The former Barcelona player who is fondly called ‘Luisito’, according to Daily Post, died early morning of Sunday, July 9, 2023.
The former Inter Milan midfielder is regarded as one of the greatest Spanish footballers of all-time ans also, the only Spanish male Ballon d’Or winner.
Morning their former tar and manager, Inter Milan in a statement released via the club website on Sunday morning read: “Saying goodbye to Luisito leaves us with a deep melancholy: the nostalgia of his perfect and inimitable football, which in fact inspired generations, joins the memory of a unique footballer and a great, great Inter player.”
FC Barcelona also mourned the legend in a tweet saying, “Football legend. Barça legend. 253 games 141 goals 2x La Liga (1958/59, 1959/60) 2x Copa de España (1956/57, 1958/59) 2x Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1957/58, 1959/60) 1x Ballon d’Or (1960). We will really miss you. Rest in peace, Luis Suárez Miramontes.”
He remained the only Spanish player to have won the Ballon d’Or, beating the likes of Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano to the award in 1960.
A wide forward who eventually converted to becoming a deep-lying playmaker, Suarez spent six years at Barcelona between 1955 and 1961, winning two LaLiga titles.
He then joined the legendary Inter side of the 1960s – known as La Grande Inter – where he won back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965.
Suarez would also go on to win the European Championships with Spain in 1964.
In his post-playing career, Suarez managed Inter on three separate occasions, as well as Cagliari, SPAL and Como.
He went to play for Inter Milan, where he also has legendary status before he joined FC Barcelona from Deportivo La Coruna, his debut for the club coming on May 2, 1954, his 19th birthday.
Suarez was a let-sided central midfielder with the full package of football, skills, including superb technique, expert ball manipulation, an outstanding reading of the game, and a fantastic shot.
However, he mainly stood out for the elegant way he played the game. Barca’s coach of the time, Helenio Herrera ((1958-60), owes a significant part of his achievements to the exploits of the Galician midfielder, he nicknamed “The Architect.”