Sad news 
Captained the 1960's Peñarol side considered one of the greatest of all time and which was largely responsible for Peñarol being named South American Team of the Century by FIFA. He regularly featured in World XIs in his pomp, a deep-lying playmaker and mean defensive shield rolled into one (yes, he would walk into the Carrick role!).
After 15 years of service as a player he retired and spent the next 45 years in various roles (youth coach, coach, Reserves Manager, go-to caretaker whenever needed...).
An absolute legend of a one club man. For those who go "Tito who?" something I wrote previously during a draft:
Néstor Tito Gonçalves (Peñarol 1957-71)
In 1957, the club went into an economy drive, but it was clear that penny-pinching wasn’t going to also fix the problem of Nacional winning the last three league titles while the team transitioned. It was unacceptable. This prompted an initiative that would be the start of an ongoing advantage for Peñarol.
Uruguay has always been very Montevideo-centric since half the population live there. In fact, it is only in the last 20 years that teams outside the capital have participated in the Uruguayan League. But half the population doesn’t live there, and the brightest talents weren’t exactly urban types, so they created a formal (not fan-tip based) scout network to identify the best and brightest prospects from towns in the countryside.
This same approach would later be expanded when Real destroyed us (albeit, and crucially, with Tito injured) in the first Intercontinental Final. Their glamour, the way they had collected the best players imaginable, their entire setup… The Board decided the Argies and Brazilians would stay home, but the best of the rest of South America could be lured to come to Peñarol, as Uruguay was comparatively one of the wealthiest and so far the most successful football nation in the continent. And thus came the best players from Ecuador, Perú, Paraguay, Chile… That Peñarol side didn’t just boast the best of Uruguay, two best evers in their roles (nationally), but also the best player Ecuador and Chile ever had. Peñarol's 60s side boiled down to this: it was the "Rest of South America Select XI", playing together for a decade.
Legend has it that Obdulio Varela had left the club at the end of the 1956 season and hadn’t set foot in Las Acacias until he heard about this kid. He visited the club, spent a few hours with him and left for good never to return again safe in the knowledge that his legacy would be in good hands. His name was Néstor “Tito” Gonçalves, and by 1958 he was a nailed on starter. A one-club man, Gonçálves was a tough as nails defensive midfielder with an exceptional passing range, exactly what a deep-sitting counter-attacking side needed. With him from centre-to-left and Abbadie on the right, there was always a nearby outlet.
His arrival was a big contributing factor in kickstarting Peñarol’s most glorious and decorated period. Considered one of the 15 greatest teams of all time, his Peñarol went toe-to-toe regularly with Santos, Real Madrid and Benfica and delivered 9 league titles between 1958 and 1968, three Copa Libertadores wins, two Intercontinental Cup wins and the Intercontinental Cup Winners Supercup. It's on the back of this decade that when the IFFHS tallied up the scores Peñarol came first and was recognised as the Most Successful South American Club of the Century ("Champion of the Century").
His performance in the 1966 final decider is the stuff of legend. I'll have to write about that later but, with Peñarol 2-0 down halfway through the second half, it was his rearguard action (and assist to boot) that kickstarted an epic comeback. To this day an unlikely comeback turned into an onslaught and beating up of the rival is referred to as "ganar a lo Peñarol" (winning the Peñarol way). And to this day River Plate are referred to as "las gallinas" (chicken) for the manner of that defeat. River had everything: youth, a striker having a freak season (still the top scorer in a single Libertadores with 17), they were 2-0 up... What they lacked was the character to put up with the furious thrusts of a battle-hardened side leveraging their class, experience and sheer will to win. Spencer-Abbadie-Spencer-Rocha, 4-2. Is it any wonder what caught my imagination about United?
After retiring he stayed at the club as a coach, and has been heading Youth Development for almost fourty years now. He even managed to get his sperm to produce a CM who would be instrumental for Peñarol’s fifth Libertadores win in 1987*.
Legend.
Speaking at the team hotel after beating Real in Madrid. Peñarol won 4-0 on aggregate. Hours earlier in the dressing room he commented: "I don't know about you, but that was way too easy", and they all agreed: the game against River had been the highlight of their careers.
*The venue for that game was once again Santiago de Chile, and a Peñarol side featuring Gonçalves Jr. and Matosas Jr. beat three-times consecutive finalists América de Cali, 1-0, scoring in the 119:42 min, when a draw after ET would have handed it to the Colombians.
Captained the 1960's Peñarol side considered one of the greatest of all time and which was largely responsible for Peñarol being named South American Team of the Century by FIFA. He regularly featured in World XIs in his pomp, a deep-lying playmaker and mean defensive shield rolled into one (yes, he would walk into the Carrick role!).
