FC Barcelona has managed to obtain a unique slice of history. The shirt worn by Pepe Rodríguez, Barça captain from 1910 to 1912, can now be viewed in the Museum.
Pepe Rodríguez’s grandson Jaime Gutiérrez, who lives in Chile, has delivered the shirt to the Museum of FC
Barcelona. It has been preserved with great care by the family since the early 20th century and is
in wonderful condition, making this new acquisition even more valuable.
A goal scorer and leader
Pepe Rodríguez was born in Vigo in 1889 and after playing for various teams in his native
town moved to Barcelona to play for Barça. He played for the Club until 16th November 1912 and made
his mark for two reasons: for his efficiency in front of goal and because he was the captain and
leader of the team.
Letters, photos and distinctions
The shirt is on display in the Museum together with other objects of great value
supplied by the family. This Thursday saw the inauguration of the exhibition ‘Pepe Rodríguez,
the return of a goal scoring captain'. Apart from the shirt, it includes an album of photographs of
the player as well as prizes and distinctions he received while playing for Barça. Of all this
material – which is in superb condition – there are a number of letters that Rodríguez
received from his team-mates where the tremendous respect and affection of those who knew him can
be clearly appreciated.
A well-remembered farewell
Rodríguez played his last match for Barça in November 1912 and never came back to
Barcelona. On 7th November, the Club awarded him a Cup, in memory of his time with the team, on
which can be read a list of his titles, and held a banquet in his honour at which he was also given
a poem, which can be seen in the exhibition close to the shirt.
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An honour for the Club
Club president Joan Laporta hosted a reception for the family of Pepe Rodríguez, over here from
Chile, in the Presidential Box of the Camp Nou before the match against Malaga. Together they
discussed the exhibition and the life of Pepe Rodríguez.
The first vice-president Alfons Godall said: “This acquisition is a reflection of the
new policy introduced at the Museum of collecting important pieces and objects in the history of
the Club via the families of the protagonists in order to enrich the contents that visitors,
members and Barça fans can enjoy in the Museum”.
In this case, the role played by Barça fan Salvador Milan from Santiago de Chile has been
vital to help the Club incorporate all this historic material.