Leonel Sánchez

Football player infobox
playername = Leonel Sánchez


fullname = Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros
height = height|m=1.74
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1936|4|25
cityofbirth = Santiago
countryofbirth = Chile
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Left-midfield
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1953-1969
1969-1970
1971
1972-1973
clubs = Universidad de Chile
Colo-Colo
Palestino
Ferrobádminton
caps(goals) = 00386 0(160)
nationalyears = 1955-1968
nationalteam = Chile
nationalcaps(goals) = 84 (23)
pcupdate = 4 April 2008

Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros (born April 25, 1936 in Santiago de Chile) is a former professional football player. He played at left midfield for over 20 years between 1953 and 1973. 17 of those 20 were in Universidad de Chile, where he was the icon of the Ballet Azul (Blue Ballet), a team that won 6 national championships between 1959 and 1969.

Regarded as one of Chile's finest playersFact|date=July 2007, Sánchez holds the record for most games played for Chile with 84 games and 23 goals between 1955 and 1968 [ [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/lsanchez-intl.html rsssf: Leonel Sánchez] ] . Four of those were at the 1962 World Cup, in which he was the top scorer along with five other players. In that World Cup he also knocked out the Italian player Mario David with a hook in a dispute in the infamous Chile - Italy match.

Sánchez remained in Universidad de Chile, although he received numerous offers from well known European clubs such as AC Milan. In 1969, after a contract rule was settled, Universidad de Chile was forced to sell him. He finished his career playing for different Chilean clubs such as Colo-Colo, Palestino and Ferrobádminton. [ [http://www.bdfa.com.ar/jugador2.asp?codigo=65512 BDFA profile] ]

Titles

*: (6) 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969

References