Ricardo Saprissa
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Saprissa Aymá was a lifelong athlete, coach, and promoter of sports. He spent many years in Costa Rica
, playing and coaching football]/[soccer. In 1935 he was co-founder of Deportivo Saprissa, a highly successful football team based in San Juan de Tibás.
, El Salvador
to José Saprissa and Carmen Aymá. Always a skilled athlete, Saprissa first began competing in his parents' home town of Barcelona
, Spain
. He played several sports, excelling at football with the team RCD Espanyol
, as well as in tennis
, grass hockey and polo
. He won Spain's football national championship with RCD Espanyol
in 1928, Spain's grass hockey national championship in 1924, and Spain's tennis national championships in 1923 and 1924. He participated with Spain at the Paris
Olympic Games
in 1924 and on the Spanish Davis Cup
team in 1930. He moved to San José, Costa Rica, in 1932.
, and in the 1951 Pan American Games
in Buenos Aires
.
Later that decade, Roberto Fernández started a boys football team, with children from all over San José. He asked Saprissa if he could supply the player's uniforms. He did, and the team became known as Deportivo Saprissa. The team successfully competed in local tournaments. As the young players started to grow, the team began to compete in higher categories. They reached Costa Rica's First Division in 1949.
They have won more national and international tournaments than any other Costa Rican team. They represented CONCACAF
at the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship
in Japan
in December 2005, winning third place in the tournament.
Saprissa was the president of Deprtivo Saprissa from 1948 to 1981. In 1972, one of his dreams was realised when the team became the first in Costa Rica to have its own stadium
, which was named after Saprissa.
, Costa Rica's Orion, Gimnástica Española in Spain, and rival soccer team LD Alajuelense
in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, playing and coaching football]/[soccer. In 1935 he was co-founder of Deportivo Saprissa, a highly successful football team based in San Juan de Tibás.
Early life
Saprissa was born in San SalvadorSan Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
to José Saprissa and Carmen Aymá. Always a skilled athlete, Saprissa first began competing in his parents' home town of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He played several sports, excelling at football with the team RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
, as well as in tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, grass hockey and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
. He won Spain's football national championship with RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
in 1928, Spain's grass hockey national championship in 1924, and Spain's tennis national championships in 1923 and 1924. He participated with Spain at the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in 1924 and on the Spanish Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
team in 1930. He moved to San José, Costa Rica, in 1932.
Costa Rica and Deportivo Saprissa
Saprissa became the coach and president of the local football team, Orion, guiding them to a championship in 1938. He coached Costa Rica's national football team, winning the silver medal at the 1935 and 1938 Central American and Caribbean GamesCentral American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
, and in the 1951 Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Later that decade, Roberto Fernández started a boys football team, with children from all over San José. He asked Saprissa if he could supply the player's uniforms. He did, and the team became known as Deportivo Saprissa. The team successfully competed in local tournaments. As the young players started to grow, the team began to compete in higher categories. They reached Costa Rica's First Division in 1949.
They have won more national and international tournaments than any other Costa Rican team. They represented CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
at the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship
2005 FIFA Club World Championship
-Quarter-finals:-----Semi-finals:-----Fifth Place:-Third Place:-Final:-Scorers: 2 goals Amoroso Peter Crouch Mohammed Noor Alvaro Saborio...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in December 2005, winning third place in the tournament.
Saprissa was the president of Deprtivo Saprissa from 1948 to 1981. In 1972, one of his dreams was realised when the team became the first in Costa Rica to have its own stadium
Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá
Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá is one of the main sports stadiums in Costa Rica. It is located in San Juan de Tibás, San José. With a capacity of 24,000, it has one of the highest capacity stadiums in the country. The stadium is the home of Deportivo Saprissa, and was named in honour of the team's...
, which was named after Saprissa.
Death and legacy
Don Ricardo Saprissa died peacefully in 1990 and is remembered in Costa Rica with great honor and affection. Among his distinctions, Saprissa was included in Costa Rica's Sports Gallery in 1969 and was named honorary president of Barcelona's RCD EspanyolRCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
, Costa Rica's Orion, Gimnástica Española in Spain, and rival soccer team LD Alajuelense
LD Alajuelense
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense , is a Costa Rican football club, currently playing in the Primera División de Costa Rica. It was founded on June 18, 1919. The team is located in Alajuela's downtown and they play their local games at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.Alajuelense was the first Costa...
in Costa Rica.