According to the South American Football Confederation, renowned Argentine goalie and former national team player Hugo Orlando Gatti passed away on Sunday at the age of 80.
After being admitted to the hospital two months ago for a broken hip, Gatti eventually became ill with pneumonia, renal, and heart issues, and his condition deteriorated to the point where he was sedated.
According to news reports, his family opted to remove him from life support on Sunday.
With 765 games, Gatti, often known as “El Loco,” or the madman, held the record for most games played in Argentina’s top football division. From 1962 till 1988, he performed.
He was still starring for Boca Juniors, a regional football powerhouse, at the age of 44.
One of the first goalkeepers to develop the habit of exiting the six-yard box and entering the bigger space in front of him was the renowned extrovert Gatti.
Being frank, Gatti once referred to football great Diego Maradona as “gordito,” or fat. A few days later, Maradona scored four goals against him in retaliation.
In 1977, Gatti played for Boca Juniors, which won the Copa Libertadores.
Months before the tournament, he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from playing for the Argentine national team, who went on to win the World Cup in 1978.
