Died at 80 years old from the legendary Argentinian goalkeeper Hugo Gatti – Liberation

Argentine football loses one of its most eccentric legends. International goalkeeper Hugo Orlando Gatti, the one that football nicknamed « El Loco » (« Le Fou ») for its extravagances, died on Sunday at 80, announced the South American football federation, the Conmebol. Gatti had been hospitalized for two months in Buenos Aires for a fracture of the basin, and had seen his health deteriorate in recent days. He suffered from cardiac and kidney failure, and had been placed in artificial coma. “The Conmebol deeply regrets the death of Hugo Orlando Gatti, a legend of South American football. Condolences to family and friends ”, said the Confederation on X.

Born in August 1944 in Carlos Tejedor, in the province of Buenos Aires, Gatti held the record for the number of matches in the Argentine first division with 765 games between 1962 and 1988. He had retired at 44, while he was still playing in Boca Juniors, that he had joined in 1976.

An extroverted character, he was one of the first guards to leave his line frequently and to take control of the entire surface, turning into a defender to go to the opponents. He even played a striker sometimes.

Unlike most goalkeepers of his time, Gatti used his game, head, and chest a lot. He also regularly drew attention to his shattering statements, as when he had treated Diego Maradona of « Petit Big » In 1980. Maradona, who then played the Argentinos Juniors, had taken revenge a few days later by scoring him four goals.

With the Boca Juniors, Gatti won the Copa Libertadores in 1977 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1978. He was also part of the Argentine national selection under the direction of César Luis Menotti, and was about to become the last bulwark of the victorious selection at home of the 1978 World Cup. But a knee injury had put it on the touch.