The world of football and sports in general, fired yesterday one of its great legends, one of its myths: Paco Gento. The true king of the European Cup, with six titles on his extensive list. Recognition he had always brought from discretion and simplicity.
The son of a truck driver, born in Guarnizo (Cantabria) on October 21, 1933, he arrived at Real Madrid twenty years later from Racing (he signed his first contract in a garage in Santander), almost at the same time as another of the inescapable legends of Real Madrid, Alfredo di Stefano, key to his stay at the club after some hesitant beginnings.
Both collaborated to create the great Real Madrid of those years, with another range of unforgettable players like Raymond Kopa, Héctor Rial, Ferenc Puskas and a long etcetera; that of the six European Cups. And in each was Gento. The only one who won them all. He scored twice, against Fiorentina at the Bernabeu and against Milan in Brussels. In total, he played eight finals.
Equipped with great speed, tremendous power and an ability to alternate running watering and dry dribbling is perhaps the best left winger in history. A devil on the side. A portent. Unreachable for its rivals. A dagger. He earned the nickname by which he will be remembered for a lifetime: La Galerna del Cantabria.
During his long and successful career he played eighteen campaigns for Real Madrid, winning twelve leagues, two Spanish Cups, two Latin Cups, the 1960 Intercontinental Cup … A total of 24 titles. Inexhaustible, he accumulated 761 games and scored 253 goals, until he played his last official match in May 1971 in the Recopa final against Chelsea. He also achieved absolute internationality at the hands of Ramón Melcón. He participated in 43 matches, in which he scored five goals, and was in the World Cup in 1962 and 1966. Later he led the lower categories of Real Madrid and teams such as Castellón, Palencia and Granada.
He always earned the respect of all not only for his sporting qualities, but also for his closeness and simplicity. He always acknowledged that he never liked to brag about his many accomplishments. Shy, a person of few public ostentations, but endearing face to face, he has gone away with the same discretion and the same speed with which he dazzled the whole world.
Following the death of Di Stéfano, Florentino Pérez nominated him for the position of Honorary President of the club and on October 23, 2016 he was unanimously elected by the extraordinary general assembly of members. Banner of a lineage of great sportsmen, got to play in the same equipment in January of 1959 with his brothers Julio and Antonio. He enjoyed a family passionate about sports, Llorente Gento. Behind them came José Luis Llorente, Toñín Llorente (in the basketball world), as well as Paco Llorente, Julio Llorente and now Marcos Llorente (Atlético).
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