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Leopoldo García Durán

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Leopoldo García Durán
Leopoldo García in 1933
Born
Leopoldo García-Durán Parages Golmar

(1882-11-15)15 November 1882
Died16 April 1966(1966-04-16) (aged 83)
Madrid, Spain
CitizenshipSpanish
Occupations
  • Lawyer
  • Footballer
  • Sports leader
  • Politician
Known for8th president of the Spanish Football Federation
Association football career
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1902–1909 Madrid FC

8th president of the RFEF
In office
1931–1936
Preceded byPedro Díez de Rivera
Succeeded byJulián Troncoso
1st president of UECF
In office
December 1912 – 5 February 1914
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Leopoldo García-Durán Parages Golmar (15 November 1882 – 16 April 1966) was a Spanish lawyer, sports leader, and politician who served as a Deputy of Spain during the restoration and as the 8th president of the Spanish Football Federation between 1931 and 1936.[1] He also played football in his youth as a midfielder for Madrid FC.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Leopoldo García Durán was born in As Neves, Galicia, on 15 November 1882, as the son of Manuel García Golmar [gl], a merchant and politician.[4] He studied high school at the Escolapios school in Celanova and then studied law at the Central University of Madrid. He worked in the office of Gabino Bugallal and was appointed public prosecutor of the Madrid Court.[5]

Footballing career

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While he was studying in the capital, García Durán joined the ranks of Madrid FC as a midfielder, being part of some of the first starting elevens in the club's history.[6] For instance, in the club's first-ever complete season, in 1902–03, he played in three friendly matches between February and April 1903.[7] On 12 March 1905, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 victory over Moncloa FC, again in a friendly.[8] In the following month, on 16 April 1905, he finally made his competitive debut for Madrid, the opening match of the 1905 Copa del Rey, helping his side to a 3–0 victory over San Sebastián Recreation Club, but he did not feature in the final against Athletic Bilbao, which Madrid won 1–0.[8][9] He can be traced in the first elevens of the white team until 1909,[6] when he played in the first three matches of the 1909 Centro regional championship, winning his last one against Sociedad Gimnástica 4–2.[10]

Politic career

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After football came politics, and on six occasions García Durán was elected deputy in the Cortes as a member of the Conservative Party.[6] The first time, held on 8 March 1914, he was elected for Alicante, and in the next five times, he was deputy for the district of O Carballiño in the province of Ourense in the elections of 1916, 1918, 1919, 1920, and 1923.[6][11] In his 1920 election, he got 2,091 votes to the 2,468 of José Calvo Sotelo, who thus contested and protested since García Durán's proclamation was "maintained with an incomplete... and imperfect scrutiny... and with violation of the criteria repeatedly established by the Supreme Court".[12] On 4 April 1922 he was appointed director general of prisons, a position in which he remained until December 11 of that year. He held many other public positions, including that of general inspector of the Stamp.[13] He was part of the board of directors of Alicante's Strategic and Secondary Railways.

Sporting career

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He alternated his professional and political activities with his sports ones.[13] In 1931, García Durán was appointed as the 8th president of the Spanish Football Federation, a position that he held for five years until 1936, when he resigned with the victory of the Popular Front, and was replaced by Julián Troncoso.[1][14] Under his leadership, the Spanish national team made its debut in a FIFA World Cup, in the 1934 edition in Italy, and he was also the first president of the Federation who devised setting a match between the League champion and the Cup champion, the so-called Spanish Super Cup, but their idea was destroyed by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.[6] This project only came to fruition in 1940 with the Copa de los Campeones de España, which was won by Athletic-Aviation Club.[6]

García Durán was also the director of the Patronato de Apuestas Mútuas Deportivas Benéficas (Charitable Sports Mutual Betting Board).[13]

Personal life

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García Durán was Viscount Consort of Matamala by marriage to Countess María del Carmen de Marichalar y Bruguera,[4][6] with whom he had three daughters Carmen, María Teresa, and María Asunción.[4]

Death

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García Durán died in Madrid on 16 April 1966, at the age of 83.[13][a] He was a Knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic and had other national and foreign decorations.[13]

Honours

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Madrid FC

Notes

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  1. ^ One source wrongly states that he was born on 3 August 1966.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Presidentes de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol" [Presidents of the Royal Spanish Football Federation]. lafutbolteca.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Durán, Leopoldo García-Durán Parages Golmar - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Leopoldo GARCIA DURAN". www.elaguanis.com. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Leopoldo García-Durán Parages". gw.geneanet.org. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. ^ "El caciquismo adaptativo: Poder político, movilización social y opinión pública en la Galicia rural de la Restauración" [The adaptive caciquismo: Political power, social mobilization and public opinion in rural Galicia during the Restoration] (PDF). www.ahistcon.org (in Spanish). p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "La Guerra Civil se llevó por delante el nacimiento de la Supercopa" [The Civil War destroyed the birth of the Super Cup]. www.marca.com (in Spanish). 10 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Temporada 1902-03" [1902-03 season]. www.leyendablanca.galeon.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Temporada 1904-05" [1904-05 season]. www.leyendablanca.galeon.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Madrid - San Sebastián Recreación (3 - 0) 16/04/1905". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Temporada 1908-09" [1908-09 season]. www.leyendablanca.galeon.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  11. ^ "GARCIA DURAN LEOPOLDO . 52. Elecciones 29.4.1923 – Congreso de los Diputados" [GARCIA DURAN LEOPOLDO. 52. Elections 4/29/1923 – Congress of Deputies]. www.congreso.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Acta de Carballino" [Carballino Act]. www.galiciana.bibliotecadegalicia.xunta.es (in Spanish). 1 January 1921. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Necrológicas: Don Leopoldo García Duran" [Obituaries: Don Leopoldo García Duran]. www.abc.es (in Spanish). ABC. 19 April 1966. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Presidentes de la RFEF antes de Rubiales: todos los nombres y duración en el cargo" [Presidents of the RFEF before Rubiales: all names and duration in office]. www.marca.com (in Spanish). 25 August 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.