Legendary football star Luis Suarez Miramontes – Spain’s last winner of the Ballon d’Or – has died aged 88.
He is regarded as one of the greatest Spanish football players of all time.
Miramontes was a midfielder for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Sampdoria during his playing career that ran from 1953 to 1973.
He also managed the Spanish national team and led them to the second round of the World Cup at Italia 90.
Nicknamed The Architect – he is regarded as pioneering the modern attacking midfielder role.
Suarez played as an inside forward for one of the great Barcelona teams in the 1950s before transferring to Inter Milan in 1961 for a world record fee.
At Inter he played a crucial role in the ‘Grande Inter’ team which won three Serie A’s and two consecutive European cups – it is regarded as the greatest team in Inter’s history.
Between 1961 and 1970 he made 328 appearances for Inter and scored 55 goals – despite playing as a deep lying playmaker.
Suarez played 32 games for his national side and scored 14 goals – representing Spain at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups.
His greatest achievement at national level saw Spain lift the 1964 European Championship – their only international trophy until winning the 2008 Euros.
His managerial career began in 1973 when he managed Genoa.
His career saw him manage a number of Italian clubs which included three stints at Inter Milan.
