Full name Luis Suárez Miramontes Years Team Height 1.75 m Siblings José Suárez Miramontes | 1949–1953 Fabril Team Apps Weight 70 kg | |
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Date of birth (1935-05-02) 2 May 1935 (age 81) Similar Raymond Kopa, Josef Masopust, Omar Sívori, Helenio Herrera, Stanley Matthews | ||
Luis Suárez Miramontes ([ˈlwis ˈswaɾeθ miɾaˈmontes]; born 2 May 1935), also known by the diminutive Luisito, is a Spanish former footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, CD España Industrial, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and Spain. Suárez is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players; he was noted for his elegant, fluid, graceful style of play. Nicknamed El Arquitecto (The Architect) he was noted for his perceptive passing and explosive shot and in 1960 he became the first Spanish-born player to be voted Ballon d'Or. In 1964 he helped Spain win the European Championship. Suarez originally achieved prominence as a creative inside forward or attacking midfielder for the great Barcelona team of the 1950s before he joined Inter Milan where he reached his prime as deep lying playmaker for the legendary Grande Inter team of the 1960s. He played a pivotal role in the success Herrera's Inter Milan side, and was one of the primary creative forces in the squad, due to his ball skills, vision, and passing range. He retired as a player in 1973, after three seasons at Sampdoria.
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Suárez subsequently began a career as a coach and has managed Inter Milan on three separate occasions, the last two on a caretaker basis. Suárez has also coached both Spain U21s and the senior Spain team. He was in charge of the latter for 27 games and led them to the second round of the 1990 World Cup. He has also coached several Italian and Spanish club sides. He is currently a scout for Inter Milan.
Early career
Suárez was born in A Coruña, Galicia. He lived on Avenida de Hércules in the neighborhood of Monte Alto.
He began his professional career with Deportivo de La Coruña in 1949 and worked his way through the junior sides before making his La Liga debut with Deportivo on 6 December 1953 in a 6–1 defeat to FC Barcelona. Among his team mates at Deportivo were Pahiño and Arsenio Iglesias. He played 17 games and scored 3 goals for Deportivo during the remaining season. In 1954 he transferred to CF Barcelona but spent most of the 1954–55 season playing for CD España Industrial in the Segunda División.
FC Barcelona
Between 1955 and 1961 Suárez was a regular in a FC Barcelona team that also included Ladislao Kubala, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, Ramallets and Evaristo. With Helenio Herrera as coach, the club and Suárez won a La Liga/Copa del Generalísimo double in 1959 and a La Liga/Fairs Cup double in 1960. Suárez was also voted Ballon d'Or in 1960. One of his last games for FC Barcelona was the final of the European Cup in 1961 which they lost 3–2 to S.L. Benfica.
Inter Milan
In 1961 Suárez became the world's most expensive footballer when FC Barcelona sold him to Inter Milan for 250 million Italian lire (£142,000). The move saw him follow his mentor Helenio Herrera.
Suárez became a regular in the Grande Inter team that won three Serie A titles, two consecutive European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. Between 1961 and 1970 he made 328 appearances for Inter and scored 55 goals.
On 10 March 1963, he scored three times in a 6–0 win over Genoa C.F.C.; this was the only hat-trick by a Spaniard in Serie A until Suso's for Genoa in 2016, to which Suárez sent his congratulations.
International career
Suárez also played 32 games for Spain and scored 14 goals. He made his debut on 6 December 1957 in a 6–1 victory over the Netherlands and represented Spain at both the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. However his greatest achievement with Spain came in 1964 when, together with Josep Maria Fusté, Amancio Amaro, José Ángel Iribar and Jesús María Pereda, he helped them win the European Championship. He played his final game for Spain in 1972.