Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Francisco Gento, 1933-2022

Francisco Gento with the 1956, 1957, 1958,
1959, 1960 and 1966 European Cups

A sports legend has left us, and most Americans have never even heard of him.

Francisco Gento López was born on October 21, 1933, in Guarnizo, in Cantabria in northern Spain. Playing the position of outside left, what would now be called left midfielder or left wing, he debuted for local team Racing Santander in 1952. A flu epidemic struck them before a game with Spain's leading soccer team, Real Madrid, and he was forced into the starting lineup. He impressed them more than his own team, and he was purchased 3 days later.

After a difficult 1st season, Real Madrid's president, and namesake of their stadium, Santiago Bernabéu, was ready to sell him off. But the team's best player, Alfredo Di Stéfano, told him, "He is quick, and hits the ball like a cannon. That can't be learned. It's innate. We can teach him the rest."

Gento fulfilled Di Stéfano's faith in him. Known as La Galerna del Cantábrico (The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea), his speed and passing helped Real win 12 La Liga titles between 1954 and 1969. But the true measure of success for Madridistas is the European Cup, known since 1992 as the UEFA Champions League. They won the tournament  the 1st 5 times it was held: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960.

The Cup was won by Benfica of Lisbon, Portugal in 1961 and 1962; by AC Milan of Italy in 1963; and by Internazionale of Milan, a.k.a. Inter, in 1964 and 1965. Once kings of Europe ("Real" means "royal"), Real Madrid went out of the Cup in the 1st round in 1961 (to arch-rival FC Barcelona, no less), lost the Final to Benfica in 1962, in the Preliminary Round in 1963, lost the Final to Inter in 1964, and went out in the Quarterfinal in 1965.

So Real were determined to win it in 1966. With "Paco" Gento as Captain, they beat Feyenoord of Rotterdam, the Netherlands in the Preliminary Round. In the 1st Round, they beat Kilmarnock of Scotland. In the Quarterfinal, they beat Anderlecht of Belgium. In the Semifinal, they dethroned Inter. And in the Final, at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, they beat Yugoslavian Champions Partizan Belgrade, 2-1.

(Heysel would host the European Cup Final again in 1985, with disastrous results: A wall collapse led to the deaths of 39 people, but the game went ahead anyway, and Juventus beat Liverpool, 1-0.)

It was the 6th European Cup for Real Madrid, and the 6th for Gento. To this day, he remains the only player ever to win the European Cup/Champions League 6 times.

He was named to the Spain team at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, but not the 1964 European Championship that Spain won.

He retired in 1971, and went into coaching. In 1979, he got Palencia promoted to the 1st Division. He later became a club ambassador, and was named honorary president of the team after Di Stéfano died in 2014.

Real Madrid have now won the European Cup 13 times, more than any other team, most recently in 2018. Gento lived to see all of them. He died today, January 18, 2022, at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife Mari Luz, sons Francisco and Julio, and granddaughters Aitana and Candela.

He was the last survivor of both the 1956 and 1957 European Cup winners. With his death, there are now:

* 2 surviving players from the 1958 European Cup: José Santamaría and Juan Santisteban.

* 3 surviving players from the 1959 European Cup: Santamaría, Santisteban and Antonio Ruiz.

* 4 surviving players from the 1960 European Cup: Santamaría, Santisteban, Ruiz, and Darcy Silveira (a.k.a. Canário).

* And 7 surviving players from the 1966 European Cup: Santamaría, José Araquistáin, Enrique Pérez Díaz (a.k.a. Pachín), Manuel Sanchís Martínez, José Martínez Sánchez (a.k.a. Pirri), Fernando Serena and Amancio Amaro. 

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