Spanish Debate: Who Will Be The Pichichi?

Marca likes to get its tendrils into anything related to Spanish football, and the end-of-season awards are no exception. In memory of the legendary Athletic Bilbao goalscorer of the pre-national league era, Rafael 'Pichichi' Moreno Aranzadi, each year they award the eponymous trophy to the top scorer in the Primera (as judged by themselves, and not the LFP.)

A quick glance at some of the past winners shows the legendary names of the Spanish games. Isidro Lángara, Telmo Zarraonaindía 'Zarra', Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Mario Kempes, Quini, Hugo Sánchez, Romário, Raúl... you get the message.

Last season it was Daniel Güiza of Mallorca who netted more than anyone else - 27, to be precise - but as he's off to Fenerbahçe he won't be retaining his title this year.

Who will inherit it, then? Here we look at some of the more likely choices, as well as a few dark horses.

Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
My own personal pick for top scorer (see the season prediction debate here if you missed it), Eto'o will most likely be less distracted by off-pitch concerns this year, less injured, and of course not party to the Africa Cup of Nations for a good month or so of the season. Even when he drew criticism last season and missed gilt-edged chances on a weekly basis he still somehow managed to find the net with regularity, almost without being noticed. This is the sign of a great goalscorer, and one who'll top the charts.
Pichichi Factor: 9/10

David Villa (Valencia CF)
Valencia started this season as they meant to go on with a fine 3-0 win over Mallorca, and one that showcased El Guaje's talents to the full. What may hamstring him in the race for the top scorer's berth is that most of his teammates aren't quite up to snuff compared to him. Still, with Los Che improving on the last campaign, so too should Villa's tally.
Pichichi Factor: 8/10

Luis Fabiano (Sevilla FC)
Fabiano finished second to Güiza last season with 24 goals - three fewer than the Jerez boy - and may be considered a favourite this time around. Certainly he's got the raw talent, but he runs hot and cold. Still, if Sevilla play to their best, expect him to do so as well (or perhaps it's the other way around?)
Pichichi Factor: 7/10

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid CF)
Ruud only struck 16 goals last season, the same as Eto'o and Forlán and fewer than Ricardo Oliveira and Joseba Llorente. Still, that's because - like Eto'o - he spent most of the campaign on the sidelines, starting 22 games and playing 90 minutes on just seven occasions. With international football now a distant memory, and his fitness not under question, surely he can once again hit the top three at least.
Pichichi Factor: 7/10

Sergio 'Kun' Agüero (Club Atlético de Madrid)
Sergio is my tip for player of the season, but I don't think he'll top the goalscoring charts. That, then, is testament to his all-round ability. In any case, expect him to share the spoils with an Atleti forward line that likes to strike from the flanks and from Diego Forlán as well as just 'El Kun.'
Pichichi Factor: 6/10

Fredi Kanouté (Sevilla FC)
Two seasons ago he had probably his finest campaign to date, and while this tailed off a bit last year he still managed an eminently respectable tally of 15 goals in 30 appearances. His days of topping the scoring charts are probably now gone, but he's likely to end up 'mid-table' in this respect.
Pichichi Factor: 6/10

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Another exhausting summer won't help his chances, and nor will the double or even triple marking he's sometimes subjected to. Nonetheless Messi is likely to chip in with a tally well into the double-figures (as is Bojan, for that matter.)
Pichichi Factor: 6/10

Diego Forlán (Club Atlético de Madrid)
A former Pichichi winner from his time with Villarreal, Diego is no stranger to finding the net. This time, though, he'll share his strikes with Agüero, and in any case he's maddeningly prone to going off the boil just as quickly as he can find the net.
Pichichi Factor: 6/10

Nihat Kahveci (Villarreal CF)
Very nearly Pichichi once before during his salad days with Real Sociedad, Turkish hitman Nihat suddenly rediscovered his Basque form last season as he repaid Villarreal's faith with a fine goal haul. This season, though, he's been unlucky with injuries so far and may find ground too hard to make up.
Pichichi Factor: 6/10

Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal CF)
Just like Nihat, injury has hurt his chances already. It's far from impossible that he'll one day challenge at the top, but it's not his season. Time is on his side - and he's some player already.
Pichichi Factor: 5/10

Álvaro Negredo (UD Almería)
Almería are a decent bet to finish top half yet again, and Negredo, having hit 13 goals last season, is already on track for a career best after scoring twice on Sunday. Of course not every week will be as easy for him, but he's a classy forward to be sure.
Pichichi Factor: 5/10

Raúl Tamudo/Luis García(RCD Espanyol)
Either of the Espanyol forwards could end up having fine seasons, but it seems unlikely that the perequitos will be able to provide them with enough chances to even break the top three goalscorers. That's not to question their talent, though.
Pichichi Factor: 4/10

Roberto Soldado (Getafe CF)
Similar to the Espanyol situation, the fact that Getafe will probably finish around the 14th or 15th mark means that his opportunities will be limited. In any case he's not fully settled in yet, having moved only physically a few miles south from Real Madrid but across a continent in terms of club size. With Uche, Albín and Manu by his side, though, when Soldado hits stride he'll enjoy no end of chances.
Pichichi Factor: 3/10

Of course there are other candidates that could spring out of the woodwork. Why not let us know about these, or just pick your option from the ones above? The choice is yours.


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