For most football fans of the current generation, the likes of Luis Suarez, Diego Godin, and Edinson Cavani would be common names that are seen as the greatest Uruguayan footballer. This article will go all the way back to the 1940''s and 1950's, as we'll look back at the career of a certain Uruguay legend.
The player is none other than Juan Alberto Schiaffino, who had won the 1950 FIFA World Cup with Uruguay. He was capable of operating both as a Attacking Midfielder or forward, and had even been ranked as the best Uruguayan footballer of all time by an IFFHS poll. We pay tribute to the legendary Uruguay here, as we rewind his glorious career.
Club career
Juan Alberto began his professional football career with Uruguayan side Peñarol, where he enjoyed 8 successful years. His time at the club saw him win 4 Primera División Uruguaya (Uruguayan championship) titles. Alberto had impressive individual stats as well, scoring 88 goals in 227 appearances.
The next stage of Alberto's career was his most prominent one, as the Uruguayan was signed by Italian giants AC Milan. He was signed by the club for a then world-record £72,000 transfer fee. Alberto scored 60 goals in 171 appearances for Milan. The former attacking midfielder was also a part of the side that reached the 1958 European Cup Final, which they eventually lost to Real Madrid 2-3.
In a Milan team that had the likes of foreign star players like Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm, Juan Alberto was still able to establish as one of their primary offensive threats at the time. He won 3 Serie A titles during his time at Milan, and the Latin Cup in 1956 as well.
Uruguay left Milan in 1960, and had one final chapter at Italian club Roma. His time at Roma was comparatively short, which barely lasted for 2 years. Alberto was still able to win one final silverware with Roma, as they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961. That was the end of football career as well, as Alberto left the beautiful game after his stint at Rome.
International legacy
Juan Alberto Schiaffino's international career was quite an intriguing one, as he played for 2 different nations during his time as a national player. His first stint was with the Uruguay national side from 1946 to 1954, while the second tenure was with Italy from 1954 till 1958. Alberto's paternal grandfather was a Ligurian from the province of Genoa, and this is what enabled him to play for the Italians. Despite the change in nationalities, Alberto only earned 4 caps with the Italian team.
It was however with Uruguay that he achieved eternal greatness.
Alberto was an instrumental part of the legendary 1950 Uruguay national side that won the World Cup. He scored in the final as well against Brazil, in their very own stadium, with the match being historically known as the Maracanazo. The Uruguayan's excellent contributions in the tournament saw him be awarded with the FIFA World Cup Silver Ball, given to the second best player of the tournament.
The former playmaker also took part in the 1954 World Cup with Uruguay, where he helped them to a fourth-placed finish. Juan Alberto Schiaffino earned 21 caps for Uruguay in total, scoring a total of 9 goals for his nation. His international career was a classic example of achieving eternal long-lasting impact with limited appearances.
While modern fans of the game would name several other footballers as Uruguay's greatest, the ones who've seen Juan Alberto Schiaffino would find it difficult to name anyone but him as the greatest Uruguayan to play the game. Nonetheless, His name would always be up there as one of the nation's greatest ever, if not the best.
