Arsenio Erico
Erico covered on El Gráfico in 1934. | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Arsenio Pastor Erico Martínez | ||
Date of birth | (1915-03-30)30 March 1915 | ||
Place of birth | Asunción, Paraguay | ||
Date of death | 23 July 1977(1977-07-23) (aged 62) | ||
Place of death | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1930–1933 | Nacional | 14 | (17) |
1933–1946 | Independiente | 325 | (295) |
1942 | Nacional | 1 | (2) |
1946–1947 | Huracán | 7 | (0) |
1947–1949 | Nacional | 9 | (5) |
Total | 356 | (319) | |
International career | |||
1933–1934 | Paraguay | ? | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Arsenio Pastor Erico Martínez (30 March 1915 – 23 July 1977) was a Paraguayan football striker. He is the all-time highest goalscorer in the Argentine first division with 295 goals.[1] Previously it had been affirmed that Erico's record was 293 goals, sharing the record with Ángel Labruna.[2][3] All the goals in Erico's career in Primera División were scored playing for Independiente. Erico is also considered the best Paraguayan footballer of all time and for some is the best player in history, including Alfredo Di Stéfano.[4] A striker noted for his technique, finishing and aerial ability, Erico was regarded one of the finest players of the 1930s and one of greatest players to have played in the Argentinean league.[5]
Career
As a player
Erico, born in Asunción, Paraguay, began his career in Club Nacional of Paraguay and made his debut in the club's first-team squad at the age of 15.[citation needed] During the early 1930s, Erico was part of the Paraguayan Red Cross football team that was on tour in Argentina in order to gather funds for the Chaco War. Because of his good performances during the friendly matches in the mentioned tour, Club Atlético Independiente of Argentina signed him. He made his debut for Independiente on 5 May 1936 and began to demonstrate why he had acquired the nickname 'red jumper'. Before the 1938 FIFA World Cup Erico was offered an extravagant amount of money to play for the Argentina national football team but he rejected it, gaining the praise in the general Argentine public for remaining loyal to his country of origin. Soon after this, however, Erico caught an infection which led to a long period out on the sidelines. Then, in 1937, he broke his leg. After he recovered, however, he reminded everyone of his talent by taking Independiente to the league title in 1938 and 1939. Later, he joined Huracán where he only played 7 games in 1947 before retiring.
After retirement
After retiring from football, Erico decided to live in Argentina, although he often visited his country of origin. He had a brief career as a coach, managing the club where he started his career as a footballer, Nacional and also had a brief stint in Club Sol de América where he led the team to a second-place finish in the 1957 Paraguayan Primera División. In 1960, he got married with Aurelia Blanco. They had no children.
In 1970 Erico was honored in Asunción, Paraguay during a friendly match between Argentina and Paraguay national sides in the Estadio Defensores del Chaco that was at its full capacity.
In 1977 his left leg had to be cut off, and he finally died of a heart attack on 23 July 1977. While the match between River and Independiente (played the day following his death at Tomas Adolfo Duco Palace) was being played, the crowd acclaimed Erico singing "Se siente, se siente, Erico está presente (We feel it, we feel it, Erico is with us)".
Erico was buried in the Cemetery of Morón in Greater Buenos Aires. Independiente paid the costs of burial expenses and funeral.[6]
Legacy
Erico was an inspiration to Argentine player Alfredo Di Stéfano, who considered him one of the greatest players ever. Other figures like Brazilian striker Leônidas da Silva and Paraguayan Delfín Benítez Cáceres also consider Erico as one of the best players in history.[7] Argentine striker Francisco Varallo remembers Erico as a "phenomenon" that would excel in scoring headers due to his high jumps.[8]
Club Nacional stadium is named after him, and sections of the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Paraguay and the Libertadores de América stadium in Avellaneda also carry Arsenio Erico's name.[9] He died on 23 July 1977.
Career statistics
Club performance | League | Cup | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
Argentina | League | Cup | Total | |||||
1934 | Independiente | Primera División | 21 | 12 | ||||
1935 | 18 | 22 | ||||||
1936 | 26 | 21 | ||||||
1937 | 29 | 47 | ||||||
1938 | 30 | 43 | ||||||
1939 | 32 | 41 | ||||||
1940 | 30 | 29 | ||||||
1941 | 27 | 26 | ||||||
1942 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
