Leonel Sánchez

Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros (born 25 April 1936 in Santiago de Chile) is a retired Chilean professional footballer who played as a striker on the left wing.

Leonel Sánchez
Sánchez in 1959
Personal information
Full name Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros
Date of birth (1936-04-25) 25 April 1936
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Left Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1953–1969 Universidad de Chile 413 (167)
1969–1970 Colo-Colo 31 (2)
1971–1972 Palestino 15 (10)
1972–1973 Ferroviarios 11 (7)
Total 469 (186)
National team
1955–1968 Chile 85 (24)
Teams managed
1985–1986 Universidad de Chile
1987 Universidad de Chile
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
40 years after the Ballet Azul, Universidad de Chile supporters still idolize him

Leonel Sánchez is considered one of the best Chilean footballers in history, and the best left pointer of all time in his country. He is also recognized as one of the Best South American Footballers of the 20th Century and one of the great forwards in the history of the FIFA World Cup.[1] Was goalscorer of the 1962 FIFA World Cup where Chile achieved a historic third place in the largest global event for national teams, was part of the ideal eleven of the World Cup and was awarded the Golden Boot and the Bronze Ball from FIFA.[2] He was also included in the top 100 players of the history of the World Cups by FIFA.[3] At the continental level he was part of the ideal eleven of the América Cup 1956, where together with the Chile national football team he won a runner-up.[4] In addition Conmebol included him among the best specialists of free throws in history in South America.[5]

Considered one of the best Chilean players in history —especially in the position of forward, which he held throughout his career— and one of the club's greatest idols Universidad de Chile, where he was one of the leaders of the Blue Ballet era (1959-1969), is remembered for having been the leader of the Chilean team that He was third in the 1962 FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which he was also one of the top scorers. In La Roja, Leonel Sánchez is the seventh all-time top scorer with a total of 24 goals and 13 assists.[6][7]

His performances both at the Universidad of Chile and in the national team made him position himself and be chosen by the IFFHS as the 40th Best South American Footballers of the 20th Century, surpassing several international references such as his compatriot Iván Zamorano, the Brazilians Domingos da Guia and Ademir Marques de Menezes, the Uruguayan José Pedro Cea and the Argentine Raimundo Orsi.

Career

Leonel Sanchez was the son of a professional boxer.[8]

Sanchez studied at República Argentina, a prestigious public primary school of Santiago; and at Manuel Barros Borgoño, a traditional public secondary school of the capital.

He played at left midfield for over 20 years between 1953 and 1973. 17 of those 20 were for Universidad de Chile, where he was the icon of the Ballet Azul (Blue Ballet), a team that won 6 national championships between 1959 and 1969.

Four of his 24 international goals were at the 1962 World Cup on home soil, where he was the top scorer along with five other players as Chile finished the tournament in third place. In that World Cup he is also remembered for his disputes with several Italian players in the infamous Chile – Italy match in the first round: he knocked out the Italian player Mario David with a punch in an altercation after being fouled, and was subsequently kicked in head by David a few minutes later, resulting in the Italian defender's sending off. Sánchez later also broke Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook; Chile won the match 2–0.[9] Because of his role in the match, later dubbed the "Battle of Santiago", in 2007, The Times placed Sánchez at number 6 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[10]

Sánchez remained in Universidad de Chile, although he received numerous offers from well known European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and A.C. Milan. In 1969, after a contract rule was settled, Universidad de Chile was forced to sell him. He finished his career playing for different Chilean clubs such as Colo-Colo, Palestino and Ferroviarios.[11]

Career statistics

Club
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1953Universidad de ChilePrimera División41----41
195453----53
19553314----3314
19562210----2210
19572114----2114
195825921--2710
1959262264--3226
19602310--202510
196124620--266
19623219----3219
19632711--303011
1964245----245
19653015--403415
1966198--522410
1967346----346
1968276--10286
196910011--111
Total 386159116152412167
1970Colo ColoPrimera División312----312
Total 312----312
Total417161116152443169

