Bust Unveiled To Spanish Football Legend Luis Aragonés

Luis Aragonés, one of Madrid’s most successful figures in LaLiga history has been honoured with a bust in the Hortaleza district where he was born.

The bust was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Madrid’s Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, today 1st February, along with other civil and footballing dignitaries as well as members of his family.

The Mayor, described Aragonés, who died in 2013, as “one of those people who crossed our borders and who was loved, admired and respected regardless of the football affiliation of those who valued him and even beyond football”.

In paying tribute the Mayor said that said that he was known as the “wise man of Hortaleza” because “we are a city that is born and grows from its neighbourhoods and that Madrid recognizes its people.”

Luis Aragonés is closely associated with Atlético Madrid where he both played from 1964-1974 and managed

As a player the club were Liga champions four times as well as reaching the 1974 European Cup Final.

In the decade that he played he made 265 Primera Liga games appearances for Atlético and scored 123 goals and where he was known as  “Zapatones”, meaning “big boots”, for his success in scoring from free kicks.

To date, Aragonés remains Atlético’s all-time top goal scorer.

On his retirement in 1964 he was appointed Atlético coach for the first time in the same year.

He managed the club at various times in the following 39 years and by the time he had left the club for the final time in 2003 he had managed to win them eight trophies.

He went on to manage the Spanish national team and led them to their second European Championship title in 2008 in Madrid  beating Germany 1–0 in the final with a goal from Fernando Torres giving Spain their first international trophy  since 1964.

He died in Madrid aged 75 five years later.

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