UGO SANCHEZ

(Born in 1958)

Played in the Mexican clubs "UNAM", "America," Atlanta "," Atletico de Zelaya, the Spanish club Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Madrid, clubs U. S. São sokkerz Diego and Dallas Bern, Austrian club Linz. In the years 1977-1994 had 40 games for the national team of Mexico.

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Hugo Sanchez named the best player in North and Central America XX century. But the highest of his successes he has achieved in Europe. In the late 1980′s admirers "Royal Club" claimed that "Real" and Hugo Sanchez just made for each other. However, this happy union was formed, when the Mexican striker was already twenty-seven years and he had a lot of play in other clubs, including those in Spain itself.

Hugo was born in a sports family - his mother was fond of volleyball, and her father was a professional footballer. Players were and all three sons - senior midfielder was "UNAM", and the average goalkeeper of the same club and the Mexican Olympic team in 1972. In the early 1970′s in the youth school "UNAM" came and younger brother Hugo.

Already in 1974 he played in left field attacks junior team of Mexico, at that time very strong. Its players, including Sanchez, in 1976 formed the basis for Mexico′s Olympic team at the XXI Games in Montreal. In the first game against France Hugo scored a goal, and yet the French players were more experienced and older, eventually winning 4:1. Mexico squad did not even make the quarterfinals, but Sanchez remembered his great game. In the same year, eighteen Hugo turned professional, signing a contract with the club "UNAM", and began playing in the main team. For the first time he went out on the field Nov. 7, 1976.

Hugo graced with a stunning technique, with the ball, he turned with the skill of a magician, and the shots sometimes inflicted unimaginable acrobatic jumps. By the way, scoring the next goal, he must, to the delight of the audience, doing somersaults. Short stature in the fight for the ball, he jumped out above most tall defenders.

Photo — «Ugo Sanchez»

Moreover, the audience impressed by his amazing football emancipation - at once felt that the football for him is not hard work, as for other professionals, and the game for your pleasure. So it was really because their main hope for the future of Hugo is not connected then with football, but with a lucrative profession . . . dentist and a game combined with studies in dental school.

Nevertheless, perhaps it is an easy attitude to the game allowed him to skip the magnificent and, most importantly, be very fruitful soccer. In the season 1978-1979, the Hugo shared the best strikers in the dispute, Mexico 1-2 places with his mate Cab. And before that he managed to become the champion of Mexico, and made his debut in the national team and even participate in the World Championship in 1978, held in Argentina.

However, the result was just the failed for Mexicans. Mexico squad showed archaic, heavy football and suffered in the group tournament, three defeats, and the team lost to West Germany with a score of 0:6. Overall, Mexicans missed three games 12 goals, having managed to score only 2. However, Hugo Sanchez, as well as at the Olympics in 1976, once again attracted the attention of football experts.

In Mexico, as its popularity has grown from season to season. Hugo Sanchez is well recognized also in the neighboring United States. The fact is that two summers in a row, in 1979 and 1980, when the Mexican championship advanced holiday, with the permission of his club UNAM, he went to play in the American Club of San Diego sokkerz. For practical Sanchez is meant not only the possibility of keeping themselves in great shape, but also earn extra and a lot of money, as the Mexican clubs in those days did not differ generosity. But their high fees in America, Mexican footballer in good faith and honor are studied. In total he spent in San Diego "32 match, which scored 26 goals.

In 1981, the fate of Hugo Sanchez′s been a lot of changes. First, he was finally certified dentist. Secondly, he moved from Mexico to Spain - the club Atletico Madrid. Finally, he again became the champion of the country. During the years of performances in the UNAM, he achieved an outstanding result, scoring 98 goals.

Photo — «Ugo Sanchez»

That′s what determined the choice of the President of Atletico Madrid, who bought Sanchez, despite the fact that the coaches of the Madrid club refers to the ability Mexicans rather skeptical.

Also questioned, and sports journalists of Spain, and the fans Atletico Madrid. Championship Mexico considers frankly weak performance team of Mexico, too, is not impressive. As if by itself imply that in this country, unlike in Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay, in principle, not the appearance of world-class footballer. However, to everyone′s surprise, in the first season for Atletico Madrid Mexican quite easily fit into the main team.

True, the goals he has not score immediately, but then his achievements went on increasing. In the end he became a favorite of fans of Atletico Madrid, because almost every one of them killed balls was very handsome. He beat on the gates of the most incredible provisions, often in spectacular throws or jumps. In 1985, Hugo Sanchez was the top scorer in Spain. All in all, speaking for Atletico Madrid, in 111 matches he scored a 54 ball.

And the same occurred in 1985, finally, the meeting "set up for each other" Real Madrid and the Mexican football player. "Royal Club", bought by Sanchez, which made a big bet on the attack than Atletico Madrid, and here, interacting with shiny partners Michel, Butragueno, Valdano, Mexican achieved fantastic results.

During the first five seasons at Real Madrid Sanchez scored in the championships of Spain, 150 scored an average of 30 goals per season. No wonder that in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990, he became the leading scorer in Spain. Only in 1989, Sanchez won in a contest of snipers in second place. But in the next, in 1990, scoring 38 goals, shared with the Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkovym PFC CSKA Sofia from the Golden Boot top scorer in Europe. Total, during the years of speeches in Real Madrid Hugo Sanchez recorded at his own expense 164 balls, and more than ten years, this achievement has remained a club record. Only relatively recently it surpassed Raul.

With a composition of such incomparable scorer, in the period 1986-1990 "Real" five times in succession, became the champion Spain won the UEFA Cup three times and one Cup.

Photo — «Ugo Sanchez»

In 1986, the Royal Club and won the UEFA Cup, having won two matches on the results of German "Cologne". The Madrid match was scored a victory with a score of 5:1, one of the goals scored Sanchez.

What is surprising, well-known speech in the European club team in Mexico, Sanchez has never had much success. Perhaps not find the same understanding with partners, as it was in Real Madrid. In 1986, the World Cup held in Mexico, and the whole country expect from their stars feats, but Sanchez did not show anything remarkable. In five matches has scored only one goal, but failed to implement a penalty. Nevertheless, Mexico′s national team won its group in the first place, and then reached the quarterfinals, where the team lost to Germany in a series of penalty shoot-out.

The next world championship team of Mexico has not got, and in 1994, Sánchez was thirty-six years, and he went out only on the replacement. Two years earlier he had played his last game for Real Madrid.

However, his football career lasted several more years. He returned from Spain to his homeland, where he spent the season 1992-1993, in the club "America", and then suddenly reappeared in Spain, spending the season in the Madrid club Rayo Vallecano. After playing in Austria, Linz, where he moved to the United States to 1995-1996 season, the club held in Dallas Bern. In each of these clubs, he is still scoring goals, albeit not in such quantity as before.

The last of the great football club has become Mexico′s Atletico Madrid Zelaya, where he finished the speech shortly before he was thirty-nine. March 18, 1998 held his farewell match, which came to 100 thousand spectators - at the stadium, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico team took team of Paraguay.

Coaching career Hugo Sánchez frankly did not succeed - it is very short coached club UNAM. He failed to find himself in the role of the newscaster, and certainly a matter of course, he never worked as a dentist, but became a certified specialist. Now Sanchez and his family then lived in Madrid, then in Mexico City, just enjoying life.