Enrique García (Argentine footballer)

Enrique García (20 November 1912 – 23 August 1969) was an Argentine footballer. García is regarded as one of Racing's greatest idols, even though he has won two titles at the club. He is even considered one of the greatest left wingers in Argentine football. He joined the Avellaneda team in 1936, for about 39,1 pesos, after emerging at Rosario Central. At Racing, he would play until 1944, scoring 78 times in 233 matches. His skill would inspire several nicknames: "Left-Handed Poet", "The Magician", "The Unstoppable", "Sarmiento of Football", but he was better known as El Chueco - "The Crooked", due to the way he walked and El Poeta de la Zurda ("the poet of the left leg", due to his skills for football). Due to his extraordinary dribbling ability, García became an idol of Racing Club, being acclaimed even by his rivals. He also had a successful run on the Argentina national team, winning the Copa América on two occasions in 1937 and 1941 and became runner-up in 1942. Out of García's 78 goals scored in his career, only two were scored with his right leg.

Enrique García

Enrique García in 1935
Personal information
Date of birth	(1912-11-20)20 November 1912
Place of birth	Santa Fe, Argentina
Date of death	23 August 1969(1969-08-23) (aged 56)
Place of death	Santa Fe, Argentina
Position(s)	Left-winger
Youth career
1923–1929	Las Rosas
1929–1931	Brown Santa Fe
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1931–1933	Gimnasia y Esgrima (SF)	86	(19)
1933–1936	Rosario Central	93	(32)
1936–1944	Racing Club	233	(78)
Total		412	(129)
National team
1935–1943	Argentina	35	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 2008

Club career

García in 1936

Born in Santa Fe, García started playing football for the local club Las Rosas. At the same time, he was an altar boy in the local church, and the local priest expected García to become a priest. In 1929 he joined Brown Santa Fe, from where he was sold to Gimnasia y Esgrima Santa Fe in 1931, although he would have preferred to be with Unión Santa Fe.

In 1933, García became a player of the club Rosario Central, where, according to his contemporaries, he co-created the best provincial attack in the world: Cegnotti-Gómez-Guzmán-Porto-García. In 1936, he moved to the Racing Club de Avellaneda for a record fee of 38,931 pesos. In 1937, he won his first Argentine championship title with Racing. In addition, in 1941 he won the Argentine championship for the second time.

International career

García with the Argentina national team before to play the Copa América Final v Brazil, 1 February 1937

García played 35 times for Argentina between 1935 (when he was playing for Rosario Central) and 1943, scoring 9 goals. He was part of the Copa América winning squads of 1937 (where he was one of the keyplayers of the team due to his goals and assistances) and 1941, he also played in the 1942 edition of the tournament. Unfortunately the peak of his career coincided with World War II denying him the chance to play in a FIFA World Cup.

Later life and death

García (left) with Adolfo Pedernera and José Manuel Moreno on the cover of El Gráfico, 1957

When his professional career ended, García worked at his own sweet shop until 1960, when he returned to football as talent scout and trainer of the youth divisions at Racing Club. "We do not whish to form players from a day to another so footballers can't escape from the human law of evolution", said García by then.

During his last years, García was in a situation of poverty and used to go from bar to bar, saying to customers "I am Enrique García, the best left winger of all times, would you invite me to have a coffee?"

García died on August 23, 1969. He was only 56 years old.

Honours

Racing Club de Avellaneada

• Argentine Primera División: 1937, 1941

Argentina

• Copa América: 1937, 1941