He passed away at the age of 83
Former Galician footballer Amancio Amaro, European champion with Real Madrid, of which he was the current Honorary President, and with the Spanish national team, has died at the age of 83, as confirmed Tuesday by Real Madrid. «Real Madrid CF, its president and board of directors deeply regret the death of Amancio Amaro, honorary president of Real Madrid and one of the great legends of our club and of world soccer,» the club said in a statement. Source: (REAL MADRID)
One of football’s greats
The 14-time European champion expressed «his condolences and affection to his wife Consuelo, his children Óscar, Belén, Amancio, Patricia, Marcos and Claudia, his brother Juan Carlos, his grandchildren and all his relatives, colleagues and loved ones». «Amancio Amaro will be remembered by all madridistas and by all soccer fans as one of the great myths of the sport. Real Madrid extends its condolences to all madridistas. May he rest in peace,» said Real Madrid.
One of the best wingers
Amancio is considered one of the best right wingers in the history of Spanish football and one of the legends of Real Madrid, where he spent a large part of his career and with whom he won the European Cup, the club’s sixth, in 1966, with the so-called Real Madrid Ye-Ye.
Paco Gento passed away a year ago
The Galician, signed in 1962 from Deportivo de La Coruña, spent 14 seasons at the Madrid club, which considered him «always an example for madridismo and for the whole world of sport» and which last year appointed him as its new Honorary President to fill the void left by another legend, Paco Gento, who died at the beginning of 2022.
471 games in the Real Madrid jersey
Amancio Amaro played 471 games for Real Madrid, where he won nine league titles, three cups and, above all, the 1996 European Cup at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, where he scored the 1-1 goal in the 2-1 victory over Partizan Belgrade. In total, he scored 155 goals.
National Team
In addition, the Galician striker also played a leading role with the national team, with which he was historic European champion in 1964 against the USSR at the Santiago Bernabéu, with the anecdote that for many years it was believed that he had been the author of the pass for the 2-1 goal scored by Marcelino due to an error in the editing of the match, when it had been Chus Pereda. The player from A Coruña wore the ‘Roja’ for 42 games, scoring eleven goals and playing in the 1966 World Cup in England.
Managed Castilla, Real’s subsidiary team
After leaving soccer, Amancio was a protagonist at Real Madrid for his role in the subsidiary team, Castilla, with which he won the 1983-1984 Second Division title, ahead of another subsidiary team such as Bilbao Athletic, and where he was the forger of the famous ‘Quinta del Buitre’.
Love and admiration from all
«For what he represents and the spread of values throughout his career, Amancio is one of the best players in our history and one of the best wingers in world soccer. He was Paco Gento’s teammate in the 1966 European Cup final and Paco, and of course Alfredo di Stéfano, will be proud. You have earned the affection of all of us who love this club and the respect and admiration of all the fans», stressed Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, on the day the club’s Assembly elected the Galician as its new Honorary President. In the picture, Paco Gento.
Bernabéu will host the funeral chapel
The funeral chapel of former Real Madrid footballer and honorary president Amancio Amaro will be set up this Tuesday, starting at 3:00 p.m. in the VIP box at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the club announced in a press release.