After 15 years of service as a player he retired and spent the next 45 years in various roles (youth coach, coach, Reserves Manager, go-to caretaker whenever needed...).
An absolute legend of a one club man. For those who go "Tito who?" something I wrote previously during a draft:
Néstor Tito Gonçalves (Peñarol 1957-71)
In 1957, the club went into an economy drive, but it was clear that penny-pinching wasn’t going to also fix the problem of Nacional winning the last three league titles while the team transitioned. It was unacceptable. This prompted an initiative that would be the start of an ongoing advantage for Peñarol.
Uruguay has always been very Montevideo-centric since half the population live there. In fact, it is only in the last 20 years that teams outside the capital have participated in the Uruguayan League. But half the population doesn’t live there, and the brightest talents weren’t exactly urban types, so they created a formal (not fan-tip based) scout network to identify the best and brightest prospects from towns in the countryside.
This same approach would later be expanded when Real destroyed us (albeit, and crucially, with Tito injured) in the first Intercontinental Final. Their glamour, the way they had collected the best players imaginable, their entire setup… The Board decided the Argies and Brazilians would stay home, but the best of the rest of South America could be lured to come to Peñarol, as Uruguay was comparatively one of the wealthiest and so far the most successful football nation in the continent. And thus came the best players from Ecuador, Perú, Paraguay, Chile… That Peñarol side didn’t just boast the best of Uruguay, two best evers in their roles (nationally), but also the best player Ecuador and Chile ever had. Peñarol's 60s side boiled down to this: it was the "Rest of South America Select XI", playing together for a decade.
Anyhow, I digress, but in that trial run in early 1957, seven players were brought in and two of them would rightfully become club legends. They all went straight into the reserves for a bedding in period - with Cubilla famously complaining about it (“I didn’t leave my town to play for the Reserves”). The one that rose quicker went about things differently, working hard, always looking to learn from his seniors, and within six months everyone could tell that the massive gap left in midfield by Varela’s retirement was destined for him. The timing couldn’t be better, as captain Martínez was bound to have only 3-4 seasons left in him.Jacques Ferrand said:
Legend has it that Obdulio Varela had left the club at the end of the 1956 season and hadn’t set foot in Las Acacias until he heard about this kid. He visited the club, spent a few hours with him and left for good never to return again safe in the knowledge that his legacy would be in good hands. His name was Néstor “Tito” Gonçalves, and by 1958 he was a nailed on starter. A one-club man, Gonçálves was a tough as nails defensive midfielder with an exceptional passing range, exactly what a deep-sitting counter-attacking side needed. With him from centre-to-left and Abbadie on the right, there was always a nearby outlet.
His arrival was a big contributing factor in kickstarting Peñarol’s most glorious and decorated period. Considered one of the 15 greatest teams of all time, his Peñarol went toe-to-toe regularly with Santos, Real Madrid and Benfica and delivered 9 league titles between 1958 and 1968, three Copa Libertadores wins, two Intercontinental Cup wins and the Intercontinental Cup Winners Supercup. It's on the back of this decade that when the IFFHS tallied up the scores Peñarol came first and was recognised as the Most Successful South American Club of the Century ("Champion of the Century").
His performance in the 1966 final decider is the stuff of legend. I'll have to write about that later but, with Peñarol 2-0 down halfway through the second half, it was his rearguard action (and assist to boot) that kickstarted an epic comeback. To this day an unlikely comeback turned into an onslaught and beating up of the rival is referred to as "ganar a lo Peñarol" (winning the Peñarol way). And to this day River Plate are referred to as "las gallinas" (chicken) for the manner of that defeat. River had everything: youth, a striker having a freak season (still the top scorer in a single Libertadores with 17), they were 2-0 up... What they lacked was the character to put up with the furious thrusts of a battle-hardened side leveraging their class, experience and sheer will to win. Spencer-Abbadie-Spencer-Rocha, 4-2. Is it any wonder what caught my imagination about United?
After retiring he stayed at the club as a coach, and has been heading Youth Development for almost fourty years now. He even managed to get his sperm to produce a CM who would be instrumental for Peñarol’s fifth Libertadores win in 1987*.
Legend.
Speaking at the team hotel after beating Real in Madrid. Peñarol won 4-0 on aggregate. Hours earlier in the dressing room he commented: "I don't know about you, but that was way too easy", and they all agreed: the game against River had been the highlight of their careers.
*The venue for that game was once again Santiago de Chile, and a Peñarol side featuring Gonçalves Jr. and Matosas Jr. beat three-times consecutive finalists América de Cali, 1-0, scoring in the 119:42 min, when a draw after ET would have handed it to the Colombians.
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