Hugo Cholo Sotil has died at the age of 75. The man who was a Barça striker in the 70s, along with Johan Cruyff, has died after suffering significant health problems in recent days that forced him to be hospitalized in the ICU at a hospital in Lima. Sotil’s death comes after his last visit to Barcelona, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Barcelona entity. He left a great mark with his goals and his determination, especially in the 1973-1974 season, in that indelible League in which Barça became champion at El Molinón. His phrase from that day is still remembered: “Mommy, championships.” A phrase that went down in history among the great phrases of Barcelona fans.
Born in Ica, where he was born on May 18, 1949, Sotil was a footballer who shone alongside Cruyff, Rexach, Asensi, Marcial and Juan Carlos. In the famous 0-5 for Barça at the Bernabéu on February 17, 1974, Sotil closed the score. That was his great season. Then with the arrival of Johan Neeskens he had to not play for a while because only two foreigners were allowed. The last moments of his career no longer had the same luster. After Barça he went through Independiente de Medellín, Espartanos and Deportivo Junín. He retired in 1986. He played two World Cups with Peru, in 1970 and 1978. He scored 18 goals in 62 international matches.
In Cruyff Sotil’s first season at Barça he adapted perfectly
A street player, with a happy and worldly character, he joined Rinus Michels and Cruyff’s Barça. He was the scoundrel of the team, the one who represented the most backyard football. The bureaucratic problems after his first season at Barça made him fall into melancholy and when he returned to the playing fields he was no longer the same.
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