MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine goalkeeping legend Hugo Gatti dies aged 80

Gatti shone between the early 1960s and the late 1980s with his controversial goalkeeping

Argentine President Javier Milei Sunday joined hundreds of thousands of Argentine football fans who mourned the death of “El Loco” (The Madman) Hugo Orlando Gatti, a legendary goalkeeper who wore the jerseys of both major clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors as well as the national team, collecting 18 caps.

Aged 80, Gatti had been hospitalized for two months in intensive care following a hip operation complicated by a viral infection.

Known for his unique style, he made football headlines from the early 1960s until the late 1980s, playing 765 First Division matches, saving 26 penalties. He won multiple titles with Boca, including two Libertadores Cups and the 1977 Intercontinental Cup.

Milei, who used to be a goalkeeper in his younger years, referred to Gatti as his “colleague” despite past critiques of his style, favoring Ubaldo Fillol, who was eventually chosen for the 1978 World Cup.

Gatti was forced into retirement at the age of 47 by his 1966 World Cup national teammate José Omar Pastoriza -then Boca Juniors coach- after a faux sortie cost his team a goal against poorly ranked Deportivo Armenio.

He starred in TV commercials and called the surging Diego Maradona in 1980 “a gordito” (the chubby one). On Nov. 9, 1980, Maradona scored 4 times against Gatti, including two free kicks, and one penalty as Argentinos Juniors beat Boca Juniors 5-3. The following year, Maradona joined Boca, and Gatti and Maradona were teammates, winning the Metropolitan Championship.

Gatti's club career also included Atlanta, Unión de Santa Fe, and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.