The left pointer, who died this Monday, appeared at the Modelo stadium with the meringues. He is one of the maximum symbols of his club.
the sports newspaper AS, at the entry of the news about the death of Francisco Paco Gento, which occurred this Monday, states that he was “the best left winger of all time.” In addition, in its digital edition, the Spanish newspaper highlights of Gento that “His devilish speed, his power and a formidable quality caught the attention of (Santiago) Bernabéu: a dry dribble, unable for the defenders to avoid it more the precision of his left leg. A whole compendium of virtues for a winger”.
Of the formidable striker, so extraordinary in terms of quality that he established himself as a star in the best Real Madrid in history, the one whose symbol and figure of exception was Alfredo Di Stéfano, AS adds that the footballer born in 1933, He is “the first and only player, until now, to be able to take a photo: that of his figure with six European Cups (today the Champions League)”.
Gento was crowned with Madrid as monarch of the Old Continent in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and the era of Di Stéfano at the club came to an end, the striker won the trophy with the merengues in 1966, as the last member of an unrepeatable generation to do so.
Such is the universal dimension of the attacker, a World Cup player with Spain in Chile 1962 and England 1996, that Pelé’s is one of the voices that this Tuesday lamented the death of the honorary president of Real Madrid. This said the Brazilian legend: “Paco Gento is another soccer genius who says goodbye to us. The greatest European champion to date. He was still a child when we faced him and other Real Madrid legends at the Santiago Bernabéu on a European tour. Memories of great nostalgia and passion for football, which are even more alive today. I leave here my feelings of affection to all friends and family.
People, in Guayaquil
After playing many classics in Spain against Fútbol Club Barcelona, Gento and Real Madrid landed in America to face a rival with a name similar to that of the Catalan entity: the Barcelona Sporting Club, which those meringues, winners of the five cups, faced in Guayaquil, in 1961,. That was a time when the best teams on the planet and the most sensational soccer players of the moment frequently appeared in the Main Port and in Quito. It was not a rare event, as it would be in the present, times when it is impossible to have the most powerful European squads on the country’s courts.
Upon their arrival, the madridistas, led by Miguel Muñoz (former white defender, and coach of Spain in Mexico 1986), were received by a “good number of fans”. The presence of Madrid caused enormous expectation. The Fans paid to witness this match 50 sucres for the stands and 20 sucres for the general. The game was directed by the Ecuadorian Carlos Ceballos.
The Sunday August 13, 1961, Real Madrid won 3-1. Puskas (the best Hungarian footballer of all times); Gento (which according to Alfredo Relaño in his Tuesday column, dedicated to crack, says: “They ask me about Gento and I explain that he was the player who put the Bernabéu on its feet. He was overwhelming. Gento was unbeatable”); and Di Stéfano (for some specialists the greatest footballers in history)”, scored the white goals. Horacio Tanque Romero discounted, Argentine reinforcement of Everest who lined up in Barcelona.
star striker
On August 13, 1961, at the Modelo stadium (now called Alberto Spencer), 51,746 spectators saw in action the famous forward of Real Madrid who won the fifth of five European Cups in a row in 1960, made up of CAnario, Del Sol, Di Stéfano, Puskas and Gento. The Argentine goalkeeper Rogelio Domínguez, the Uruguayan defender José Emilio Santamaría, and the Spanish Enrique Pérez (Pachín) also played against the bullfighters.
“Real Madrid showed its extraordinary footballing quality”, headlined in the chronicle of that friendly match Diario EL UNIVERSO.
It was highlighted that “the most dazzling part of Real Madrid was up front, where all the men, with the exception of Canario (Brazilian) who was somewhat vague, gave a finished display of good football, especially the eternal Alfredo Di Stéfano”.
in Quito
Before, in 1960, the whites had already been to Ecuador. In a friendly against a team made up of soccer players from Quito clubs, won 5-1 at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium. Puskas scored three goals and Di Stéfano the remaining two. The Argentinian Roberto Kid Ortega, attacker at that time of Liga de Quito, scored the combined gold and grana goal. (D)
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