Leonel Sánchez

Leonel Sánchez
Personal information
Full name Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros
Date of birth (1936-04-25) 25 April 1936
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Left Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1953–1969 Universidad de Chile 411 (166)
1969–1970 Colo-Colo 31 (28)
1971–1972 Palestino 15 (10)
1972–1973 Ferroviarios 11 (7)
Total 469 (211)
National team
1955–1968 Chile 85 (24)
Teams managed
1985–1986 Universidad de Chile
1987 Universidad de Chile
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 April 2008
40 years after the Ballet Azul, Universidad de Chile supporters still idolize him

Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros (born 25 April 1936 in Santiago de Chile) is a retired Chilean professional footballer who played as a striker on the left wing.

Regarded as one of Chile's most important players, Sánchez held the record for most games played for Chile with 85 caps (a record surpassed by Claudio Bravo on 10 October 2014)[1] and 24 goals between 1955 and 1968.[2]

Career

Sanchez was the son of a professional boxer.[3]

He played at left midfield for over 20 years between 1953 and 1973. 17 of those 20 were for Universidad de Chile, where he was the icon of the Ballet Azul (Blue Ballet), a team that won 6 national championships between 1959 and 1969.

Four of his 24 international goals were at the 1962 World Cup on home soil, where he was the top scorer along with five other players as Chile finished the tournament in third place. In that World Cup he is also remembered for his disputes with several Italian players in the infamous Chile – Italy match in the first round: he knocked out the Italian player Mario David with a punch in an altercation after being fouled, and was subsequently kicked in head by David a few minutes later, resulting in the Italian defender's sending off. Sánchez later also broke Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook; Chile won the match 2–0.[4] Because of his role in the match, later dubbed the "Battle of Santiago", in 2007, The Times placed Sánchez at number 6 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[5]

Sánchez remained in Universidad de Chile, although he received numerous offers from well known European clubs such as A.C. Milan. In 1969, after a contract rule was settled, Universidad de Chile was forced to sell him. He finished his career playing for different Chilean clubs such as Colo-Colo, Palestino and Ferroviarios.[6]

Career statistics

Club

Club performance[7]League
SeasonClubLeagueAppsGoals
ChileLeague
1953Universidad ChilePrimera División41
195453
19553314
19562210
19572114
1958259
19592622
19602310
1961246
19623219
19632711
1964245
19653015
1966198
1967346
1968276
1969100
1970Colo ColoPrimera División312
CountryChile417161
Total417161

International

Chile national team[8]
YearAppsGoals
195520
195692
195770
195800
195993
1960102
196186
196274
196315
196420
1965100
1966120
196751
196831
Total8524

International goals

Sánchez – goals for Chile[9]
#DateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
1.24 January 1956Montevideo, Uruguay Brazil4–11956 South American Championship
2.9 February 1956Montevideo, Uruguay Peru4–31956 South American Championship
3.11 March 1959Buenos Aires, Argentina Paraguay1–21959 South American Championship (Argentina)
4.26 March 1959Buenos Aires, Argentina Bolivia5–21959 South American Championship (Argentina)
5.18 November 1959Santiago, Chile Argentina4–2Friendly match
6.5 June 1960Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay2–2Friendly match
7.5 June 1960Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay2–2Friendly match
8.19 March 1961Santiago, Chile Peru5–2Friendly match
9.19 March 1961Santiago, Chile Peru5–2Friendly match
10.26 March 1961Santiago, Chile West Germany3–1Friendly match
11.26 March 1961Santiago, Chile West Germany3–1Friendly match
12.9 December 1961Santiago, Chile Hungary5–1Friendly match
13.9 December 1961Santiago, Chile Hungary5–1Friendly match
14.30 May 1962Santiago, Chile  Switzerland3–1FIFA World Cup 1962
15.30 May 1962Santiago, Chile  Switzerland3–1FIFA World Cup 1962
16.10 June 1962Arica, Chile Soviet Union2–1FIFA World Cup 1962
17.13 June 1962Santiago, Chile Brazil2–4FIFA World Cup 1962
18.16 May 1965Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay1–1Copa Juan Pinto Durán
19.21 July 1965Santiago, Chile Argentina1–1Copa Carlos Dittborn
20.1 August 1965Santiago, Chile Colombia7–21966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
21.22 August 1965Santiago, Chile Ecuador3–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
22.12 October 1965Lima, Perú Ecuador2–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
23.13 December 1967Santiago, Chile Hungary4–5Friendly match
24.27 August 1968Ciudad de México, México Mexico1-3Friendly match

Participation in the World Cup

World Seat Result Matches Goals
1962 FIFA World Cup Chile Third Place 6 4
1966 FIFA World Cup England 1st Round 3 0

Honours

Club

Universidad de Chile
  • Chilean League: 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969
  • Copa Francisco Candelori: 1969
Colo-Colo

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "News - FC Barcelona".
  2. ↑ "Leonel Sánchez - International Appearances".
  3. ↑ "Login".
  4. ↑ Murray, Scott (6 November 2003). "The Knowledge (November 6, 2003)". Guardian Online (UK). London. Retrieved 26 June 2006.
  5. ↑ "Top 50 Hardest Footballers". empireonline.com. The Times. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Line, Sur On. "BDFA Argentina-Futbol Argentino-Clubes-Jugadores-Torneos de Ascenso-Servicios".
  7. ↑ "Leonel Sánchez". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
  8. ↑ "Leonel Sánchez - International Appearances".
  9. ↑ "Leonel Sanchez".
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