In 2024, the world of sports said goodbye to several legends who left their mark on their respective disciplines and on sports lovers in general, who in many cases were able to enjoy their achievements and were saddened by their departure from the earthly plane.
In football, bench legends like the Swede Sven Goran Erikssonthe Argentine César Luis Menotti, the Brazilian Mario ‘Lobo’ Zagallo and the German Franz Beckenbauer, in basketball, basketball stars such as Jerry West and Dikembe Mutombo, among others, said goodbye in 2024.
Below we leave you a count of some of the legends of the sports world who died in this year that is about to end:
Sven Goran Eriksson, myth of England’s “Golden Generation”
At the age of 76, and due to pancreatic cancer, the Swede Sven-Göran Erikson died on August 26, an icon of British football who led the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of England between 2001 and 2006. He also had a He spent time on the bench of the Mexican National Team between 2008 and 2009.
Under its umbrella, stars of the stature of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry excited an English fan who had no titles since the 1966 World Cup, the only one they have been able to win so far.
Sven Goran Eriksson, a couple of years after his retirement as a footballer in 1975, began his career on the bench. Before taking over as England coach, he coached Göteborg, Benfica, Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio. He retired in 2018 after coaching the Philippines.
César Luis Menotti, architect of Argentina’s first World Cup
At the age of 85, one of the most influential coaches in Argentine and world football said goodbye forever. A footballer before he was a coach (1960-1970), he forged a legend through the benches, from which he promoted a football philosophy, ‘Menottism’, in which aesthetics took precedence.
In 1974 he took charge of Argentina, a country that had previously always enjoyed expectations in the World Cups although it never achieved good results. He won the 1978 World Cup, played in his country and without Diego Maradona, whose absence from the final squad generated controversy.
He led the Albiceleste to a 3-1 victory in the final against the Netherlands and became a legend. Then he won the 1979 Youth World Cup, this time, with Maradona; and his adventure with Argentina ended in the 1982 World Cup, where he did not advance beyond the second phase. He would continue his club career until retiring in 2007.
Mario ‘Lobo’ Zagallo, the man of the four World Cups
He died on January 6 at the age of 92, becoming one of the great legends of world football after adding four world champion titles to his record: two as a player (1958 and 1962), one as a coach (1970) and another as an assistant. coach of Carlos Alberto Parreira (1994).
Zagallo was the first man to win a World Cup as a player and then as a coach. Franz Beckenbauer (with Germany in 1970 and 1990) and Didier Deschamps (with France in 1998 and 2018) later achieved the same feat, but the Brazilian was the pioneer.
As a player, he played for Flamengo and Botafogo and had the honor of experiencing Pelé’s emergence on the field with Brazil in Sweden 1958 and from the bench his farewell in Mexico 1970. He was able to win a fifth World Cup, in France 1998, also as DT, but the Gauls crossed his path.
Franz Beckenbauer, legend of German and world football
In classic football, there are four names that appear on the altars of every good fan: Alfredo di Stéfano, Pelé, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer. There are none left, because Beckenbauer, nicknamed ‘The Kaiser’ and legend of German and world football, died forever at the age of 78 on January 7.
He spent a large part of his career at Bayern Munich, a club with which he won three European Cups (1974-1976), a Cup Winners’ Cup (1967), four Bundesligas and four German Cups, among many other titles. Under the mantle of the Bavarian club he won two Ballon d’Ors (1972 and 1976).
With the German team he won the 1974 World Cup in Germany and the 1972 Euro Cup in Belgium. Later, he would equal Zagallo and became the second man to win a World Cup as a player and coach after leading the German team to the title in Italy 1990.
Jerry West, the logo and legend of the NBA
For many, Jerry West is the logo of the NBA, which does not officially acknowledge having been inspired by the champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972, although its resemblance is striking. But for everyone, it is indisputable that he is a basketball legend who died at the age of 86 who entered the Hall of Fame with all the honors and rights for the first time in 1980, because later he would do so in 2010 as a member of the team of the 1960 Rome Olympic Games that took gold against the Soviet Union and in 2024 as an executive.
Also deceased:
Helmut Duckadam (65 years old), Romanian goalkeeper for Steaua Bucharest who saved all the penalties in the shootout of the 1986 European Cup final that left Barcelona without its first title.
Artur Jorge (78 years old), Portuguese coach who led Porto to its first European Cup, which it won in 1987 after defeating Bayern Munich in the final.
Dikembe Mutombo (58 years old), Congolese nationalized American basketball player and NBA legend for 18 seasons (1991-2009). He was one of the best defenders in NBA history, a giant shot-stopper who was voted best defender of the year four times and included in the competition’s best team three times.
OJ Simpson (76 years old), running back for the Buffalo Bills, tried and found not guilty for the double murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.
David Wilkie (70 years old), Scottish swimmer, triple Olympic medalist: silver at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games (200 meter breaststroke) and silver and gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke specialties, respectively. In addition, four other medals at the World Cups in Belgrade 1973 (gold and silver) and Cali 1975 (two golds).
Eduardo ‘Chato’ González (80 years old), former Real Madrid player and coach. With the white club he won three Leagues between 1966 and 1971.
Keep reading:
– The NFL gives the NBA a Christmas dance with record audiences
– The Copa Libertadores could be played with teams from Liga MX and MLS