View source for Francisco Bru

{{Short description|Spanish footballer, referee and manager}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Bru|Sanz|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= Francisco Bru 
| image = Francisco Bru Sanz.png
| caption = Bru in 1901
| fullname = Francisco Bru Sanz 
| birth_date  = 12 April 1885
| birth_place = [[Madrid]], Spain
| death_date  = 10 June 1962 (age 77)
| death_place = [[Málaga]], Spain
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]] 
| years1 = 1902–1906  | years2 = 1906–1911  | years3 = 1911–1915  | years4 = 1915–1917 
| clubs1 = [[FC Internacional]]  | clubs2 = [[FC Barcelona]]  | clubs3 = [[RCD Español]]  | clubs4 = [[FC Barcelona]]  
| caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 0  | caps2 = 30 | goals2 = 1| caps3 =  | goals3 =  | caps4 =  | goals4 = 
| nationalyears1= 1904–1915   
| nationalteam1= [[Catalonia national football team|Catalan XI]] 
| nationalcaps1=  | nationalgoals1 =  
| manageryears1 = 1920 | manageryears2 = 1924–1926 | manageryears3 = 1927–1928 | manageryears4 = 1928–1929 | manageryears5 = 1930 | manageryears6 = 1934–1936 | manageryears7 = 1937–1939 | manageryears8 = 1939–1941 | manageryears9 = 1941–1943 | manageryears10 =1948–1949
| managerclubs1 = [[Spain national football team|Spain]] | managerclubs2 = [[RCD Español]] | managerclubs3 = [[Club Juventud Asturiana]] | managerclubs4 = [[Racing de Madrid]] | managerclubs5 = [[Peru national football team|Peru]] | managerclubs6 = [[Madrid CF]] | managerclubs7 = [[Girona FC]] | managerclubs8 = [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] | managerclubs9 = [[Granada CF]] | managerclubs10 =[[Real Zaragoza]]
}}
'''Francisco Bru Sanz''' (12 April 1885 – 10 June 1962), also known as '''Paco Bru''', was a Spanish football player, referee and manager. As a footballer he played as a striker and midfielder for [[FC Internacional]] and as a defender for [[FC Barcelona]], [[RCD Español]] and the [[Catalonia national football team|Catalan XI]]. After retiring as a player, Bru became a referee and took charge of the 1916 and 1917 [[Copa del Rey]] finals. He later became the first ever manager of [[Spain national football team|Spain]], guiding them to the silver medal at the  [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics|1920 Olympic Games]]. As a manager with [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], then known as  ''Madrid CF'', he won the [[Copa de España]] twice during the 1930s.

== Playing career ==
Paco Bru began his career in the spring of 1902 with [[FC Internacional]] —when he was only sixteen years — playing a friendly tournament called ''Medalla de la Federación Gimnástica Española'' (Medal of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation). He played ten out of twelve games as a striker and scored three goals, his team finishing sixth out of seven teams. On 30 November 1902, Bru made his debut in official competition, the [[Catalan football championship]], in a 6–0 defeat to [[Club Español]]. Although in this particular match he played as a defender, he was mainly used in Internacional as a forward.

Bru won the [[Copa Torino]] in 1904, a second-level league trophy. Two years later he joined [[FC Barcelona]] and, along with [[Romà Forns]], helped the club win the [[Catalan football championship|Campionat de Catalunya]] three times in a row between 1909 and 1911. He also helped them win their first [[Copa del Rey]] in 1910. In 1911 he joined [[RCD Español]] winning two further Campionat titles and playing in another Copa final in 1915. He then returned to FC Barcelona and, together with [[Paulino Alcántara]] and [[Jack Greenwell]], helped the club win one more Campionat. During his playing career he also played at least five times for the [[Catalonia national football team|Catalan XI]]. However records from the era do not always include accurate statistics and he may have played more games.

== Refereeing career ==
After retiring as a player Bru became a referee. According to legend, before his first game in charge he walked into the dressing room and pulled out a [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] pistol from his bag. He placed the gun on a table in the middle of the room for everybody to see and when finished changing, he stuffed the pistol down his shorts. After being asked by a player what was going on, he explained  he wanted to guarantee a quiet match, given that it was his first game in charge.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}} Bru went on to take charge of two [[Copa del Rey]] finals. In 1916 he was in charge as [[Athletic Bilbao]] beat [[Madrid FC]] 4–0. In the 1917 final Madrid FC returned and beat [[Arenas Club de Getxo]]. In 1917 Bru also refereed a friendly between the [[Catalonia national football team|Catalan XI]] and a Castile XI.

