{{short description|Spanish footballer and coach}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{family name hatnote|Rubio|Meliá|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gaspar Rubio | image = Gaspar Rubio.jpg | fullname = Gaspar Rubio Meliá | birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|12|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Serra, Valencia, Spain | death_date = {{Death date and age|1983|01|03|1907|12|14|df=y}} | death_place = Mexico City, Mexico | height = | position = Forward | years1 = 1926–1927 | clubs1 = Gràcia FC | caps1 = 14 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 1927–1928 | clubs2 = Levante | caps2 = 9 | goals2 = 7 | years3 = 1928–1932 | clubs3 = Real Madrid | caps3 = 34 | goals3 = 30 | years4 = 1932–1934 | clubs4 = Atlético Madrid | caps4 = 25 | goals4 = 10 | years5 = 1934–1935| clubs5 = Valencia | caps5 = 32 | goals5 = 17 | years6 = 1939–1940 | clubs6 = Real Madrid | caps6 = 4 | goals6 = 2 | years7 = 1939–1940| clubs7 = Recreativo Granada | caps7 = 14 | goals7 = 5 | years8 = 1940–1941 | clubs8 = Real Murcia | caps8 = 10 | goals8 = 1 | years9 = 1941–1942 | clubs9 = Levante | caps9 = 0 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 1942–1943| clubs10 = Recreativo Granada | caps10 = 3 | goals10 = 1<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j10952.html?manager=1|title=Rubio, Gaspar Rubio Meliá - Footballer|publisher=bdfutbol|access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref> | nationalyears1 = 1920 | nationalteam1 = Spain | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 9 }}
'''Gaspar Rubio Meliá''' (14 December 1907 – 3 January 1983) was a Spanish football forward and coach.
==Club career== Born in Serra, Valencia, Rubio amassed La Liga totals of 61 games and 37 goals over the course of five seasons, representing in the competition Real Madrid (1928–30), Valencia CF (1934–35), Real Murcia (1940–41) and Recreativo Granada (1942–43). With the first club, he netted 72 times in 75 competitive appearances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.realmadrid.com/sobre-el-real-madrid/el-club/historia/jugadores-de-leyenda-futbol/gaspar-rubio-melia|title=El rey del astrágalo|trans-title=King of the astragalus|publisher=Real Madrid|language=es|access-date=24 August 2009}}</ref> In 1930–31, he also played briefly in Cuba with Juventud Asturiana and in Mexico with Real Club España.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football-legends/gaspar-rubio-melia|title=The King of the ankle bone|publisher=Real Madrid|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref>
Nicknamed ''El rey del astrágalo'' (King of the astragalus) due to the many ailments he had in that foot bone,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1983/01/05/deportes/410569211_850215.html|title=Rubio, el 'rey del astrágalo', murió en México|trans-title=Rubio, the 'king of the astragalus', died in Mexico|newspaper=El País|language=es|date=5 January 1983|access-date=12 February 2015 }}</ref> Rubio subsequently worked as a manager with several teams – including as player-coach – but never in the top flight. In 1957 he moved to Mexico where he would settle after his retirement from football, coaching Atlante F.C. and Deportivo Toluca FC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1957/02/07/pagina-3/637242/pdf.html|title=Antes jugando y hoy como entrenador, Gaspar Rubio ha vuelto a triunfar en Méjico|trans-title=Before as a player and today as a coach, Gaspar Rubio has made it big in Mexico again|publisher=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=7 February 1957|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref>
==International career== Rubio gained four caps for Spain in less than one year, scoring nine goals. Seven of those came in his first two appearances, with a hat-trick against Portugal (5–0)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1929/03/18/pagina-1/623655/pdf.html|title=El equipo de España, en una actuación formidable, batió al de Portugal, en medio tempo, por 5 a 0|trans-title=The Spanish team, in formidable display, beat Portugal's, in one half, 5 to 0|publisher=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=18 March 1929|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref> and four against France (8–1),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1929/04/15/pagina-1/625660/pdf.html|title=España batió, jugando su IV ''match'' contra Francia, el record de los ''scores'' favorables en el palmarés nacional triunfando por 8 a 1|trans-title=Spain broke, playing match IV against France, record of favourable scores in national history by winning 8 to 1|publisher=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=15 April 1929|access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> thus becoming the first Spanish footballer to score two international hat-tricks. His record remained untouched for more than 60 years, until Emilio Butragueño netted his second international hat-trick on 19 December 1990 against Albania, and remained unbroken for more than 80 years, until both Fernando Torres and David Villa scored their third hat-trick for Spain on 20 June 2013 against Tahiti in a 10-0 win.
Rubio also played a major role in England's first ever loss outside the British Isles, netting twice in a 4–3 triumph in Madrid on 15 May 1929.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1929/05/16/pagina-1/615217/pdf.html|title=¡¡España venció a Inglaterra!!|trans-title=Spain defeated England!!|publisher=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=16 May 1929|access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref>
==Death== Rubio died in Mexico City on 3 January 1983, at the age of 75.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1983/01/05/049.html|title=El genial futbolista español Gaspar Rubio falleció ayer en México|trans-title=The fabulous Spanish footballer Gaspar Rubio died yesterday in Mexico|publisher=ABC|language=es|date=5 January 1983|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{BDFutbol|10952}} *{{BDFutbol manager|10952}} *{{NFT player|41275}} *{{EU-Football.info|6576}}
{{Granada CF managers}} {{CD Atlético Baleares managers}} {{Levante UD managers}} {{Hércules CF managers}} {{UE Lleida managers}} {{Deportivo Toluca managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubio, Gaspar}} Category:1907 births Category:1983 deaths Category:People from Camp de Túria Category:Footballers from the Province of Valencia Category:Spanish men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:La Liga players Category:Segunda División players Category:Tercera División players Category:Levante UD footballers Category:Real Madrid CF players Category:Atlético Madrid footballers Category:Valencia CF players Category:Real Murcia CF players Category:Granada CF footballers Category:Real Balompédica Linense footballers Category:UD Melilla footballers Category:Real Club España footballers Category:Spain men's international footballers Category:Spanish expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cuba Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Category:Spanish football managers Category:Segunda División managers Category:Granada CF managers Category:Levante UD managers Category:UD Melilla managers Category:Hércules CF managers Category:CD Atlético Baleares managers Category:Orihuela Deportiva CF managers Category:UE Lleida managers Category:Atlante F.C. managers Category:Expatriate football managers in Mexico Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Cuba Category:20th-century Spanish sportsmen