1943 | 29 | 17 | ||||||
1944 | 26 | 12 | ||||||
1945 | 30 | 20 | ||||||
1946 | 19 | 4 | ||||||
1947 | Huracán | Primera División | 7 | 0 | ||||
Career total | 334 | 295 |
Titles
Club
- Primera División (2): 1938, 1939
- Copa Dr. Ibarguren (2): 1938, 1939
- Copa Adrián Escobar (1): 1939
- Copa Aldao (2): 1938, 1939
References
- ^ "Arsenio Erico, un paraguayo cuya dimensión futbolística pervive en el tiempo" [Arsenio Erico, a Paraguayan whose football dimension survives over time] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "Un club que construyó una historia notable y se volvió Rey de Copas", Clarín, 16 June 2013
- ^ "El último adversario", La Nación, 11 Marc 2009
- ^ "Arsenio Erico: Un jugador glorioso del fútbol paraguayo"[permanent dead link] on ABC
- ^ Arsenio Erico on World Football Legends
- ^ "Personajes históricos del Bicentenario: Arsenio Erico" on Ea', 29 April 2011
- ^ "Arsenio Pastor Saltarín Rojo Erico Martínez". Albigol. 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ "Arsenio Erico". Independiente Website. 2003. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ La Platea "Arsenio Erico" en "Diabólicos" Archived 6 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Erico, el paraguayo de oro" Archived 6 April 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- v
- t
- e
- 1891: Archer
- 1892
- 1893: Leslie
- 1894: Gifford
- 1895: (No records)
- 1896: Allen / Anderson
- 1897: Stirling
- 1898: Allen
- 1899: Hooton
- 1910: Watson Hutton
- 1911: Malbrán / E. Lett / Piaggio
- 1912: Ohaco
- 1912 FAF: Colla
- 1913: Ohaco
- 1913 FAF: Dannaher
- 1914: Ohaco
- 1914 FAF: Carabelli
- 1915: Ohaco
- 1916: Hiller
- 1917: Marcovecchio
- 1918: Zabaleta
- 1919: Garasino / Martín
- 1919 AAmF: Marcovecchio
- 1920: Lucarelli
- 1920 AAmF: Carreras
- 1921: Dannaher
- 1921 AAmF: Zabaleta
- 1922: Clarke / Tarasconi
- 1922 AAmF: Seoane
- 1923: Tarasconi
- 1923 AAmF: Barceló
- 1924: Tarasconi
- 1924 AAmF: Lucarelli / Ravaschino
- 1925: Gaslini
- 1925 AAmF: Bellomo
- 1926: Cherro
- 1926 AAmF: Seoane
- 1927: Tarasconi
- 1928: Cherro
- 1929: Cortese / Seoane
- 1940: Benítez Cáceres / Lángara
- 1941: Canteli
- 1942: Martino
- 1943: Arrieta / Labruna / Frutos
- 1944: Mellone
- 1945: Labruna
- 1946: Boyé
- 1947: Di Stéfano
- 1948: Santos
- 1949: Simes / Pizzuti
- 1950: Papa
- 1951: Vernazza
- 1952: Ricagni
- 1953: Pizzuti / Benavídez
- 1954: Berni / Conde / Borello
- 1955: Massei
- 1956: Castro / Grillo
- 1957: Rob. Zárate
- 1958: Sanfilippo
- 1959: Sanfilippo
- 1960: Sanfilippo
- 1961: Sanfilippo
- 1962: Artime
- 1963: Artime
- 1964: Veira
- 1965: Carone
- 1966: Artime
- 1967 Met: Acosta
- 1967 Nac: Artime
- 1968 Met: Obberti
- 1968 Nac: Wehbe
- 1969 Met: Machado
- 1969 Nac: Fischer / Bulla
- 1970 Met: Más
- 1970 Nac: Bianchi
- 1971 Met: Bianchi
- 1971 Nac: Obberti / Luñiz
- 1972 Met: Brindisi
- 1972 Nac: Morete
- 1973 Met: Más / Curioni / Peña
- 1973 Nac: Gómez Voglino
- 1974 Met: Morete
- 1974 Nac: Kempes
- 1975 Met: Scotta
- 1975 Nac: Scotta
- 1976 Met: Kempes
- 1976 Nac: Eresuma / L. Ludueña / Marchetti
- 1977 Met: C. Álvarez
- 1977 Nac: Letanú
- 1978 Met: Maradona / Andreucci
- 1978 Nac: Reinaldi
- 1979 Met: Maradona / Fortunato
- 1979 Nac: Maradona
- 1980 Met: Maradona
- 1980 Nac: Maradona
- 1981 Met: Chaparro
- 1981 Nac: Bianchi
- 1982 Nac: M. Juárez
- 1982 Met: Morete
- 1983 Nac: Husillos
- 1983 Met: Ramos
- 1984 Nac: Pasculli
- 1984 Met: Francescoli
- 1985 Nac: Comas
- 1985–86: Francescoli
- 1986–87: Palma
- 1987–88: J. L. Rodríguez
- 1988–89: Dertycia / Gorosito
- 1989–90: Cozzoni
- 1990–91: E. González
- 1991 Ap: Díaz
- Cl 1992: Scotto / Latorre
- 1992 Ap: Acosta
- 1993 Cl: Da Silva
- 1993 Ap: Martínez
- 1994 Cl: Espina / Crespo
- 1994 Ap: Francescoli
- 1995 Cl: Flores
- 1995 Ap: Calderón
- 1996 Cl: A. López
- 1996 Ap: Reggi
- 1997 Cl: Martínez
- 1997 Ap: Da Silva
- 1998 Cl: Sosa
- 1998 Ap: Palermo
- 1999 Cl: Calderón
- 1999 Ap: Saviola
- 2000 Cl: Fuertes
- 2000 Ap: Ángel
- 2001 Cl: Romeo
- 2001 Ap: Cardetti
- 2002 Cl: Cavenaghi
- 2002 Ap: Silvera
- 2003 Cl: Figueroa
- 2003 Ap: Farías
- 2004 Cl: Rol. Zárate
- 2004 Ap: L. López
- 2005 Cl: Pavone
- 2005 Ap: Cámpora
- 2006 Cl: Vargas
- 2006 Ap: M. Zárate / Palacio
- 2007 Cl: Palermo
- 2007 Ap: Denis
- 2008 Cl: Cvitanich
- 2008 Ap: Sand
- 2009 Cl: Sand
- 2009 Ap: Silva
- 2010 Cl: Boselli
- 2010 Ap: Stracqualursi / Silva
- 2011 Cl: Cámpora / Gutiérrez
- 2011 Ap: Ramírez
- 2012 Cl: Luna
- 2012 In: F. Ferreyra / Scocco
- 2013 Fi: Gigliotti / Scocco
- 2013 In: Pereyra
- 2014 Fi: M. Zárate
- 2014 Tr: Pratto / M. Rodríguez / Romero
- 2015: Ruben
- 2016: Sand
- 2016–17: Benedetto
- 2017–18: García
- 2018–19: L. López
- 2020: Borré / Romero
- 2021: J. Álvarez
- 2022: Retegui
- 2023: Santos / Vegetti