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Former Portugal Footballer And Coach Jose Torres Dies Aged 71
Portugal great Jose Torres has passed away.
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Sep 4, 2010 11:25:00 AM
By Robin Bairner
DN has reported on Saturday morning that former Portugal player and coach Jose Torres died on Friday aged 71.
Nicknamed the ‘Bom Gigante’ – the ‘Good Giant’ – Torres had been a central figure to Portugal’s football history in the 1960s but suffered in his latter days from the advance of Alzheimer’s disease.
As a centre forward he will be most fondly remembered for his years with Benfica, for whom he enjoyed a prodigious goal scoring record for. Though he didn’t participate in either the European Cup finals of 1961 or 1962, which were both won by the Eagles, he did feature in the three subsequent final losses later in the decade having finally established himself as a first team force.
Success was not simply confined to the club scene, as he turned out for the Seleccao on 33 occasions, scoring 14 goals and helping the national side to their best ever finish at a World Cup as they claimed bronze in England in 1966.
Twenty years later, Torres would return to the World Cup, this time as Portugal’s coach, though he was unable to command the same success off the field as he had on it.
“I experienced the best moments of my career with him,” Jose Augusto is quoted as having said. “Torres was an exceptional team-mate. He was a great friend, wise and humble.”
Nicknamed the ‘Bom Gigante’ – the ‘Good Giant’ – Torres had been a central figure to Portugal’s football history in the 1960s but suffered in his latter days from the advance of Alzheimer’s disease.
As a centre forward he will be most fondly remembered for his years with Benfica, for whom he enjoyed a prodigious goal scoring record for. Though he didn’t participate in either the European Cup finals of 1961 or 1962, which were both won by the Eagles, he did feature in the three subsequent final losses later in the decade having finally established himself as a first team force.
Success was not simply confined to the club scene, as he turned out for the Seleccao on 33 occasions, scoring 14 goals and helping the national side to their best ever finish at a World Cup as they claimed bronze in England in 1966.
Twenty years later, Torres would return to the World Cup, this time as Portugal’s coach, though he was unable to command the same success off the field as he had on it.
“I experienced the best moments of my career with him,” Jose Augusto is quoted as having said. “Torres was an exceptional team-mate. He was a great friend, wise and humble.”
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