Rest in peace, Luis del Sol

Everyone at AS Roma was saddened to learn of the death of Luis Del Sol on Sunday.

The Spanish midfielder made 57 appearances and scored four goals for the Giallorossi in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons, during which time he also captained the side.

The deal that saw Fabio Capello, Fausto Landini and Luciano Spinosi all join Juventus in 1970 is often seen as a ruinous moment for Roma. And fair enough – any club would have benefitted from holding on to three young talents like Capello, Landini and Spinosi.

What is usually overlooked – though – is the fact that Roma actually improved in the two years that followed the deal, going from an 11th place finish in 1969-70 to sixth in 1970-71 and seventh in 1971-72.

The Roma captain for both of those campaigns was one of the players that joined the Giallorossi as part of that infamous deal with Juventus: Luis Del Sol.

A midfielder with quality and substance, Del Sol had enjoyed a glittering career before joining Roma, first with Real Betis before stints at Real Madrid – alongside Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano – and, later, Juventus.

Del Sol was 35 by the time he signed for the Giallorossi, but he was still a top player. It was something that the Roma faithful – who had initially greeted his signing with some scepticism – quickly realised.

He instantly won the hearts of the fans with a goal against then-leaders Napoli and their legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff.

Then, at the end of that first season, he helped Roma to a win over Inter in the final of the Armando Picchi Memorial Tournament, clinching the first of two pieces of silverware the Giallorossi would win during his two-year stay (Renato Cappellini scored the only goal of the game against Inter).

"Luis is a champion, who is more than ready to grit his teeth and get his hands dirty too"

- Roma president Gaetano Anzalone

Though Del Sol’s hair might have been vanishing fast and though his face already weathered, betraying years and years of on-field battles, he never held back – not in training, and certainly not in games.

He was still capable of doing the things that had made him one of the best foreign players ever to play in Italy – winning tackles and emerging with the ball at feet, putting a pass on a sixpence, digging a team-mate out if he saw them not giving their all, putting his body on the line and dribbling past one, two – even three – men on the run.

Luis Del Sol never overplayed. Everything he did was the most useful thing for the team in that moment. For a technically gifted player like he was, that ability to distil the game to its simplest form is a rare skill.

His sportsmanship was unrivalled. There was one sending off for an innocuous pat on Riccardo Sogliano of Varese, but this was overturned on appeal and his suspension annulled. Such was his professionalism that – despite his advancing years – he would actually get better as the season wore on, while other team-mates began to fade.

The leader of a popular central midfield featuring the creative Franco Cordova and the dynamic Elvio Salvori, Del Sol signed a new deal at the end of his first season – much to the delight of the Roma fans. But he was even better in that second campaign, operating as a pure deep-lying playmaker.

Italy coach Ferruccio Valcareggi praised him publicly on more than one occasion, while the Giallorossi supporters loved his hard-working spirit and his bond with the club.

Roma’s president at the time, Gaetano Anzalone, perhaps put it best: “The youth of an athlete is measured on the field of play. For me, Luis Del Sol is like a 20-year-old.”

Former Roma goalkeeper Alberto Ginulfi once said of Del Sol: “He was always absolutely exhausted when he left the pitch. With him, we felt secure.”

He was a role model – a proper captain. Franco Cordova – Del Sol’s midfield colleague – once attempted to sum up the impact the Spaniard had made at Roma.

“We’ll never forget him and his absence will be felt,” he said.

Fitting words, on today of all days.

Del Sol played his last game for Roma on 30 May 1972, against Hellas Verona. He returned to Spain a few days later, leaving Cordova with the honour of leading the Giallorossi in the Anglo-Italian Cup.

Roma would lift the trophy without Del Sol in their ranks, but there no doubting that it was the Spaniard that had turned them into a team capable of doing so.

“Playing for Roma is a wonderful thing. You take to the field and it’s like you’re swimming in an ocean of people”

- Luis Del Sol