@Balu clearly broke the thread in terms of accomplishments.
Not much time today but a few that deserve mentioning here:
Ricardo Bochini (Independiente, Argentina)
One-club man, 19 seasons at Independiente winning four league titles, five Libertadores, two Intercontinental and three Interamerican cups. Having more continental titles than league titles was in no small part a result of external factors: for half his career Argentina were under a military dictatorship and their leaders supported River. So much so that after he had the temerity of winning the league title for his club in absurd circumstances (several players getting sent off inexplicably in the deciding game, yet winniing with a sole goal from him) and being the fulcrum of Argentina's side leading up to the 1978 World Cup, the military leaders stepped in and got him removed from the squad.
Néstor Goncalvez (Peñarol, Uruguay)
Another one-club man, Goncálvez was a tough as nails defensive midfielder with an exceptional passing range who captained Peñarol throughout their most glorious and decorated period. Considered one of the 15 greatest teams of all time, 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 won the only ever Intercontinental Cup Winners Supercup. After retiring he stayed at the club as a coach, heading Youth Development for almost fourty years now.
Alberto Spencer (Peñarol, Ecuador)
The centreforward of that same side, one of the most fearsome in the world and, at his peak, spoken of in the same breath as Pelé or Eusebio. Spencer was the top scorer in the first Copa Libertadores and never reliniquished the spot as the top scorer in Copa Libertadores history.
He was Ecuador's greatest player ever and, despite spending most of his career in Uruguay, turned down the chance to play for Uruguay several times, opting to slug it out amid dross in hope for a World Cup spot for his country. That's the sort of decission that erases you from the history books unless you are George Best or Ryan Giggs (and we know full well how much it weighs on their standing).
Luis Cubilla (Peñarol, Nacional and Olimpia, Paraguay)
A stocky, some would say podgy, wide forward full of pace, power and trickery. Luis Cubilla was one of the early stars of that same Peñarol side, got four league titles, two Libertadores, and after the Intercontinental Cup win against Benfica decided to follow the money. He was idolised at River, despite winnign nothing (courtesy of a Libertadores final loss against Peñarol), moved to Barcelona and failed spectacularly. He then returned to Peñarol rivals Nacional and delivered their first Libertadores win as well.
Several players would have similar claims to fame, what they didn't do was go on to have a successful management career, in which he got Olimpia of Paraguay to win the Copa Libertadores not just once (fluke) but twice.
Carlos "Beto" Cazsely (Colo-Colo, Chile)
Cazsely's wasn't as decorated a career. He played for Colo-Colo after all so only has a bunch of Chilean league titles. Yeah, exactly, but his story is still remarkable in a similar way to Bochini's. In these days where players throw tantrums about reporters asking about FIFA instead of headphones, let's take a moment to reminisce about a time when football players were real people with real problems.
He would have most likely been a one-club man, started his career in 1967, won two league titles up until 1973, but when Pinochet's men brought down the Allende government chaos ensued for anyone with socialist links. Cazsely's mother was kidnapped, tortured and beaten to a pulp. He tried to play those memories out of his mind in Spain betwween 1973 and 1978, but couldn't. So he returned to Colo-Colo, triumphantly and in barnstorming fashion. It must be noted Colo-Colo's flag sports an Indian, it's the working class' club, as opposed to all others named after Universities. Being the star man for the working class' club during a military dictatorship takes some character.
In 1979 he was the Copa América Best Player and in 1979, 80 and 81 the top scorer in the Chilean league... and throughout this he used his reputation and support among the people to defy the government, calling for them to vote against Pinochet in 1980 and eventually contributing to his downfall when he appeared along with his mother in a TV campaign telling her story. The entire spot is a woman telling yet another story of torture... then the camera zooms out to show Cazsely alongside her and saying "This is the story of my mother, and this is why I vote against the regime".
OK, maybe a bit off topic, but I was thinking about him and CR7s headphones and couldn't help myself.
you're not going to bait me into another Cristiano v Messi argument. At no time during Luiz' club career was he ever as good as Cristiano's last 5 seasons
