Argentine soccer is once again in mourning. Shortly after the death of legendary goalkeeper Hugo Gatti, Luis Galvan, world champion in 1978, has also passed away.
Just two weeks ago, Argentine soccer was hit by the sad news of the death of goalkeeper Hugo Gatti (80), the record player in the Argentine first division. Now, shortly afterwards, the Argentine Football Association has also announced the death of Luis Galvan.
Unchallenged regular at the 1978 World Cup
Galvan, who had recently spent a long time in hospital due to bilateral pneumonia and heart problems and has now died at the age of 77, was part of Argentina’s 1978 World Cup-winning team – the first of three World Cup titles for the Albiceleste.
The defender did not miss a single minute of the victorious tournament on home soil and was an important anchor in the defense of iconic coach Cesar Luis Menotti, who also passed away last year. Galvan was considered one of the best players on the field, especially in the final against the Netherlands. In addition to the 1978 World Cup, he also played in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where the team was unable to repeat its success and was eliminated early by Italy. He played for Argentina 34 times in total.
Galvan, who never played for one of the big Argentine clubs in Buenos Aires, spent most of his club career at CA Talleres (between 1970 and 1982 and 1986 and 1987), where he made 503 appearances – still a club record to this day.