Great name, great player. Christened Jorge Alberto González Barillas, but known simply as El Mágico (the wizard). Born in El Salvador, Mágico moved to Spanish club Cádiz in 1982, aged 24. He was to remain there for the next 9 years, aside from a very short stint at Valladolid in 1984.
He was renowned for his close ball control and incredibly quick feet, comparisons with Maradona were very common. Many believe that he should be regarded as one of the greatest players ever. Whilst he was a very commited player on the pitch, ultimately his attitude off it was to prevent him fulfilling his full potential. He was a party animal, regularly missing training and even games, meaning he was to spent the majority of his career in the lower reaches of La Liga, averaging roughly 1 in 4.
“I love going out at night and partying, and not even my mother could dissuade me. I don’t like looking at football as a job. If I did that, it wouldn’t be me. I only play for fun.”
His goalscoring record for El Salvador does hold up to scrutiny however, 41 goals in 48 games, almost single handedly taking them to the 1982 World Cup.
In truth, there is not much out there about Mágico, so it’s probably best to let his football do the talking. Enjoy.
Para mi el majico el mejor. Nuncajamas va a aber otro como el jamas miren el o los videos y comparen