Denis Law
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Denis Law | |||
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Nome completo: | Denis Law | ||
Alcume: | The King (O Rei), The Lawman | ||
Data de nacemento: | 24 de febreiro de 1940 | ||
Lugar de nacemento: | Aberdeen, Escocia | ||
Data de falecemento: | |||
Lugar de falecemento: | , | ||
Nacionalidade: | ![]() |
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Clube actual: | retirado | ||
Posición: | Dianteiro | ||
Altura: | metros | ||
Partidos internacionais: | 55 | ||
Goles: | 30 (selección) | ||
Ano do debut: | 1956 | ||
Clube do debut: | Huddersfield Town | ||
Ano do retiro: | 1974 | ||
Clube do retiro: | Manchester City |
Denis Law (nado o 24 de febreiro de 1940, en Aberdeen, Escocia) é un futbolista retirado, que xogaba de dianteiro e foi unha das estrelas do fútbol europeo dos anos 60.
A carreira de Law comeza na escadra da segundadivisión escocesa do Huddersfield Town no ano 1956. Despois de catro tempadas, o Manchester City contrátao pagando polo seu traspaso £55.000, establecendo un novo record de traspaso nas illas británicas. Denis Law ficou alí un ano, ao remate do cal foise para o Torino. Aíndo que o seu xogo gustou moito no clube italiano, el no se rematou de adaptar e voltou a inglaterra fichando polo Manchester United en 1962. Law é especialmente lembrado polos once anos que permaneceu no United, one anotou 236 goles en 409 encontros e foi alcumado The King(O Rei) e The Lawman polos siareiros. En 1964 gaña o Balón de Ouro, premio concedido ao mellor futbolista europeo do ano. Tamén contribuíu á consecución dos títulos de liga do United en 1965 e 1967. En 1973 marcha ao Manchester City para xogar a súa derradeira tempada coma futbolista. Tamén desputa con Escocia no Mundial de 1974. Law é o máximo anotador na historia da selección e o segundo do United, tras Bobby Charlton.
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[editar] Infancia e Xuventude
Denis era o fillo de George Law, un pescador, e de Robina. Era o máis novo de sete irmáns. Os Law eran unha familia pobre, de feito Denis non tivo un par de zapatos ata os catorce anos de idade. As súas primeiras botas de fútbol foron un agasallo dun veciño.
Era seguidor do Aberdeen Football Club.
[editar] Huddersfield Town
Na tempada 1954/55 foi visto por Archie Beattie, un ollador do Huddersfield Town, o cal lle propuxo unha proba no equipo. Firmou o contrato 3 de abril de 1955.
Mentres estaba no equipo, filléronxe unha operación para corrixi-lo seu estrabismo, o que fixo que aumentara a sua autoestima e que non tivera que xogar máis cun ollo pechado.[1]
O descenso á segunda división escocesa do clube fixo que Law contara com máis opcións de xogar. Así o 24 de decembro de 1956 con tan só dezaseis anos debuta co primeiro equipo.
O manager do Manchester United Matt Busby ofreceu ao Huddersfield £10.000 polo xogador, que era unha cantidade máis que respectable por un futbolista naquela época, mais o clube rexeitouna. Non foi convocado coa selección escocesa para o Mundial de 1958. Nembargantes, ese mesmo ano, o 18 de outubro por fin debutou co equipo do seu país, anotando un gol.
[editar] Manchester City
En marzo de 1960 asinou polo Manchester City pagando este polo traspaso unha cantidade record de £55.000.
O City era unha escadra feble que o ano anterior sufrira para conserva-la categoría. Este ano non semellaba que as cousas foran a mellor. O propio Law pensaba que o mesmo Huddersfield tiña un mellor equipos naqueles intres.[2]. Law debutou o 19 de marzo anotando un gol nun encontro co Leeds United que rematou en derrota por 4-3. Ao mes seguinte dous goles seus axudan a vencer ó Aston Villa por 4-1 e así mante-la categoría un ano máis.
Participou en 1961 nun encontro coa Escocia contra a Inglaterra. Escocia perdeu por 9-3 e Law falou de que fora o peor día da súa vida.[3]
Era tempo de mudares a un equipo de máis nivel, e no verán de 1961 é traspasado ao Torino.
[editar] Torino
A súa etapa coma xogador do Torino non foi moi boa no plano deportivo. Ao chegar a Italia outro clube, o Inter fíxolle saber que tiña un precontrato asinado con eles, mais pouco antes do comezo da tempada retiraron esta demanda.
Naqueles tempos os xogadores no Reino Unido non eran tratados coma na Italia, e Law atopouse facendo a pretempada nos Alpes aloxado nun hotel de primeiro nivel. Nembargantes o pago dos salarios dependía dos resultados obtidos no terreo de xogo, dándolles bolsas cheas de cartos cando o equipo gañaba e deixándoos sen cobrar cando sufrían unha derrota.[4].
