When Madrid visited Albacete in 1928 with their own 'Courtois-Mbappé' formula
A look back at Real Madrid's forgotten 1928 trip to Albacete featuring goalkeeper Cándido Martínez and prolific striker Valentín Gual - the Courtois and Mbappé of their day.
As Real Madrid prepare to face Albacete in the Copa del Rey, we dive into the fascinating history of a fixture that hasn’t been played since 2005 - and never before in this competition.
While Los Blancos gear up for their first Copa visit to the Carlos Belmonte, Madrid’s connection with the Manchegan city stretches back nearly a century, featuring some proper footballing gems that deserve a bit of the ol’ spotlight.
The First Encounters
Madrid’s footprint in Albacete dates back to August 1925 when they sent their reserves for a friendly at Paseo de Cubas, winning 2-1. But it was three years later when things got interesting, with the capital club playing two matches in four days:
- June 29, 1928: Madrid won 4-0
- July 1, 1928: Albacete claimed a 2-0 victory
Unlike the 1925 trip, Madrid brought their big guns in 1928. They were closing out their season after a Copa quarter-final exit to Valencia and completing the ‘Tournament of Champions’ - the precursor to La Liga which would be born months later.
The Original ‘Courtois-Mbappé’ Formula
What makes this 1928 visit fascinating is how Madrid’s winning formula hasn’t changed in almost a century - a world-class goalkeeper and a lethal finisher up front.
Cándido Martínez: The Fearless Keeper
Cándido Martínez Collar (1889-1960) was renowned for his bravery between the sticks - sometimes bordering on reckless. The Madrid press famously quipped that “only his name was Cándido” (innocent), referencing his fearless style.
Unfortunately, his career coincided with Ricardo Zamora, “El Divino”, who blocked his path to the national team. After ten seasons with Madrid, he played his final year at Atlético.
When Martínez died in June 1960, his legacy had faded into obscurity. Yet days later, during an 8-1 thrashing of Athletic to overturn a 3-0 first-leg Copa deficit, Madrid wore black armbands in his memory - Santiago Bernabéu never forgot what Cándido meant to the club’s history.
Valentín Gual: The Forgotten Goal Machine
The third goal in Madrid’s 4-0 win came from Valentín Gual, a remarkable striker who spent just one season at the club. His numbers were staggering - 22 goals in 15 official matches (1.46 goals per game) plus three more in friendlies.
That July day in Albacete was actually Gual’s final appearance in the white shirt, leaving behind a legacy that included one four-goal haul and two hat-tricks.
Gual arrived during turbulent times as the club sought a replacement for Santiago Bernabéu himself. A tailor by trade, the physical forward from Rentería was doing military service in Madrid when spotted by sporting director Julián Berraondo.
Despite his remarkable scoring rate, the arrival of Gaspar Rubio in spring 1928 pushed him out, and he joined local side Unión Sporting in Madrid’s Salamanca district after a failed move to Valencia.
Some things never change in football - Madrid’s recipe for success still relies on a world-class goalkeeper and a clinical finisher, just as it did nearly a century ago in Albacete.