Francisco Gento, one of the most revered legends in the history of Real Madrid and the only man to win six European cups (the previous version of the UEFA Champions League) passed away at the age of 88 on January 18, 2022.
Gento was the honorary President of Real Madrid, something he got to inherit after the death of his long term colleague and arguably the greatest footballer in the history of Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stefano.
Gento was one of the big names of the mighty Real Madrid team of the 60's which went on to win five consecutive European Cups in a row, along with Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas. The record is still untouched and at least in the foreseeable future, the record is more likely to last.
He was voted as the greatest Spanish Footballer by IFFHS, an organisation that preserves the records of the game. Being a left winger, Gento was known for his pace and ability to provide pinpoint accurate crosses from the most difficult positions. His long range shooting ability is also regarded despite the fact that he was not being able to showcase it entirely due to the presence of stars like Di Stefano and Puskas in the team.
Gento played for a very long time. Starting his career for Racing Santander, Gento transferred to Real Madrid in 1953 and played till 1971 where in the meantime he played 600 matches and found the back of the net 183 times. Along with the European cups, he also won the la liga a record 12 times. Inter-Continental Cup, Copa Del Rey are some of the other trophies that he won in his illustrious career. Gento also played for the Spanish National Team from 1955 to 1969, winning 43 caps while scoring 5 times.
Real Madrid CF offered their condolences by saying, "Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and its love and affection to his wife Mari Luz, his sons Francisco and Julio, his granddaughters Aitana and Candela and all his relatives, colleagues and loved ones, he will always be remembered by Madridistas and all football fans as one of their greatest."
"Paco Gento is the only player in football history to have won six European Cups. He defended the club's jersey between 1953 and 1971, and during his 18 seasons at Real Madrid he won, in addition to six European Cups, 12 LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys, one Intercontinental Cup, one World Champions' Gold Cups and 2 Copa Latinas. At Real Madrid he played 600 games and scored 182 goals. He was an international with the Spanish national team on 43 occasions.
"Francisco Gento has died at the age of 88. Real Madrid also extends its condolences to all Real Madrid members and fans."
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