Former club captain Joaquin Peirò dies at 84

The Spaniard, who played 131 games for the Giallorossi between 1966 and 1970, was 84.

Born in Honrubia in January 1936, Peiro made his name in Spain – representing his boyhood club, Atletico Madrid, for many years – but enjoyed the prime of his career in Italy, representing Inter Milan, Torino and Roma during his spell on the peninsula.

Joining the Giallorossi in 1966, as he turned 30, Peiro defied the received wisdom of the time to enjoy some of the best years of his career in the Italian capital when many thought he should be on the decline.

An important yet infrequently used player during his spells in the north, the creative, clinical Peiro came to the capital attracted by the prospect of becoming a key figure in the dressing room, a guiding light for his young teammates both on and off the pitch.

My best years were those I spent with Roma

- Joaquin Peirò

Initially expected to score all the goals for the side, the arrival of fellow forwards Oronzo Pugliese and Fabio Enzo lessened the load on Peiro, allowing him to exert his influence more fundamentally across the pitch for his team.

He ended up finishing his first season for the club with nine goals, while his eye for a pass helped create many more. The following year he assumed the captaincy in the occasional absences of Giacomo Losi, becoming a regular provider of goals for Giuliano Taccola and others.

The following year, with the arrival of Helenio Herrera and the departure of Losi, Peiro become Roma’s 15th official club captain. “You are a champion, and we need to make sure you are again,” Herrera said of the Spaniard.

The legendary coach’s faith in Peiro ran deep – even allowing his captain to coach the side from the pitch in one game against Napoli where Herrera himself was suspended. Peiro missed a penalty, yet nevertheless played a decisive role as Roma eventually won 2-1.

In the end, the Spaniard repaid his coach’s faith by helping the side win the Coppa Italia in 1969 – scoring a brilliant goal against Foggia in the decisive contest.

His final season for the club, 1969-70, was also an impressive one for Peiro personally – as he scored goals against Lazio and old club Inter Milan, although the club fell narrowly short of reaching the finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup.

After that Peiro retired as a player, going on to become a manager of some repute in his home country.

In Rome, meanwhile, he will always have a key place in the club’s history.

He had incredible talent, he was world-class

- Helenio Herrera