He won a Ballon d'Or and NOBODY remembers him: the "other" Luis Suárez
In addition to Luis Suárez from Uruguay, there was another Luis Suárez who also triumphed in football
Every football fan knows the Uruguayan player Luis Suarez, one of the best strikers in the history of the sport. He scored almost 500 goals and got 2 European Golden Shoes in the time that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in their prime. However, several decades ago, there was another player named Luis Suarez, but he was Spanish, not Uruguayan. Interestingly, this player is not so well known today, despite having won a Ballon d'Or.
Luis Suárez was one of the best strikers in history
Luis Suárez Miramontes was born in 1935, in La Coruña (Spain). Unlike his Uruguayan namesake, Luis Suarez Miramontes played as an attacking midfielder. His debut was in 1953 (18 years old), at Deportivo La Coruña, a team that currently competes in the third division of Spain. Despite his age, he managed to play several games and score 3 goals. In the following season, he was transferred to FC Barcelona. At first, Luis Suárez played for España Industrial (a subsidiary team of the culé club), but thanks to his good performances, the Italian coach Sandro Puppo decided to include him in the FC Barcelona starting team.
Luis Suarez played almost 200 matches for FC Barcelona
At Deportivo La Coruña, he played in a more offensive position, but at the Catalan club, his work was defensive. Thanks to this, Luis Suarez became a complete midfielder and learned to adapt depending on the match situation. If his team needed creativity, Luis Suarez fulfilled it, if his team needed defensive help, Luis Suarez fulfilled it. Also, he worked hard on his fitness. With the Spanish club, he spent 7 seasons, played almost 200 games and scored 80 goals (a very good figure despite not being a striker). He won 2 Fairs Cups, 2 Spanish leagues and 2 Copa del Rey.
Incredibly, for only 1 season, FC Barcelona became the most winning team in the Spanish league, but Real Madrid quickly changed history. He even started in the Final of the 1960-61 European Cup, in which he lost 3-2 against Benfica. His most important individual achievement was to win the Ballon d'Or in 1960, the first Spanish player to achieve it.
Luis Suarez won the Ballon d'Or in 1960
After the final in Bern, Luis Suárez was transferred to Internazionale of Milan for a record amount for the time, two hundred and fifty million lire, which will be used by the Catalan club to increase the capacity of the newly opened Camp Nou (1957). In fact, he became the first Spanish player to compete in the Italian league.
For the next 9 seasons, Luis Suarez was the star of the team and the player most loved by the Milanese fans. He played a total of almost 350 games and scored 55 goals. At Inter, this player had to completely change his style of play. He stopped being a dynamic, goalscoring midfielder and became a more conservative player, but without losing his spark of creativity. This explains why his goalscoring numbers dropped drastically. But he was the architect, the brain, and the leader of this team headed for sporting glory. With this team, he won 3 Serie A and 2 European Cups, one of them against Real Madrid. This stage is considered one of the best of the Italian club since they dominated in Italy and Europe.
Luis Suárez played during the "golden age" of Inter Milan
With the Spanish National Team, he was also a very important player. He played 32 games and scored 14 goals, but playing as a striker. He represented Spain in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, scoring no goals. Despite that, his greatest achievement was winning UEFA Euro 1964 against the USSR.
Luis Suárez, after 9 full seasons at the Lombard club, leaves with the highest honors, being recognized as one of the most significant footballers in the history of the Milanese team. His next team was Sampdoria. He played for 3 seasons, until his retirement in 1973, at the age of 38.
Luis Suárez won UEFA Euro 1964 with the Spanish National Team
Continue reading: Why is it called a hat trick for a player who scored 3 goals?
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