Inter Milan and Barcelona legend Luisito Suarez – who won three Serie A titles and two European Cups – dies aged 88 as the Serie A outfit pay tribute to ‘the perfect player’
- Inter Milan and Barcelona legend Luisito Suarez has died at the age of 88
- He was one of only two Spanish players to win the Ballon d’Or for his efforts
- Follow MailSport on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@mailsport
Inter Milan and Barcelona legend Luisito Suarez has died at the age of 88, as confirmed by the Serie A club.
During his spell in the Italian capital between 1961 and 1970, he made over 250 appearances for Inter Milan, helping them to win three Serie A titles and two European Cups.
He was part of the Spanish team that won the European Championship in 1964, and alongside Alfredo Di Stefano is one of only two Spaniards to have won the Ballon d’Or, after being awarded the main prize in 1960.
According to Repubblica, he died ‘peacefully’ surrounded by his loved ones after being ill for several months.
On Twitter, Inter Milan wrote: ‘The perfect player who, through his talent, inspired generations. Ciao, Luisito.’
Luisito Suarez, a Spanish-born player who became a legend at Inter Milan, has died aged 88
Inter Milan paid tribute to ‘the perfect player’ who helped them win two European Cups
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Sampdoria, where Suarez finished his playing career, also played tribute to the star on Twitter, writing ‘Ciao Luisito.’
As a club player, he made a name for himself at Barcelona, joining the side in 1955, and helping them to back-to-back LaLiga titles in 1958-59 and 1959-60.
He earned the nickname ‘The Architect’ due to his spatial awareness and fine-line passing.
In 1960, he won the Ballon d’Or, beating Ferenc Puskas into second place and Uwe Seeler into third. In addition to winning it, he was second in 1961, second again in 1964 and third in 1965, to cap a decade of dominance in the beautiful game.
In 1961, he made a huge transfer to Inter Milan, where he would ply his trade until 1970. In those nine years, he won three Serie A titles with the club, as well as consecutive European Cups in 1964 and 1965.
In 1970, he moved to Sampdoria, where he played for three seasons before retiring as a player.
Sampdoria, where Suarez finished his playing career, also paid their tributes to the player
As a Spanish international, he was part of the squad that won the 1964 European Championship, as well as representing the country at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966. He played his last international in 1972.
He moved into management, leading Inter Milan on three different occasions. He was also Spain under-21 manager for eight years, before taking over the senior side in 1989.
He was the boss of the national side during the 1990 World Cup, where Spain were eliminated in the second round.
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