Gento with Real Madrid in 1967
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Francisco Gento López | ||
Date of birth | 21 October 1933 | ||
Place of birth | Guarnizo, El Astillero, Spain | ||
Playing position | Outside-left | ||
Youth career | |||
S.D. Nueva Montaña | |||
Union Club Astillero | |||
Rayo Cantabria | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1952–1953 | Racing Santander | 10 | (2) |
1953–1971 | Real Madrid | 428 | (128) |
Total | 438 | (130) | |
National team | |||
1956 | Spain B | 1 | (0) |
1955–1969 | Spain | 43 | (5) |
Teams managed | |||
Castilla | |||
1974 | Castellón | ||
1977–1980 | Palencia | ||
1980–1981 | Granada | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Francisco "Paco" Gento López (born 21 October 1933) is a former Spanish football player, who played as a left winger.
Gento began his career at Racing Santander in 1952 and moved to Real Madrid the following season. He appeared in a joint record eight European Cup finals, winning a record six, as well as winning 12 La Liga titles.
In a 14-year international career, Gento earned 43 caps for Spain, playing at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966.
Following the death of Alfredo Di Stefano, Gento was appointed as the Honorary President of Real Madrid.
He débuted in the Primera División with Racing Santander in the 1952–53 season. In the following year, he signed with Real Madrid and became a legendary player of that club, wearing the number 11 shirt.
La Galerna del Cantábrico (The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea), as he was known, played outside-left and was noted not only for having great speed (he could run 100 meters in 11 seconds flat and was almost as quick with a ball at his feet), but also for his skills with the ball and his scoring prowess from the midfield position. He captained a young side, known in Spain as Ye-yé, because of the popularity of The Beatles at that time. He is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players
Among other honors, Gento won the European Cup a record 6 times with Real Madrid (an unmatched record), scoring 30 goals in 89 European Cup career matches. He also played for Spain from 1955 to 1969, winning 43 caps and scoring 5 times.