Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpeðɾoˈrotʃa]; 3 December 1942 – 2 December 2013) was a Uruguayanfootballer who played 52 games for the Uruguay national team between 1961 and 1974. Nicknamed "el Verdugo" ("the Executioner"), he was a highly skillful midfielder and a prolific goalscorer, regarded by Pelé as "one of the 5 best players in the world".[1] He was listed by the IFFHS as the 37th greatest South American player of the XXth century.[2][3]
During his time with Peñarol, the club won 8 Uruguayan league titles (1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), three Copa Libertadores (1960, 1961, 1966) the Copa Intercontinental in 1961 and 1966 and two editions of the Uruguayan Copa Competencia in 1964 and 1967.
In 1970 Rocha joined São Paulo F.C. where he helped the team obtain the Campeonato Paulista in 1971 and 1975. He was the championship top scorer in 1972. In 1977, his final year with the club they became national champions for the first time in their history.
He suffered from mesencephalic atrophy, a serious degenerative illness that affected his speech and his movements, paralyzing part of his body and confining him to a wheelchair.[5] He died on 2 December 2013 in São Paulo, one day before completing 71 years.[6]
^Osvaldo José Gorgazzi; José Luis Pierrend; Martín Tabeira (1999). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) (ed.). "Supercopa 1969". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
