Sansón (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Bao Rodríguez | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 1924 | ||
| Place of birth | Vigo, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 13 February 2012 (aged 87) | ||
| Place of death | Vigo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vigués | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1941 | Celta | 6 | (0) |
| 1941–1943 | Cultural Leonesa | 14 | (0) |
| 1943–1945 | Sporting Gijón | 22 | (8) |
| 1945–1950 | Oviedo | 115 | (1) |
| 1950–1955 | Celta | 40 | (0) |
| 1955–1956 | Xerez | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 200 | (9) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francisco Bao Rodríguez (20 April 1924 – 13 February 2012), known as Sansón, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender.
He was the youngest ever player to take part in a La Liga game for 80 years, when he appeared for Celta in 1939.[1][2]
Career
Born in Vigo, Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Sansón joined local RC Celta de Vigo in 1939. On 31 December that year, aged 15 years and 255 days, he made his La Liga debut in a 4–1 away win against Sevilla FC, one of just six league appearances he would make for the club over two seasons, after which he was deemed surplus to requirements due to his age.[3]
In 1943, after two years with Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, Sansón returned to the top division with Sporting de Gijón, although he was again only a reserve at that level. Subsequently, he developed into an important player with Asturias neighbours Real Oviedo – also in the latter tier – playing an average of 23 matches during his stint, which included two top-five finishes.[4]
Sansón returned to Celta for the 1950–51 season, where he was utilised as a defender, midfielder and forward,[3] but he was again almost exclusively a backup (20 games in his third year, a total of only 20 in the other four). After rejecting a new five-year contract for 500.000 pesetas,[3] he retired in 1956 after a spell with Xerez CD, with top-flight totals of 167 matches and one goal,[5] scored for Oviedo on 29 January 1950 in a 2–0 home victory over Real Madrid.[6]
Sansón's record was broken on 24 June 2020, when RCD Mallorca's Luka Romero took the field against Real Madrid.[7] As of April 2025, he was the fourth-youngest player to make an appearance in the top five European leagues, only behind Kalman Gerencseri, Ethan Nwaneri and Romero.[8]
Death
On 13 February 2012, Sansón died in his hometown at the age of 87.[9]
References
- ^ Álvarez, Armando (14 February 2012). "Sansón, nadie antes que él" [Sansón, no one before him]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ "Luka Romero termina con el récord céltico de Sansón 80 años después" [Luka Romero ends Sansón's Celta record 80 years later]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Sansón" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ Segura, Arnau (3 January 2019). "Sansón, un niño en Primera" [Sansón, a boy in Primera] (in Spanish). Panenka. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ Subirán, Jordi (31 December 2018). "Los 15 años y 255 días de 'Sansón'" [The 15 years and 255 days of 'Sansón']. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "En 1950 el Real Oviedo se imponía al Real Madrid en Buenavista" [In 1950 Real Oviedo downed Real Madrid at Buenavista] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Luka Romero, el debutante más joven de la historia de LaLiga" [Luka Romero, the youngest debutant in LaLiga history]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ Wright, Chris (8 April 2025). "The youngest players in Premier League, Europe, MLS, more". ESPN. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Fallece Sansón, ex jugador del Sporting y el Oviedo" [Death of Sansón, formerly of Sporting and Oviedo]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). 15 February 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
External links
- Sansón at BDFutbol