Tomás Carlovich
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Tomás Felipe Carlovich | ||
Date of birth | 19 April 1946 | ||
Place of birth |
Rosario , Argentina | ||
Date of death | 8 May 2020 | (aged 74)||
Place of death | Rosario, Argentina | ||
Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1969–1970 | Rosario Central | 2 | (0) |
1971 |
Flandria | ||
1972 | Independiente Rivadavia | ||
1973–1975 | Central Córdoba | ||
1976 | Rosario Central | ||
1977 |
Colón de Santa Fe | 2 | (0) |
1978–1979 | Deportivo Maipú | ||
1980–1983 | Central Córdoba | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Tomás Felipe Carlovich (19 April 1946
Due to his ball control and dribbling ability, many people saw Carlovich as a pure representative of creole football, although he had played only a few matches in the top division of Argentine football.[3] Carlovich was even compared with Diego Maradona when some referred to him as "the Maradona that never was" because of his bohemian style of life and his refusal to play in clubs outside Argentina.[2][4] AC Milan and some French clubs tried to sign him, but Carlovich declined the offers. At the end of his career, Brazilian star Pelé tried to convince him to play for the New York Cosmos but he also refused.[5]
Carlovich also had a brief stint as coach in Central Córdoba, although he stated that he was not interested in taking over the senior squad again after resigning.[9]
Career
Carlovich grew up in Belgrano neighborhood,
He also played in
The historical "forward and back nutmeg"
During a match between Central Córdoba and
The 1974 consecration
The last match as a preparation for the
At the end of the first half, the team from Rosario led 3-0. The supremacy of the local team was so big that the Argentina national team coach, Vladislao Cap, asked for his colleague to exclude Carlovich for the second half, and this is what finally happened. The final score was 3–1 [11][12]
Death
On 6 May 2020, Carlovich was assaulted and beaten by a young man who stole his bicycle. Carlovich fell and hit his head on the ground, and died two days later.[13]
Recognition
Carlovich is considered one of the best Argentine football players ever.
In his own words
"Many things about me were told, but most of them were not true. The real thing is I never liked being so far from my neighborhood, my parents' house, the bar I used to go, my friends, and 'the Vasco' Artola, who teach me how to hit the ball when I was a boy.[15]
"Sometimes I sat on the ball during the matches, but I did it just to have a break and not to mock the rivals on the field. My style of playing football was very modest, as my own life was, despite the sins of youth I could have committed".[15]
"The most beautiful gift that football gave me were Central Córdoba and Independiente Rivadavia; I would define them as 'the two loves of my life'. In both teams I have played the best years of my career which totalises 16 years as a professional. With the 'Charrúas' I obtained two Second Division championships, in 1973 and 1982. The club administrators paid me a special bonus by nutmeg and double bonus by double nutmeg. The fans used to encourage me from the grandstand shouting like this: 'Go Trinche, make a double nutmeg'".[15]
"When Diego (Maradona) came to Rosario, some Central Córdoba executives emphasized on me so much to go see him at the hotel, that I said 'well, let's go'. I was 20 meters away from where Diego –surrounded by 15 or 20 people– was... Suddenly he appeared in front of me, gave me a hug and began talking non-stop. He even signed me a t-shirt and put on it 'Trinche, you were better than me.' The only thing I could answer is 'Diego, now I can leave this world in peace, you were the greatest player I saw in my life. Unusual things happen to me'.[16][14]
References
- ^ "Murió El "Trinche" Carlovich, la leyenda y mito del fútbol argentino que aseguran que fue mejor que Maradona". ambito.com (in Spanish). Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Carlovich: el mito viviente, El Gráfico, 21 Jan 2018
- ^ a b c Murió Tomás "El Trinche" Carlovich, el mito del fútbol argentino: el talento rosarino de las historias imposibles by Diego Morini on La Nación, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b Murió el Trinche Carlovich, el crack que no quiso ser Maradona, Clarín, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b c Así era el Trinche: el mito que no quiso ser Maradona by Aritz Gabilondo, As, 8 May 2020
- ^ El Trinche on CIHF website (sources: "Historia en Azul y Amarilla" (La Capital); La Capital. La Prensa, 24–30/8/1969; La Capital 18 Apr 1974; Goles magazine #1241
- ^ Murió el Trinche Carlovich, un mito del fútbol argentino by Facundo Martínez, Pagina/12, 8 May 2020
- ^ Gabino Sosa: El payador de la redonda by Borocotó on El Gráfico, 1934
- ^ La palabra de Tomás Carlovich, Charrúa a Full website, February 17, 2011
- ^ a b "1977 – Tomás Carlovich" on Colón con o sin Tiento website
- ^ "El hombre que pudo ser el mejor", March 9, 2012
- ^ "Dicen que fue mejor que Maradona", Revista Catalina, Sep 2010
- ^ ""Lo mataron por una bicicleta: así fue el violento robo que le costó la vida al Trinche Carlovich"". Infobae. May 8, 2020.(in Spanish)
- ^ a b Las historias que transformaron en mito al Trinche Carlovich, Infobae, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b c "Maradona: 'El mejor fue Carlovich'"
- ^ Carlovich telling about his meeting with Diego Maradona in Rosario, February 2020.
External links
- Dicen que fue mejor que Maradona, Interview to Carlovich on Revista Catalina, September 9, 2010 (archived)