21 October: Paco Gento, the man with six European Cups
Paco Gento
«the Cantabrian Gale»
- Racing de Santander 1952-1953 · 2 goals
- Real Madrid Club de Fútbol 1953-1971 · 128 goals
- Rayo Cantabria
- Sociedad Deportiva Unión Club de El Astillero
From Guarnizo to Madrid
He was born in Guarnizo, in Cantabria, and made his debut for Racing Santander. In 1953 Real Madrid signed him, almost at the same time as Di Stéfano. His first months were bad and they nearly sent him back, but Di Stéfano asked for patience: that winger ran like nobody else, he just needed to learn where to run.
They called him the Cantabrian Gale, after the sudden, violent northern wind, for his speed down the left.
The first five
He was part of Madrid's first five European Cups in a row, from 1956 to 1960, and in the 1958 final against Milan he scored the winner in extra time. He was the winger in the famous forward line of Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano and Puskás, which played together for the first time on 5 October.
The sixth, with the yé-yé Madrid
When that generation retired, Gento carried on. In 1966, aged thirty-two, he was the captain of a new, young Madrid side made up entirely of Spanish players, nicknamed the yé-yé Madrid. They won the final in Brussels against Partizan and he lifted his sixth European Cup.
He retired in 1971 and died in January 2022, while honorary president of the club.
Also born on 21 October
Nemanja Vidić, United's wall
A Serbian centre-back who partnered Rio Ferdinand at the heart of Ferguson's Manchester United defence that won five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. Tough, commanding in the air and captain of the side in his final years at Old Trafford.
- Spartak Subotica 2000-2001 · 6 goals
- Estrella Roja de Belgrado 2000-2004 · 12 goals
- FC Spartak de Moscú 2004-2006 · 4 goals
- Manchester United Football Club 2006-2014 · 15 goals
- Inter de Milán 2014-2016 · 1 goals
Dondinho, Pelé's father
A striker for modest clubs in Minas Gerais and São Paulo whose career was cut short by a knee injury. His son Edson, whom everyone would come to call Pelé, was born on 23 October, two days and twenty-three years after him.
- Clube Atlético Mineiro 1940
- Clube Atlético Mineiro 1942
- Bauru Atlético Clube 1946-1952
- Fluminense Football Club
- Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
🔴⚪ Sporting Gijón players born this day
They played for Sporting Gijón and were born on this same day. There is only their data here: we would rather name them than leave them out, and rather give the bare facts than invent a story.
Manuel Meana 🔴⚪
- Real Sporting de Gijón 1916-1925
Another 23 internationally known footballers were born on this day. We do not list them for the sake of it: only those with a story to tell make it here.
📅 The almanac: pick any date
Every day of the year has its story. Highlighted days are already out: click to see who was born or what happened on that date. The faded ones go live on their day, at midnight (Spain time). 35 published.
Football almanac · Elopi23
January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September14 ★
- 11 September: Ruud Gullit
- 1111 September: Franz Beckenbauer
- 1818 September: Ronaldo
- 2020 September: Henrik Larsson
- 2121 September: Sándor Kocsis
- 2222 September: Thiago Silva
- 2323 September: Quini
- 2424 September: Marco Tardelli
- 2525 September: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
- 2626 September: Michael Ballack
- 2727 September: Francesco Totti
- 2828 September: Javi Poves
- 2929 September: Andriy Shevchenko
- 3030 September: Frank Rijkaard
October21 ★
- 11 October: George Weah
- 22 October: Alisson Becker · Roberto Firmino
- 33 October: Zlatan Ibrahimović
- 44 October: Jorge Valdano
- 55 October: Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano, Puskás and Gento
- 66 October: Bruce Grobbelaar
- 77 October: Diego Costa
- 88 October: Zvonimir Boban
- 99 October: Gheorghe Popescu
- 1010 October: Tony Adams
- 1111 October: Bobby Charlton
- 1212 October: Cristhian Stuani
- 1313 October: Raymond Kopa
- 1414 October: Matt Le Tissier
- 1515 October: Didier Deschamps
- 1616 October: Paulo Roberto Falcão
- 1717 October: Sergio Goycochea
- 1818 October: Julio Olarticoechea
- 1919 October: Gunnar Nordahl
- 2020 October: Claudio Ranieri
- 2121 October: Paco Gento
November
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December
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★ published · ✎ written, waiting for their day · the red circle is today
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