Joaquín Peiró

Joaquín Peiró Lucas (29 January 1936 – 18 March 2020) was a Spanish football player and manager.

An attacking midfielder, he excelled at Atlético Madrid where he would start and end his professional career, amassing La Liga totals of 166 games and 95 goals over eight seasons. He then moved to Italy where he would remain for nearly one decade, in representation of three teams.

Peiró represented the Spain national team in two World Cups. Starting in 1978 and for almost 30 years, he worked as a coach before retiring.

Club career Born in Madrid, Peiró made his senior debut with Real Murcia CF on loan from hometown's Atlético Madrid, playing 16 complete La Liga matches with the latter side in the 1955–66 season to help them finish in fifth position, and subsequently becoming first-choice. He was an essential attacking unit as the club won the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup, scoring in both matches of the final against ACF Fiorentina (1–1 in the first game, 3–0 in the replay).

In 1962, after 127 official goals for Atlético – he still started the 1962–63 campaign, netting six times in only three games – Peiró moved to Italy and joined Torino FC, becoming the second Spaniard to play in Serie A after Luis Suárez, whom he later teamed up with at Inter Milan, being part of the Grande Inter side that won the 1965 European Cup under manager Helenio Herrera; in the semi-finals against Liverpool, he scored once in a 3–0 home win after a 3–1 loss at Anfield.

Peiró's longest spell in Italy would be spent with AS Roma where he won one Coppa Italia, eventually also being named team captain.

International career Peiró earned 12 caps for Spain over ten years, netting five times. He participated in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, scoring the only goal in the match against Mexico, and in the 1966 World Cup in England; both tournaments ended in group-stage elimination.

On 3 June 1956, aged 20, Peiró made his international debut, scoring in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Portugal in Lisbon. He resumed his career in division two, interspersed with periods of inactivity.

Peiró last coached in 2003, being fired midway through the 2003–04 season from Murcia who were relegated from the top tier as last.

Death After years struggling with health problems, Peiró died in Madrid at the age of 84.

Career statistics + # Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 3 June 1956 Jamor, Lisbon, Portugal 2–1 3–1 Friendly 2. 15 May 1960 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain 1–0 3–0 Friendly 3. 17 July 1960 Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile 0–4 1–4 Friendly 4. 18 May 1961 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain 1–0 1–1 1962 World Cup qualification 5. 3 June 1962 Sausalito, Viña del Mar, Chile 1–0 1–0 1962 FIFA World Cup

Honours Player Murcia Segunda División: 1954–55

Atlético Madrid Copa del Generalísimo: 1959–60, 1960–61 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1961–62

Inter Serie A: 1964–65, 1965–66 European Cup: 1964–65 Intercontinental Cup: 1964, 1965

Roma Coppa Italia: 1968–69

Manager Málaga Segunda División: 1998–99 UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002