Dolors Ortiz Castañer (4 August 1944), better known as Lolita Ortiz, was a Catalan footballer and women's football pioneer in Catalonia.[1] She played in Barcelona's first-ever match on 25 December 1970, and then served as the team captain for 10 years, from 1971 until her retirement in 1980.[2][3] [4]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dolors Ortiz Castañer | ||
| Date of birth | 4 August 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1980 | Barcelona | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Biography
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Together with Carme Nieto, Alicia Estivill, Núria Llansà, and Immaculada Cabecerán, the main promoter of the event, Lolita contested the first match of the women's FC Barcelona team against Unió Esportiva Centelles on 25 December 1970, which was held at Camp Nou in front of 60,000 spectators.[1][3][5] Before the match, she stated to the press that: "If they, our opponents, are the "Centellas", we will be the "thunders"; to which the journalist added "There will be a storm".[5] She was one of the game's best players that day, wowing the public with her outstanding dribbling.[3][5] After the game, Lolita stood with her daughter Arantxa for the team photo.[3] In Barça's inaugural season in 1971–72, she was the team's top league goalscorer with 26 goals.[6]
She played as both a centre forward and right winger and was one of the first icons of women's football at FC Barcelona.[3] Despite being small in stature, she had an indomitable spirit, being especially remembered in folklore by her raids in the wings.[3] She sometimes dragged the opponent's defenders away to make space for Neus Gallofré to shoot.[3] Her courage and character led Antoni Ramallets, the team's coach, to name her as captain in June 1971 after the early retirement of Imma Cabecerán.[3][7]
At the time, the women's team only trained on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the sports area of Camp Nou, so Lolita had to get up early to take Arantxa to school before heading off for training.[3] Football was only amateur at that time, so we worked as a receptionist in a doctor's office in the afternoons.[3] In 1981, Lolita had to stop playing football due to a serious knee injury and since she was not making a living from football, Doctor González Adrio informed her that there was no need to have an operation and that she could go on to live a normal life after football.[3]
Her apartment on Avinguda del Paral·lel was full of clippings and photos of that team that fought to promote women's football.[7] In December 2021, the 77-year-old Lolita was the subject of a fourth eviction attempt, but managed to stop it with the help of her former teammates.[7] Her son Jordà, councilor in La Granada, has tried to find formulas to solve the family debt, but he was not able to get either Caja Madrid or Bankia to accept.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Dolors Ortiz Castañer". www.enciclopedia.cat. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Ortiz Castañer, Lolita stats". players.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Lolita Ortiz". players.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Edelmira Calvetó, la primera socia del Barça" [Edelmira Calvetó, the first member of Barça]. www.lavanguardia.com (in Spanish). 23 January 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Les pioneres del Barça, orgulloses d'haver fet el primer pas" [The pioneers of Barça, proud to have taken the first step]. www.sport.es (in Catalan). 24 December 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "TROFEO "PASTIS 51" A LA MAXIMA GOLEADORA" ["PASTIS 51" TROPHY TO THE TOP GOAL SCORER]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 10 March 1972. p. 10. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Lolita Ortiz: el partit contra el desnonament d'una pionera del Barça femení" [Lolita Ortiz: the party against the eviction of a pioneer of the women's Barça]. www.elperiodico.cat (in Catalan). 13 December 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2024.