletic. Diario AS. Bernardo. Salazar. es. 2 March 2016. 4 November 2018.
  6. Web site: History: 1928–1937. Athletic Bilbao. 4 November 2018.
  7. Web site: El 'Abecedario' del fútbol: Guillermo Gorostiza, la bala roja de San Mamés. The 'ABC' of football: Guillermo Gorostiza, the red bullet of San Mamés. Fútbol Primera. Montse. García. es. 12 March 2012. 4 November 2018.
  8. Web site: The history of Athletic Bilbao 1898–1936. World Soccer (via In Bed With Maradona). Keir. Radnedge. 1 August 1977. 4 November 2018.
  9. Web site: Spain – List of Topscorers ("Pichichi") 1929–2015. Luis Javier. Bravo. Bernhard. Sillipp. Raúl. Torre. Roberto. Di Maggio. 23 May 2016. live. RSSSF. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084634/http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/spantops.html. 4 March 2016.
  10. News: Bata y los cinco goles al Barça. Bata and the five goals to Barça. Marca. Jesús. Ramos. es. 18 March 2016. 23 May 2016.
  11. News: Agustín Souto Arana, futbolista. Agustín Souto Arana, footballer. El País. es. 23 August 1986. 23 May 2016.
  12. News: Sobre un campo convertido en lodazal, Italia y España cerraron la lucha con empate a 0 goals. On mire-like pitch, Italy and Spain ceased hostilities with 0 to 0 draw. Mundo Deportivo. es. 20 April 1931. 23 May 2016.