Full name Joaquín Peiró Lucas Years Team Apps (Gls) | Place of birth Madrid, Spain Team Apps Height 1.78 m | |
Date of birth (1936-01-29) 29 January 1936 (age 81) Similar Jair da Costa, Enrique Collar, Luis del Sol, Angelo Domenghini, Giuliano Sarti | ||
Joaquín Peiró Lucas (born 29 January 1936) is a Spanish retired football attacking midfielder and manager.
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After excelling at Atlético Madrid – where he would start and end his professional career, collecting La Liga totals of 166 games and 92 goals, in nine seasons – he moved to Italy where he would remain for nearly one decade, in representation of three teams. He represented the Spanish national team in two World Cups.
Club career
Born in Madrid, Peiró made his senior debuts with Real Murcia on loan from hometown's Atlético Madrid, playing 16 complete La Liga matches with the latter in the 1955–66 season to help them finish in fifth position, and subsequently becoming first-choice. He was an essential offensive unit as the club won the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup, scoring in both matches of the final against ACF Fiorentina (1–1 in the first game, 3–0 in the replay).
In 1962, after more than 100 official goals for Atlético – he still started the 1962–63 campaign, netting six in only three games – Peiró moved to Italy and joined Torino FC, becoming the second Spaniard to play in Serie A after Luis Suárez, whom he later teamed up with at Inter Milan, becoming a part of the Grande Inter side that won the 1965 European Cup under manager Helenio Herrera; in the semi-finals against Liverpool he scored one in a 3–0 home win after a 1–3 loss at Anfield.
Peiró's longest spell in Italy would be spent with A.S. Roma where he won one Italian Cup, eventually also being named team captain. In 1970, at the age of 34, he returned to Atlético de Madrid, where he retired after one year on the sidelines due to injury.
Peiró started coaching in 1978, with Atlético's reserves, which he led to the second division two years later. Subsequently, he spent some time managing in the second and third levels, promoting Granada CF to the former.
In 1989–90, Peiró was one of three coaches used by Atlético Madrid, as elusive Jesús Gil was the club's president – the side did finish fourth in the league. He resumed his career in division two, interspersed with periods of inactivity.
Peiró's biggest success as a manager came with Málaga CF, which he led to the top flight in 1999, at the age of 63. Subsequently, the Andalusians won the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the following UEFA Cup.
Peiró last coached in 2003, being fired midway through the 2003–04 season from Real Murcia who were relegated from the top tier, as last.
International career
Peiró gained 12 caps for Spain over a period of ten years, scoring five times. He participated in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, netting the only goal in the match against Mexico, and in the 1966 World Cup in England; both tournaments ended in group stage elimination.
On 3 June 1956, aged just 20, Peiró made his international debut, scoring in a 1–3 friendly loss to Portugal in Lisbon.