Víctor Antonio Legrotaglie (29 May 1937 – 30 March 2024) was an Argentine football player and coach. He played as a midfielder, and was the third-highest scorer (as of July 2023) from free kicks.[1][2]
.jpg) Legrotaglie in 1971 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Victor Antonio Legrotaglie | ||
| Date of birth | 29 May 1937 | ||
| Place of birth | Las Heras, Mendoza, Argentina | ||
| Date of death | 30 March 2024 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Godoy Cruz, Mendoza, Argentina | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1953–1959 | Gimnasia y Esgrima | ||
| 1959–1960 | Chacarita Juniors | ||
| 1960–1963 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | ||
| 1963–1964 | Argentino | ||
| 1964–1967 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | ||
| 1967 | Argentino (M) | ||
| 1967–1968 | Juventud Alianza | ||
| 1968–1973 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | ||
| 1973 | Independiente Rivadavia | ||
| 1976 | Américo Tesorieri | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Legrotaglie began his professional career in Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza in 1953, where he became the institution's greatest star. In 1959 he moved to Chacarita Juniors, where he won a second-division national championship. He returned to Mendoza in the mid-1960s. Three years later, he played for Argentino de Mendoza. A year later, he returned to Lobo Mendoza for the third time, staying for three years. During that period, he won an official regional tournament and the unofficial Confraternidad Tournament organized by Boca Juniors in 1965.
In 1967, he briefly returned to the Mendoza Academy but in the middle of that year, he went to the Province of San Juan to play for Juventud Alianza. His fourth stage in Mensana came at the beginning of 1968 when he began to dispute the national championship. In 1973, he played in Independiente Rivadavia —the classic rival of Lobo, but at the time it was customary for Mendoza clubs to borrow players to represent the province at the national level. In 1976, he went to the Province of La Rioja to play in Américo Tesorieri where he ended up retiring professionally a few months later.
Legrotaglie is regarded as the greatest idol in the history of Gimnasia y Esgrima,[3] and the best mendocino footballer ever.[4]
He stood out for his free kicks[2] and olympic goals (having scored a total of 66 and 12 respectively).[3] The Gimnasia y Esgrima Stadium was named in his honour.[3]
Early life
editLegrotaglie was born in Las Heras, Mendoza on 29 May 1937. He began playing football at Club Sociedad Italiana 5 de Octubre —currently the Vicente Polimeni sports center. The club was founded by his grandfather. His father and uncle later served as club presidents.
Career
editEarly career
editLegrotaglie came to Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza, by chance, thanks to "Chupino" Carlos Cardone—an acquaintance and a "Lobo" player. At age sixteen he was in the line of substitutes. Twenty minutes into the second half after the injury of one of the forwards, he came in and scored two goals. Turning seventeen, he signed his first professional contract.[5] His family was a fan of Independiente Rivadavia, so he tried to stay there, but was rejected because he weighed only sixty-two kilos.[6]
Professional career
edit
In 1959, he transferred to Chacarita Juniors where he became champion of the Primera B—the second division of Argentine football league system—that year.[7] A year later he returned to Gimnasia y Esgrima where he stayed until 1963 when he was traded to C.A. Argentino. He returned to GyE where he won his first Liga Mendocina title. On 1 March 1964, Legrotaglie played unofficially for Godoy Cruz in a friendly game vs Brazilian side Santos.[8] Santos won 3–2.[9][10] In 1965 he won the Torneo Confraternidad that offered the possibility of facing Boca Juniors.[11]
In the second half of 1967, after his second stint at the Mendoza Academy, he played for Juventud Alianza, a club in San Juan Province including the 1967 Torneo Regional and Torneo Promocional. During his fourth tenure on GyE, Legrotaglie gained recognition as part of Los Compadres, regarded as the best football team outside Buenos Aires during those years. That squad remained undefeated at home for two years. They qualified for the Nacional championship on three consecutive occasions. In the 1971 Nacional, GyE achieved an outstanding result by beating San Lorenzo de Almagro 5–2 at Estadio Gasómetro.[12] In the next season, GyE defeated Newell's Old Boys, 5–2.[13][14][15]
In 1973, he transferred to Independiente Rivadavia to compete in the 1973 Nacional.[7]
Legrotaglie finished his playing career at the end of 1974 in Gimnasia y Esgrima. His "farewell" was on 24 September 1975 in a 1975 Torneo Nacional match v River Plate held in Estadio Bautista Gargantini. Legrotaglie was carried by former teammates and saluted and cheered by the people of Mendoza.[16] He returned to the field 2 years later to play for Club Américo Tesorieri of La Rioja, his last official club.[17]
In 1971 Legrotaglie appeared on the cover of prestigious sports magazine El Gráfico, which described him:
He was a machine of making nutmegs, although his specialty were the Olympic goals (scoring a goal directly from a corner kick): he scored twelve.