== Coaching career ==

=== Olympic Games ===
In 1920 when the [[Royal Spanish Football Federation]] decided to send a team to the [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]], Bru was one of three selectors chosen to pick the squad. However, after an initial training session, he found himself on his own. He subsequently rejected many of the players that turned up for the original session and insisted on the inclusion of more [[Basque people|Basque]] players. With a squad that included [[Ricardo Zamora]], [[Félix Sesúmaga]], [[Pichichi (footballer)|Pichichi]], [[José María Belauste]] and [[Josep Samitier]], Bru and [[Spain national football team|Spain]] returned from the competition with the silver medal.

The final stages of the tournament had descended into farce. [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]] won the gold medal by default after [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]] walked off in protest during the final, unhappy with the performance of the referee. As a result, they were disqualified and a second consolation tournament was organised to decide the silver and bronze medallists. However beaten semi-finalists, [[France national football team|France]], had already returned home, so the beaten quarter-finalists played-off for the right to play the other beaten semi-finalist, [[Netherlands national football team|the Netherlands]]. [[Spain national football team|Spain]] emerged triumphant after overcoming [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] 2–1, [[Italy national football team|Italy]] 2–0 and then beating the Netherlands 3–1 in the silver medal final.

=== Real Madrid ===
Bru had two spells as coach at [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]]. During his first spell with the club he guided the team to victory in two [[Copa de España]] finals. In 1934 he coached a team that included [[Ricardo Zamora]], [[Josep Samitier]] and [[Jacinto Quincoces]] to a 2–1 win over a [[Valencia CF]] team coached by [[Jack Greenwell]]. The 1936 final saw Real meet [[FC Barcelona]] for the first time in a cup final. The Madrid club beat Barcelona 2–1 at the [[Mestalla]] in [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]]. The final is best remembered for a save made by Zamora. During the [[Spanish Civil War]], Bru returned to Catalonia and coached  [[Girona FC]] in the [[Mediterranean League]]. In 1939 he returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach.

=== Others ===
Bru was the coach of the [[Peru national football team|Peru national team]] during the first ever [[1930 FIFA World Cup|World Cup in 1930]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cronicas de futbol peruano |url=http://cronicasdefutbolperuano.blogspot.com/2007/02/peru-en-el-mundial-del-30.html}}</ref>

== Honours ==

===Player===
'''FC Internacional'''
* Copa Torino: 1904

'''FC Barcelona'''
* [[Copa del Rey]]: 1910
* [[Catalan football championship|Catalan Champions]]: 1908-09, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1915–16

'''RCD Español'''
* Catalan Champions: 1911-12, 1914–15

===Manager===
'''Spain'''
* [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]: Silver medal 1920

'''Madrid CF''' 
* [[Copa de España]]: 1934, 1936

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311163737/http://futbol.sportec.es/seleccion/ficha_seleccionador.asp?j=5282&n=Paco%20Bru  Spain manager stats]
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/spancup1916.html Copa del Rey 1916]
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/spancup1917.html Copa del Rey 1917]

== Sources ==
* ''Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football'' (2003),  Phil Ball. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morbo-Spanish-Football-Phil-Ball/dp/0954013468 Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football]

{{Copa del Rey winning managers}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Francisco Bru international tournaments
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{{Spain squad 1920 Summer Olympics}}
{{Peru Squad 1930 World Cup}}
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{{Navboxes
|title= Francisco Bru managerial positions
|list1=
{{Spain national football team managers}}
{{RCD Espanyol managers}}
{{Peru national football team managers}}
{{Real Madrid CF managers}}
{{Girona FC managers}}
{{Granada CF managers}}
{{Real Zaragoza managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bru, Francisco}}
[[Category:Spanish football managers]]
[[Category:1930 FIFA World Cup managers]]
[[Category:Spain national football team managers]]
[[Category:Peru national football team managers]]
[[Category:Spanish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Spanish football referees]]
[[Category:La Liga managers]]
[[Category:Real Madrid CF managers]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona players]]
[[Category:RCD Espanyol footballers]]
[[Category:Girona FC managers]]
[[Category:RCD Espanyol managers]]
[[Category:Granada CF managers]]
[[Category:Real Zaragoza managers]]
[[Category:1885 births]]
[[Category:1962 deaths]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Cuba]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Peru]]
[[Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Cuba]]
[[Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Peru]]
[[Category:Olympic coaches for Spain]]