José Nasazzi

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Nasazzi and the second or maternal family name is Yarza.

José Nasazzi
Nasazzi with the Uruguay national team.
Personal information
Full name José Nasazzi Yarza[1]
Date of birth (1901-03-24)24 March 1901
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death 17 June 1968(1968-06-17) (aged 67)
Place of death Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1918–1920 Lito
1921 Roland Moor
1922–1933 Bella Vista 322 (17)
1933–1937 Nacional 58 (0)
International career
1923–1936 Uruguay 41 (0)
Managerial career
1942–1945 Uruguay
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1930 Uruguay Team
Copa América
Winner 1923 Uruguay Team
Winner 1924 Uruguay Team
Winner 1926 Chile Team
Winner 1935 Peru Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1924 Paris Team
Gold medal – first place 1928 Amsterdam Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Nasazzi Yarza (24 March 1901 – 17 June 1968) was a Uruguayan footballer who played as a right-back or centre-back.[2] He captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.

Career

Nasazzi (first from left, at bottom) with the Uruguay team in 1926.

He was born in Bella Vista, Montevideo to Giuseppe, an Italian immigrant from Esino Lario (near Lecco), and María Jacinta Yarza from the Basque Country of Spain.[3][4]

Nasazzi is regarded by many as Uruguay's greatest ever football player.[5] He was known as El Gran Mariscal ("The Great Marshal"), and had already won the gold medal at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games,[6] as well as the South American Championship in 1923, 1924, and 1926, by the time of the first World Cup. On individual level, he was selected as best player at FIFA World Cup 1930 and twice (1923 and 1935) at South American Championship (the predecessor of Copa America).

During the 1930 FIFA World Cup tournament, Uruguay's only serious rivals were their neighbors Argentina. After defeating Peru and Romania in the first round, Uruguay defeated Yugoslavia 6–1 in the semi-finals to set up a final against Argentina. Although his team were 2–1 behind at half-time, Nasazzi rallied his teammates in the second half, leading them to a 4–2 victory and making himself the first captain to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Although Uruguay refused to defend their title in 1934, Nasazzi won the South American Championship again (in 1935), before retiring in 1936 with 41 international appearances. Throughout his career at Nacional, he played 110 matches and scored 10 goals, including friendlies.[7]

Nasazzi's Baton

Nasazzi's Baton is an unofficial title named after José similar to the Unofficial Football World Championship. It is said to have been held by Uruguay after the first World Cup, and subsequently to have been taken over by any team to beat the holders over 90 minutes in a full international match.[8]

Honours

Club

Lito
Roland Moor
Bella Vista
Nacional
  • Primera División: 1933 – 1937; 1925: European Tour with Nacional; 1927: US Tour with Nacional;.

International

Uruguay

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b "José Nasazzi Biography and Olympic Results". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  2. ^ "José Nasazzi". Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Ha muerto José Nasazzi, "el más grande capitán de la historia"" (in Spanish). Club Nacional de Football. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Cavani, che cuore! L'Uruguay applaude" (in Italian). Corriere dello Sport. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  5. ^ Chiesa, Carlo F. (22 August 1999). "We are the champions – I 150 fuoriclasse che hanno fatto la storia del calcio" [The 150 champions that made football's history]. Calcio 2000 (in Italian). Action Group S.r.l.
  6. ^ "José Nasazzi". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Nasazzi, José".
  8. ^ "Le Baton de Nasazzi" (in French). Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  9. ^ "World Cup 2014: Fifa announces Golden Ball shortlist". BBC Sport. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  10. ^ "France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930–1990". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. ^ "IFFHS' Century Elections". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  12. ^ "The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  13. ^ "World All-". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  14. ^ "IFFHS All-Time Uruguay Men's Dream Team". IFFHS. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
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