— El Gráfico, (January 4, 2008).[18]
He scored a total of 66 goals from free kicks, ranking 3rd. among the highest in the history of football.[19][2]
During Legrotaglie's best years, renowned European clubs such as Real Madrid and Inter Milan or US-based New York Cosmos made attempts to hire him. He preferred to stay at his hometown.[9][20]
Manager
editLegrotaglie coached Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza on several occasions. In 1981, he led the team to the Liga Mendocina championship. Later, he had several internships in regional competitions Torneo Argentino A and Torneo Argentino B.
His last experience at the Lobo del Parque was in 2004, when unexpectedly, Walter De Felippe resigned a few days before his debut.[21][22]
Death
editLegrotaglie died in Godoy Cruz, Mendoza on 30 March 2024, at the age of 86.[23]
References
edit- ^ "The Top 10 Players With Most Free Kick Goals Of All Time". Jobs In Football. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ a b c El desconocido argentino que supera a Maradona y Messi en goles de tiro libre on Mundo News, 26 Jul 2023
- ^ a b c Murió Víctor Legrotaglie, leyenda del fútbol mendocino: el día que brilló ante el Santos de Pelé y su amistad con Locche on Infobae, 30 Mar 2024
- ^ Dolor en el fútbol mendocino: falleció Víctor Legrotaglie on Mendoza Post, 30 Mar 2024
- ^ "Legrotaglie, between two outstanding loves". losandes.com.ar. 2001. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "In Huracán and Independiente they told me that because he was skinny he wasn't going to amount to anything". losandes.com.ar. 2001. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ a b "With Gimnasia we had love at first sight". mdzol.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Santos FC Trips to Argentina 1964 on the RSSSF
- ^ a b "Entrevista al Víctor realizada por Jorge Sosa". jornadaonline.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Messi, Maradona and Pelé in Mendoza". Diariouno.com.ar. 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Confraternity Tournament 1965". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Argentina 1971 - Campeonato Metropolitano on the RSSSF
- ^ Argentina 1972 - Campeonato Metropolitano on the RSSSF
- ^ "Los compadres, "like Pelé's Saint"". losandes.com.ar. 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Argentina - First Level 1972". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Gimnasia vs River and the farewell of Legrotaglie". purolobo.com. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "The day that Víctor wore Américo Tesorieri's coat". purolobo.com.ar. 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Víctor Legrotaglie". elgrafico.com.ar. 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Stroud, James (20 February 2023). "Lionel Messi has moved up to 8th in list of players with the most free-kick goals ever". GiveMeSport.
- ^ "Con Gimnasia tuvimos un amor a primera vista". mdzol.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Gimnasia puts its dream into motion". losandes.com.ar. 2004. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "Walter De Felippe left and Legrotaglie returns". losandes.com.ar. 2004. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "La Ciudad declara 24 horas de duelo en memoria a Víctor Legrotaglie". Mendoza Ciudad. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
External links
edit
- "Víctor Antonio Legrotaglie". BDFA (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- Interview to Víctor Antonio Legrotaglie in Fútbol Para Todos
- Interview to Víctor Antonio Legrotaglie en Canal Acequia