Rodolfo Miceli, glory of Independiente and the Argentine national team, has died: he scored a goal against England that promoted the Footballer’s Day

Rodolfo Micelli He died this Tuesday, December 27, at the age of 92 (he had completed them on April 24) at the Vicente López Municipal Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for a month due to kidney failure and a congenital heart problem. Lean and fast right winger, he shone in Independiente and in the Argentine national team. His remains will be veiled this Thursday in Olivos, in front of the presidential villa.

He did lower in Independiente and played a year in Argentino de Quilmes before making his debut in Primera del Rojo. He has also played for River, Huracán, Millonarios (Colombia) and Platense. He formed a historic striker between 1952 and 1955 with Charles Cecconato, Carlos Lacasia (later Ricardo Bonelli), Ernest Grillo Y Osvaldo Crocewho represented the Argentina national team in the historic victory against England in 1953 and in the South American one in 1955. He was a coach, president of Mutual de Jugadores and dedicated himself in recent decades Women’s soccer in the club Club Atlético y Social Los Andes, by Munrowhich he also owned.

He recounted his beginnings in football a few months ago, in a note with clarion. “Juan José Maril, who was Independiente’s right wing, moved nearby. He had previously played for Ferro. He put together a team in the neighborhood and was looking for guys. I played in my little team here – he points to the corner of Malaver and Agüero- and someone advised me, I started playing in his team, then he took me to try out for Independiente and I stayed”.

He wasn’t a champion with Independiente, but he was the protagonist of two historic moments in Argentine football. On May 14, 1953, on the River field and in the presence of President Juan Domingo Perón, Argentina defeated England 3-1, with goals from Ernesto Grillo and one of his own. By the power of that victory, from 1954 to 2020every May 14th Footballer’s Day was celebrated in Argentina. The attacking quintet was made up of the full Independiente striker.

The other, in 1955. Argentina returns to international competitions after eight years of absence. And he was the South American champion held in Chile. Fito Miceli was the top scorer of the tournament, with 8 goals. “I scored four goals against Paraguay, who were champions in the previous edition. They weren’t bad, we won 5-3, right there.” clarion He posed with the shirt, a relic: “It’s priceless,” he remarked.

After his professional retirement at Platense, he continued to play for many clubs in the Interior, most notably 9 de Julio. Already in retirement, you also dedicated yourself to technical management (Juventud Unida and Colegiales), a task you are proud of because you were one of the pioneers of women’s football. “Here, in Los Andes, more than 30 years ago we started with the small school. Gradually we started having many girls. In this club they learned to play Mariana Larroquete Y Camila Gomez Ares when they were very young. Then they made it to the national team,” she recalled.

In the last two years of his life he had a big goal: review the decision to change the Footballer’s Day. In 2020, following an agreement between the Association Footballers and the AFA, the date has been changed to June 22ndthe day Diego Maradona scored both goals against England, in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico. “I will not give up my request. I am 92 years old and I will continue to fight”, he said last April, with an energy that had been losing for the last month and, little by little, was extinguished. Argentine football mourns him.