"These fans are amazing, but what they don't know is that there is a player who is even better than Pele and me. His name is Jorge Gonzalez, also known as El Magico, and he still plays in Cadiz. He is phenomenal." This is what the legendary Diego Maradona once said when asked who he believed was the best player in the world. It's perhaps the greatest compliment one could receive. However, when the journalist Diego Passarelli asked Maradona who Gonzalez was, he replied, "Go find out." So, let's find out more about this enigmatic player.
He was born on the 13th March 1958, in the poor neighbourhood of San Salvador, El Salvador, as Jorge Alberto González Barillas. He lived and breathed the game as a boy - playing street football daily with his six siblings. Encouraged by his father, Óscar Ernesto Gonzalez (technical director for Atlético Luz) to consider the sport as a profession, he soon was propelled into the ranks of the now-defunct Antel team in El Salvador, debuting for the club at the ripe age of sixteen years old – his masterful close control, tricky dribbling, and mesmerising footwork earning him the nickname ‘El Mago’ (this would evolve into the name we know today, ‘El Mágico’).
However, it wasn’t until the 1982 World Cup in Spain that his magician-like skill came to the limelight, delivering a flurry of brilliant performances. He was a true diamond in the rough amidst a substandard El Salvador squad, and this didn’t go unnoticed. Two European giants were interested in his services, that of Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain; however, in rather classic ‘El Mágico’ fashion, he arrived late to a key meeting for the latter, and the transfer fell through. However, this seemed to play into his hands, as he ended up at Cádiz CF, the then second-division club cradled in this eponymously named, ancient peninsular city. The city held a special place in his heart, ‘Mágico’ often referred to Cadiz as being the springboard’ for his career, and his one true love. Perhaps the warm Andalusian sun and its beautiful sunsets reminded him of his home in El Salvador, or the bohemian, free-living lifestyle of the city and its residents.
‘El Mágico’ – as ceremoniously named by the Spanish press, immediately shone brightly on the pitch and soon became a cult hero in the city. Playing as a number 10 for Cadiz on and off from 1982 to 1991, he carried them to Spain’s first division, always ensuring to have fun while he played. Teammates and Coaches alike praise him as a god. One of his former coaches, David Vidal, shared how he tried to convince Johan Cruyff to sign him for Barcelona - "I told him, 'Johan, you need to get the Salvadoran, he's even better than you were,'" he went on to state – “He is the best I have ever seen. When he had the ball at his feet, it was nearly impossible to take it from him, and he was always ready to receive it, never shying away. Plus, he was physically strong. His mother did a great job giving birth to him!".
However, it was off the pitch that he shone most brightly. A Demi-god of nightlife in Cadiz. Even today, if you wander through the narrow, cobbled streets of the city and into an old ‘Taberna’, you can still hear the stories of Mágico’s glory days. You might hear of the time he slept in so late after a long night on the streets of the Cadiz that he missed the first half of a match against Barcelona. Stumbling to the “Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla”, Cadiz were 3-0 down, he went on to score two goals, and set up another two, leading a comeback against the Spanish giants – all while still drunk from the night before! Besides his innate ability to Party no matter the weather, one of his former coaches, David Vidal stated – “He had this amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere, and it was a real challenge to wake him up”. Shown in the fact at half-time he would often take a nap to help recharge after a long night. Cadiz even had to hire someone to personally go and wake him up for training and match days. His capacity to sleep no matter the circumstances undeniably the siesta-culture of south-west Spain, and particularly the laid-back city of Cadiz.
These days Magico lives in his homeland, El Salvador, often returning to the city which holds so many memories for him. Most recently, Cadiz and El Salvador honoured him with a stadium, named after him, in his country of birth. Serving as a testament to a legend of the game, who certainly will never be forgotten in El Salvador, or the city of Cadiz,.
His story serves as a mixed lesson for all, not only those aspiring for success in sport. Firstly, as Mágico once said - “I have this silly idea on my mind – I do not like to see soccer as a job. That is not me. I just play to have fun.” He teaches to search for happiness and fun in life; he had all the opportunities in the world, large contracts with European giants, however, opted to stay in Cadiz as it was the place where he was most happy, and where he could have the greatest impact in his own special manner. Secondly, if one wants to achieve a goal in life, hard work is just as important as talent, and Gonzalez, was content with solely possessing the latter. As was stated in a Spanish documentary about his life, he was – “El Futbolista que pudo hacer todo, pero no quiso” - or in English – “The footballer that could do it all, but didn’t want to”.
