Ramos Delgado, the Argentine star who shone at Santos
· Yahoo Sports
By Guilherme Guarche, from the Memory Center
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On August 26, 1935, a Monday, José Manuel Ramos Delgado, the unforgettable center back Ramos Delgado, was born in the city of Quilmes, Argentina. His father, Faustino, a Cape Verdean, gave him the surname Ramos, and Delgado he inherited from his mother Maura, who was born in Sicily, Italy.
In 1956, at the age of 20, he began his career at Lanús, a team that in the following two years achieved excellent results, to the point of being called Los Globetrotters and coming close to winning the Argentine title.
His solid, composed performances put him on the list of call-ups for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and caught the attention of River Plate, which signed him in 1959. For the Buenos Aires club he did not win any titles, but he became a great idol of the fans because of his talent for dispossessing opposing players without violence, and his class when playing out from the back was applauded by his Argentine admirers.
Ramos Delgado was captain of the Argentine National Team for many years, and when he arrived at Vila Belmiro he was already an experienced player. At the age of 32, he came with the mission of replacing the star Orlando Peçanha and the legendary Mauro Ramos de Oliveira.
The Argentine star, known in his home country by the nickname “El Negro,” was an extremely intelligent player, who positioned himself inside the penalty area like few others and also had the leadership spirit common among Argentine players.
His first match for Alvinegro was on August 29, 1967, in Spain, in Santos’ 2-1 defeat to Málaga at La Rosaleda Stadium. Santos, managed by Antônio Fernandes, Antoninho, lined up as follows: Gylmar, Lima, Joel Camargo, Oberdan and Rildo; Clodoaldo (Ramos Delgado) and Negreiros; Edu, Toninho, Pelé (Douglas) and Abel (Buglê).
Central defender José Manuel Ramos Delgado was a rare kind. Because of his extreme class, his firm and quiet leadership, for being one of the few Black Argentines, for continuing to play very well even close to the age of 40, and for having won, so easily and so deeply, the hearts of Santos fans.
Joel Camargo, a Brazil starter, was his backup
One of Ramos Delgado’s feats was remaining a starter for Santos at the age of 33 and leaving on the bench young Joel Camargo, 22, who at the time was a starter for the Brazilian National Team preparing for the 1970 World Cup.
A leader who knew how to impose himself through technique and, why not, also through his athletic build of 1.81m and about 78 kilos, Ramos Delgado commanded Santos’ defense from 1967 to 1972.
Wearing the Santos shirt, Ramos played 321 matches and scored only one goal, from the penalty spot, in a 2-1 victory over Alianza of San Salvador. In that match, interrupted due to heavy rain, he formed the center-back pairing with Djalma Dias.
Titles won with Santos
1967 – Campeonato Paulista; 1968 – Campeonato Paulista, Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Tournament (Brazilian Championship), South American Recopa and World Recopa; 1969 – Campeonato Paulista
After leaving Santos, the Argentine-Brazilian still played for Portuguesa Santista. He then began a coaching career in Santos’ youth ranks, moving on to the professional team in 1977 and 1978. As head coach of the first team, he led the side in 26 matches, with 9 wins, 9 draws and 8 defeats.
Back to the land of Tango
Back in Argentina, he coached 10 teams, including giants River Plate and Estudiantes. He returned to lead Santos’ youth teams from 1994 to 2005, first under president Samir Abul-Hack and later under president Marcelo Teixeira. He graduated as a journalist and went on to work as a commentator on Argentine radio and television.
Carlos Alberto Prieto, “Gigi,” considered by many to be the best beach soccer player in Santos, stated on his website “Gigi na Rede” that he nutmegged the Argentine Delgado on Gonzaga Beach when he played for Náutico alongside former coach Menotti against the Caravelas team.
Active Peixe council member Cássio Richter, one of the best friends Ramos Delgado had during his time as coach of Peixe’s youth teams, says that his dear gringo friend loved the city of Santos, where he lived in the Gonzaga neighborhood with his late wife, Mrs. Telma Ester, and their daughters Mariza, born in Argentina, and the Santos-born Ivana and Vanessa.
In 2006, Delgado returned to the land of tango to live with his wife. He passed away on December 3, 2010, at the age of 75, in Vila Eliza, near La Plata.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.