Hugo Eduardo Villaverde (27 January 1954 – 17 November 2024) was an Argentine football who played as a central defender, spending most of his career with Independiente. He holds the record in Argentina for most first division matches without scoring a goal, ahead of Jorge Titonell who in the 1930s and 1940s played 405 matches for Talleres (Remedios de Escalada) and Huracán.[1]

Hugo Villaverde
Villaverde in 1987
Personal information
Full name Hugo Eduardo Villaverde
Date of birth (1954-01-27)27 January 1954
Place of birth Santa Fe, Argentina
Date of death 17 November 2024(2024-11-17) (aged 70)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Central defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1975 Colón de Santa Fe 57 (0)
1976–1989 Independiente 380 (0)
Total 437 (0)
International career
1979 Argentina 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Villaverde started his professional playing career in 1973 with home town club Colón de Santa Fe at the age of 19.

In 1975, he joined Independiente where he became a key player throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He won four Argentine Primera titles, the 1984 Copa Libertadores and Copa Intercontinental with the club.

Villaverde played for the Argentina national team in 1979, but never returned to the international scene after suffering an injury in friendly match against Scotland.[2]

Personal life and death

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Villaverde's nephew, Alejandro "Papu" Gómez, is also a professional footballer who has played for the Argentina national team.[3]

Villaverde died on 17 November 2024, at the age of 70.[4]

Honours

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Independiente

References

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  1. ^ Hugo Villaverde at BDFA (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Luc Vandenberghe et al.: Argentina National Team Players 1964-1998, Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, 22 November 2012.
  3. ^ Paulich, Diego (22 June 2021). "Papu Gómez inédito: de Racing y el Rojo a un restó en Italia". Olé (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Dolor en el fútbol argentino: murió Hugo Villaverde, leyenda de Independiente". Infobae. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
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