Luisito passed away at dawn this Sunday at the age of 88 and after a brief illness
With Inter Milan he won two European Cups and established himself as one of the greats of football
In the early hours of this Sunday, after a brief illness, the Galician footballer Luis Suárez Miramontes died in Milan. He was 88 years old. He was a player for Deportivo (1953-54), FC Barcelona (1954-61), Inter Milan (1961-70) and Sampdoria (1970-73). Known as ‘Luisito’ for his emergence into the elite at the hands of Deportivo at just 17 years old, he was the first Spanish footballer —and the only one to date— to win the Ballon d’Or (1960).
Suárez was born on May 2, 1935 in A Coruña, at number 20 Hercules street. His parents ran a butcher shop and he began in the world of soccer thanks to his matches during school years, in the Salesian courtyard, and his two older brothers, Pepe and Agustín. The first played for Murcia, Alcoyano and Celta and the second, which had a more discreet career, for Deportivo Juvenil, Orensana and Cultura Leonesa.
Luisito arrived at Deportivo after standing out with the Acción Católica de Santo Tomás team, which participated in a children’s tournament organized by the blue and white entity. The Juvenil soon became too big for him and he passed to the Fabril. Physically he was little, but he had football in his head and executed it with refined technique, speed and elegance.
The boy, 18 years old, dHe made his debut with Deportivo’s first team at Les Corts on December 6, 1953, with a 6-1 defeat. Suárez did not finish the 1953-54 season with the Galician team. Barça moved quickly to get hold of the player, for whom Real Madrid was also interested.
Idol
Suárez landed in Les Corts as a child and established himself as one of the best players in the world with the Barça shirt. Proof of this is the recognition he obtained in 1960 for being considered the best European footballer.
A year later, in 1961, the complicated financial situation that FC Barcelona was going through after lifting the Camp Nou in September 1957, led to the sale of the player to Inter Milan. Helenio Herrera, who knew him perfectly after directing him in the 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons at Barça, demanded the president of Inter, Angelo Moratti, the purchase of the player, for which he paid 25,000 million pesetas. A figure never seen before.
With the Lombard team, Suárez followed the ascending line he was aiming for. He was the idol of the ‘Nerazzurri’ fans, a team with which he marked an era by winning three Italian championships (1962-63, 1964-65 and 1965-66), two European Cups (1963-64 and 1964-65) and two Intercontinental Cups (1964 and 1965). The interista machine was made up of players like Mazzola, Facchetti, Picchi, Corso, Zaglio, Milani, Guarnieri, Sarti…
He was able to return to Spanish football on several occasions, but he continued his career in the ranks of the sampdoriawhere he hung his boots for the 1972-73 season.
Suárez was also key in the first great triumph of the Spanish team, Euro 1964. With La Roja he played 31 games between January 30, 1957 and July 15, 1966. He played two World Cups: Chile 1962 and England 1966.
On the bench He began his new stage in the ranks of Inter (1975), going through Samp, SPAL, Como, Cagliari and Depor. Between 1988 and 1991 he worked for the RFEF and was European champion with the sub-21 (1986) and led the senior team in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Later he was coach of Inter and Albacete.
The first Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or
Luis Suárez, in addition to going down in history for his football talent, will always be remembered for being the first Spanish footballer to win the prestigious Ballon d’Orwhich granted L’Equipe. The Galician was rewarded with this distinction after an excellent year in 1960, in which he won the Fairs Cup and the League. Suárez received the trophy on March 8, 1961, at the Camp Nou, during the run-up to Barça-Spartak Kralové (4-0), corresponding to the quarterfinals, first leg, of the 1960-61 European Cup.
Suárez accumulated 54 votes and surpassed Ferenc Puskás (Real Madrid, 37 votes) and Uwe Seeler (Hamburg, 33 votes). “A distinction like this makes one extraordinarily responsible & rdquor;said the footballer.
The player was able to continue making history, but he was second in the 1961 and 1964 voting. And third in 1965. There will always be a question as to why he did not win it in 1964 if he had been champion of the shield with Inter and Eurocopa champion with the Spanish team. The jackpot went to Denis Law of Manchester United.
The also Barcelona Alexia Putellas, in 2021 and 2022, he won the women’s Ballon d’Or.