José Sanfilippo

Driven by Excellence

José Sanfilippo is arguably one of the most talented players Argentina has ever seen. With an extraordinary eye for goal, he considered himself the equal of Pelé.

476

Games

337

Goals

113

Assists

Trophies

1953/62 San Lorenzo (ARG) 237 games, 196 goals

(Argentine Championship: 232 games, 192 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 5 games, 4 goals)

1963/64 Boca Juniors (ARG) 25 games, 11 goals

(Argentine Championship: 20 games, 7 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 5 games, 4 goals)

1964/65 Nacional (URU) 22 games, 27 goals

(Uruguayan Championship: 21 games, 25 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 1 game, 2 goals)

1966/67 Banfield (ARG) 50 games, 19 goals

1968 Bangu (BRE) 14 games, 7 goals

1968/71 EC Bahia (BRE) (Loan) 71 matches, 48 goals

1972 San Lorenzo (ARG) 28 matches, 8 goals

With the National Team :

29 caps, 21 goals

(Friendly matches: 12 caps, 8 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 3 caps, 3 goals)

(World Cup: 2 caps, 1 goal)

(Copa America: 9 caps, 6 goals)

(Atlantic Cup: 1 cap, 3 goals)

(Copa Lipton: 1 cap)

(Copa Newton: 1 cap)

1st cap: December 5, 1956 against Brazil (2-1)

Last cap: June 2, 1962 against England (1-3)

U23: 6 caps, 9 goals

José Francisco Sanfilippo

Born May 4, 1935 in Buenos Aires (ARG)

Argentine, Striker, 1m68

Nickname: El Nenê

A star from the beginning

The Argentinian player born on May 4, 1935 in Buenos Aires quickly became attached to the world of football, where he became one of the greatest legends of his time. He began his career at just 18 years old in 1953 during a match against Newell's, during his first match, he scored 2 goals and began his great story with San Lorenzo.

Spotted very early by the coach of the Argentinian national team, he joined the national team at just 21 years old with which he became a legend. In 29 matches, he scored 21 goals, including very important ones. The year 1959 was also his best since the player who had just come out of a more than successful year 1958 with 28 goals in the championships came to raise his standards once again. This time, he scored 31 goals in the championship, 10 more than the second best scorer in the championship.

A legend of the Argentine selection

At the same time, he played with the Argentine national team in the 1959 Copa America where he finished top scorer with 6 goals, unfortunately he did not win the trophy he had already won in 1957. With Argentina, whose adventure ended in 1962 after a final match against England that ended in a 3-1 defeat, he won 4 trophies. He was a genius player, an excellent dribbler, it was not difficult for him to dribble several players. Likewise, he was gifted with a magnificent ball strike and could score from anywhere and in any way despite his small size of one meter sixty eight.

At the top then the fall

In 1963, the country's star joined the famous club Boca Juniors, with them, he had an exceptional first season since he reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, a competition in which he excelled and was in competition with Alberto Spencer. Top scorer of this edition with 7 goals, he did not prevent his team from losing to Santos of Pelé and Coutinho.

In 1964, Sanfilippo left Argentina to join Uruguay, thus leaving his place in the national team definitively. At Nacional, he had a very good season with 27 goals in 22 games. But he still decided to return to Argentina at 32, at Banfield he scored 17 goals in 50 games, the player was on the decline according to journalists.

Last trips and return home

He therefore decided to travel again and join Pelé's country, in Bangu, where he played 14 games for 7 goals, which allowed him to bounce back at EC Bahia, there, he scored 48 goals in 71 games and left Brazil at 36. Back at San Lorenzo, he scored 8 goals in 28 games and left the world of professional football in 1972.

Sanfilippo is remembered for his impact on and off the field, very confident, he liked to consider himself at the level of the greatest, and it is certain that his talent was immense, and one cannot imagine what he could have become by playing in a bigger club.