Former Blaugrana Hugo ‘Cholo’ Sotil dies at 75

Legend of Peruvian football, Barça highlights that he was “one of the best South Americans” in his day

Former Peruvian footballer Hugo ‘Cholo’ Sotil died this Monday, December 30, at the age of 75, as confirmed by FC Barcelona in which he played three seasons in the ’70s and which claims that he was one of the best South American players. in his time.

“This Monday, December 30, Hugo Sotil died. Born in Ica (Peru) on May 18, 1949, he was considered one of the best South American players of his time. The popular ‘Cholo’ stole the hearts of Barça fans from his period,” the Blaugrana club said in a statement.

De Sotil assures the ‘culer’ entity that he was a “skilled, elusive, brave and intuitive” forward, with a game that “was always synonymous with spectacle.”

Coming from Municipal de Lima, in his first season in Barcelona he played all the games of the 1973/74 League, with a great connection with figures such as Johan Cruyff, Carles Rexach, Juan Manuel Asensi and Marcial Pina.

“For a long time the chant ‘Cholooo, Cholooo’ sung in his honor was heard in the stands of the Camp Nou. Everyone remembers that endearing anecdote that happened when Barça won the League at the Molinón. That April 7, 1974, Sotil He called his mother from the locker room to tell her a phrase that went down in culé history: “Mommy, we are champions!”, the club recalled.

But his second year as a Blaugrana was, in reality, a ‘white’ one since current regulations prevented him from playing, due to the signing of Johan Neeskens who was registered as a foreigner. Sotil hoped to obtain a dual nationality that took “much longer than expected”, until the 1975/76 season when he was able to play official matches with Barça again, although with less prominence and until 1977 he signed for Alianza de Lima.

On May 17, 1984, a tribute was paid to the Miniestadi with a veterans’ match between the 1974 team and a South American team. At the end of the match, he spoke these emotional words: “Ever since I left Barça I was waiting for that moment. I like Barcelona, ​​the kindness of its people, the affection of its fans,” ‘Cholo’ Sotil commented then.

In 2014 he said that the day he died he expected to be buried “in the Barcelona shirt.” Last November Sotil visited what “was always his home”, according to the club, coinciding with the celebration events for the 125th Anniversary of FC Barcelona.