Clemente Gràcia


Bosch Josep-Clemente Gràcia, known as Grace, was a Spanish Catalan footballer who played as a forward and out as header during a career which lasted from 1917 to 1926. In the midst of his years as a member of FC Barcelona, he achieved a record, during the 1921–22 season, which has remained unbroken into 2010 — the most goals scored by a player in a season.

Career

A native of Barcelona, Clemente Gràcia began his career at Terrassa FC. In the 1917-1918 season he was top scorer for RCD Espanyol, who undefeated won the Copa Catalunya. In 1919 with Ricardo Zamora, he left the club to join FC Barcelona. With Vicente Piera, Paulino Alcántara and Emilio Sagi Barba, he formed one of the best front considered Barcelona's history.
His best season was 1921-1922, where he won the Copa Catalunya and the Copa del Rey, scoring one of five goals for his team in the final against Real Union. That season he was the team's top scorer with 59 goals in 50 games, a record that still stands.
He played for FC Barcelona for five years, and won five Copa Catalunya: 1919, 1920, 1921,1922 and 1924, and two Copa del Rey. In total, he scored 161 goals in 151 games for Barcelona, scoring an average of more than one goal per game. After leaving Barcelona in 1924, he again played for Terrassa FC and then later for FC Martinenc. Professionally, it was official Guardia Urbana de Barcelona.

National team

In 1920 he played several games with the Catalonia national football team, and participated in the Copa Príncipe de Asturias in 1923.

Honours

Barcelona

Clemente Gràcia died in his native Barcelona at the age of 84.