Francisco Gento

Francisco "Paco" Gento was a Spanish footballer who played as an outside left for Real Madrid and the Spain national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best left-wingers of all time and the only player to have won six European Cups. He was also voted by IFFHS as the greatest Spanish footballer and 30th greatest world footballer of the 20th century³. Gento was born in Guarnizo, Cantabria, on 21 October 1933. He began his career at Racing Santander in 1952 and moved to Real Madrid the following season. He spent 18 years with Real Madrid, from 1953 to 1971, and made 600 appearances for the club, scoring 182 goals. He helped the club to win 12 La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, one Intercontinental Cup, one Small World Cup and two Latin Cups. He was part of a legendary forward line alongside Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano and Puskas. Gento was known for his exceptional pace, his skills with the ball and his scoring prowess from the midfield position. He was nicknamed "La Galerna del Cantábrico" (The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea) in reference to his speed down the wing². He played in eight European Cup finals, winning a record six, and also appeared in a ninth European final appearance in the 1970–71 Cup Winners' Cup final that Real Madrid lost to Chelsea¹¹. He contributed with 31 goals in 88 European Cup career matches[^10^]. Gento also had a successful international career with Spain. He earned 43 caps for his country and scored five goals. He played at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966 and was part of the team that reached the final of the 1964 European Championship, which Spain won by beating the Soviet Union². He also played in the England versus Rest of the World Centenary match in 1963. After retiring as a player in 1971, Gento became a manager and coached several teams, including Real Madrid Castilla, Castellón, Palencia, Granada and Cantabria. He also served as an ambassador for Real Madrid and was appointed as the club's honorary president in 2016, following the death of his former teammate Alfredo Di Stéfano. Gento died on 18 January 2022 at the age of 88 in Madrid. His cause of death is unknown. He is survived by his wife Mari Luz, his sons Francisco and Julio, and his granddaughters Aitana and Candela. He was buried at the Cementerio de Guarnizo in his hometown¹³. His death was mourned by many fans, players, clubs and sports personalities around the world. He is remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of Real Madrid and Spanish football.