International
Chile national team[12]
YearAppsGoals
195520
195692
195770
195800
195993
1960102
196186
196274
196315
196420
1965100
1966120
196751
196831
Total8524

International goals
Sánchez – goals for Chile[13]
#DateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
1.24 January 1956Montevideo, Uruguay Brazil4–11956 South American Championship
2.9 February 1956Montevideo, Uruguay Peru4–31956 South American Championship
3.11 March 1959Buenos Aires, Argentina Paraguay1–21959 South American Championship (Argentina)
4.26 March 1959Buenos Aires, Argentina Bolivia5–21959 South American Championship (Argentina)
5.18 November 1959Santiago, Chile Argentina4–2Friendly match
6.5 June 1960Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay2–2Friendly match
7.5 June 1960Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay2–2Friendly match
8.19 March 1961Santiago, Chile Peru5–2Friendly match
9.19 March 1961Santiago, Chile Peru5–2Friendly match
10.26 March 1961Santiago, Chile West Germany3–1Friendly match
11.26 March 1961Santiago, Chile West Germany3–1Friendly match
12.9 December 1961Santiago, Chile Hungary5–1Friendly match
13.9 December 1961Santiago, Chile Hungary5–1Friendly match
14.30 May 1962Santiago, Chile  Switzerland3–1FIFA World Cup 1962
15.30 May 1962Santiago, Chile  Switzerland3–1FIFA World Cup 1962
16.10 June 1962Arica, Chile Soviet Union2–1FIFA World Cup 1962
17.13 June 1962Santiago, Chile Brazil2–4FIFA World Cup 1962
18.16 May 1965Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay1–1Copa Juan Pinto Durán
19.21 July 1965Santiago, Chile Argentina1–1Copa Carlos Dittborn
20.1 August 1965Santiago, Chile Colombia7–21966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
21.22 August 1965Santiago, Chile Ecuador3–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
22.12 October 1965Lima, Perú Ecuador2–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – Group 2)
23.13 December 1967Santiago, Chile Hungary4–5Friendly match
24.27 August 1968Ciudad de México, México Mexico1-3Friendly match

Participation in the World Cup
World Seat Result Matches Goals
1962 FIFA World Cup Chile Third Place 6 4
1966 FIFA World Cup England 1st Round 3 0

Honours

Club
Universidad de Chile
  • Chilean League: 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969
  • Metropolitan Tournament of Chile: 1968, 1969
  • Copa Francisco Candelori: 1969
Colo-Colo

Individual

References
  1. es.fifa.com, ed. (April 25, 2016). "Leonel Sánchez". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  2. es.fifa.com, ed. (June 29, 2010). "Boot of Adidas Gold - FIFA World Cup". Archived from the original on 2010-06-29. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  3. fifa.com, ed. (April 28, 2019). "100 days, 100 players: Leonel Sánchez". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  4. Estadio Magazine, publication N⁰ 688 of March 2, 1956
  5. msn.com (ed.). "Leon el Sánchez, Miguel Ángel Brindisi, José Dirceu Guimarães and Rivelino, the specialists of free kicks in South America". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  6. "Leonel Sánchez - International Appearances". partidosdelaroja.com. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  7. Chile.as.com, ed. (March 30, 2016). "More goal passes in the history of La Roja". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  8. "Login".
  9. Murray, Scott (6 November 2003). "The Knowledge (November 6, 2003)". Guardian Online (UK). London. Retrieved 26 June 2006.
  10. "Top 50 Hardest Footballers". empireonline.com. The Times. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  11. Line, Sur On. "BDFA Argentina-Futbol Argentino-Clubes-Jugadores-Torneos de Ascenso-Servicios".
  12. "Leonel Sánchez - International Appearances".
  13. "Leonel Sanchez".
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