Málaga pays tribute to Joaquín Peiró in the first year of his death

Málaga, through its Foundation, has decided to rename the local team bench at La Rosaleda as ‘Joaquín Peiró bench’. The blue and white club intends, in this way, to honor one of its most remembered coaches of all time just the day that marks one year of his death on March 18, 2020 in Madrid.

The 'Greyhound of Four Roads'As he was known, he was an extraordinary footballer who, with Enrique Collar, formed the ‘infernal wing’. After standing out at Atlético de Madrid, he made the leap to Italy where he triumphed with Torino and Inter Milan. It was 12 times international.

His best years as a coach were spent with Málaga, where he arrived in the Second Division in the 1998-99 season. The team had just been promoted to Second, but made an ambitious project to promote to First by signing no less than 19 players. Peiró knew how to build a team based on Second B heroes such as Rafa, Bravo, Larrainzar, Roteta, Sandro, Movilla and Basti.

And it was, precisely, Basti, who saved the head of the technician in one of his most pressing moments. Málaga had lost four games in a row and not beating Logroñés would have meant their dismissal (in fact there was a principle in agreement with José Mari Bakero). The two goals of the current coordinator of the Foundation decided the continuity of the coach.

That Malaga ascended to First as an outstanding champion and consolidated among the greats with a showy football and a recognizable team with footballers, in addition to those mentioned above, such as Kole Contreras, Valcárce, Fernando Sanz, Catanha, De los Santos, Rufete, Edgar, Dely Valdés or Dario Silva. That Malaga won the Intertoto, an ornament that gave the right to play the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) that has now disappeared.

In its explanatory note the club highlights the following. “It is a source of pride and of enormous sporting and historical justice to rename the local bench at La Rosaleda Stadium with that of a man who, with simplicity and skill, made our Málaga Club even bigger than it already was, until his arrival. soccer”.

Joaquin Peiró died on a day like today a year ago after a hard illness, but his memory is still very much alive among the Malaga fans and he will be perpetuated with the bench that will bear his name at La Rosaleda.