Luis de la Fuente

Luis de la Fuente

Personal information
Full name	Luis de la Fuente y de Hoyos
Date of birth	January 17, 1914
Place of birth	Veracruz, Mexico
Date of death	May 28, 1972 (aged 58)
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1930–1931	Aurrerá	?	(?)
1931–1934	Real España	?	(?)
1934–1935	Racing Santander	20	(5)
1935–1937	Real España	?	(?)
1937–1938	América	?	(?)
1938–1939	Real España	?	(?)
1939–1940	Corrales	?	(?)
1940–1941	Vélez Sarsfield	16	(8)
1941–1943	Marte	?	(?)
1943–1952	Veracruz	?	(?)
National team
1934–1950	Mexico	9	(7)
Honours Competitor for  Mexico Men's Football Central American and Caribbean Games 1938 Panama Team Competition
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Luis de la Fuente y Hoyos (nicknamed "The Pirate") is one of the most successful Mexican-born footballers of all time.^[1] Born in the state of Veracruz on January 17, 1914, he was one of the most successful players to represent Aztec soccer in the world arena.

Career

He played professionally in Mexico for clubs like Aurrera, Marte and RC España. De La Fuente played for the Mexico national team that lost in qualifiers for the 1934 FIFA World Cup of Italy. His performance with the national team attracted the interested of Spanish club Racing de Santander, who ended up signing him. After the Spanish Civil War broke out he returned to Mexico to play for RC España and then Club América.

In 1939, the Paraguayan team Atlético Corrales embarked on a Latin American tour and visited Mexico with a squad composed of great players, and during their exhibition games in Mexico they decided to sign De La Fuente.^[2] He played for Atlético Corrales for over a year and then signed for Vélez Sarsfield of Argentina before returning to Mexico to play for Marte and, finally, in 1943 sign for his native state team Tiburones Rojos of CD Veracruz. At CD Veracruz he was part of the team that won two Primera División de México championships in 1945 and 1949. It was here, as an already famous and accomplished footballer, that he reached legend status. De la Fuente is the first Mexican-born person to play in four different countries (Mexico, Spain, Paraguay and Argentina).^[3]

His natural position was the midfield, but his incredible ball skills and technique helped his overall field game, distributing precise passes and assisting goals when not scoring them himself. He was incredibly dangerous in the air game, where his athleticism propelled him to leap over rival defenses. He also possessed a powerful boot on both legs, being the left his strong side.

De La Fuente retired after a very accomplished 21 year career on June 13, 1954. He died in 1972 of a heart attack and is buried in Veracruz, facing the Luis "Pirata" Fuente Stadium which carries his name and his legend.

References

1. Biografia de Luis "Pirata" Fuente (1914-1972) (Spanish)
2. Atlético Corrales y su increíble aventura (Spanish)
3. La leyenda del «Pirata» (Spanish)

External links

• More about "The Pirate"