O estilo de fútbol que se xogaba na Italia non gustou moito ao xogador, era a época de maior esplendor do catenaccio e non facía sinxelo o traballo dun dianteiro.[5]
O 7 de febreiro de 1962 tivo un accidente de coche co seu compañeiro de equipo Joe Baker, quen faleceu no mesmo. Law só sufríu feridas leves.
No mes de abril solicitou á directiva o seu traspaso, sen moito éxito. Pouco despois comunicáronlle que ía ser transferido ao Juventus, e que a letra pequena do seu contrato obrigábao ir co seu consentimento ou non. Denis respondeu a isto marchando cara a súa casa en Aberdeen.
Finalmente firmou co United o 10 de xullo de 1962 por unha cantidade record de £115,000.
[editar] Manchester United
[editar] Os anos de glaria
O seu primeiro encontro para o United foi o 18 de agosto de 1962 contra o West Bromwich Albion, e tras só sete minutos de xogo xa anotou o seu primeiro gol coa camisola vermella. Ese ano gañarían a FA Cup, vencendo na final ó Leicester City por 3-1. Law anotou un tanto nese encontro.
Unfortunately, an incident had taken place that season which Law felt had repercussions in years to come. In a match against West Brom on 15 December, 1962, the referee Gilbert Pullin consistently goaded Law with taunts such as "Oh, you clever so and so, you can't play", and after the match, Law and his manager Matt Busby reported the matter to the Football Association.[6] A disciplinary committee decided that Pullin should be severely censured, but he did not accept their verdict and quit the game. Law later claimed that "in the eyes of some referees, [Law] was a marked man" and blamed the incident for the "staggeringly heavy punishments" that he received later in his career.[7]
Law scored a number of goals early in the 1963/4 season and was selected to play for a Rest of the World side against England at Wembley, scoring their goal in a 2–1 defeat. He later described this as the greatest honour of his career.[8] His season was interrupted by a 28-day suspension for a sending off that he received against Aston Villa. The unusually cold winter forced United to play many of their fixtures in a short space of time, and their results suffered. Law later blamed this for United's failure to win a trophy in that season.
In 1964/5, Law won the European Footballer of the Year award, and Manchester United won their first league title since Munich. Law's 28 league goals that season made him the First Division's top scorer.
The following season, Law injured his right knee while playing for Scotland against Poland on 21 October, 1965. He had previously had an operation on the same knee while at Huddersfield,[9] and the injury was to trouble him for the rest of his career.
In 1966 Law asked United's manager Matt Busby to give him a pay rise at his next contract renewal, and threatened to leave the club if he didn't get one. Busby immediately placed Law on the transfer list, announcing that "no player will hold this club to ransom, no player". When Law went to see him, Busby pulled out a written apology for him to sign, showing it to the press once he had done so.[10] Law later claimed that Busby had used the incident to warn other players not to do the same thing, but had secretly given him the pay rise.[11]
Law scored in Scotland's famous 3–2 victory over England on 15 April 1967, less than a year after England had become world champions. Manchester United won the league that season, but Law felt that the victory over England was even more satisfying.[12]
In 1967/8, United won the European Cup for the first time, but Law's knee injury was causing him serious problems and he missed both the semi-final and the final as a result. He was regularly given cortisone injections to ease the pain, but playing while the knee was still injured was causing long-term damage. He visited a specialist in January 1968 who wrote to United claiming that a previous operation to remove the cartilage from the knee had failed and recommending that a second operation be performed, but Law was not shown the report for several years and had to continue full training.[13]
In 1968/9, United reached the semi-final of the European Cup, playing AC Milan, but were knocked out after Law had a goal disallowed. Busby, who had now been knighted, resigned at the end of the season and United's decline began.
[editar] The decline
Wilf McGuinness took over as first team coach at the start of the 1969/70 season.[14] United finished eighth in the league, but Law missed almost all of the season through injury, and in April 1970 he was transfer listed for £60,000. Nobody made a bid for him, so he stayed at United.
After a poor 1970/1 season, Frank O'Farrell took over as United manager. They made a good start to the 1971/2 season and finished 1971 five points clear at the top of the league, with Law having scored twelve goals. However, results deteriorated and they finished the season in fifth place. Law scored in the first match of the following season (1972/3), but his knee injury was troubling him again, and he failed to score for the rest of the season. The poor results continued and O'Farrell was sacked.
Law recommended that United replace O'Farrell with Tommy Docherty, whom he knew from playing for Scotland.[15] The club followed his recommendation, and things started well with the team's improved results lifting them into mid-table.
[editar] Derradeira Tempada (1973-74)
Docherty deulle a carta de liberdade no verán de 1973, e voltou ó Manchester City, co que conseguíu o subcampionato da League Cup, tras caer na final por 2-1 contra os Wolves.
No derradeiro encontro da tempada o City enfrontábase ao United, e este precisaba a vitoria para ficar na primeira division. O Manchester City gañou por 1-0, gol de Denis Law nun remate co calcaño que afundía á escadra coa que conseguíu os seus maiores éxitos ó pozo da segunda división. Despois de anota-lo gol, Law sentíuse afundido, non celebrou o tanto e inmediatamente foi substitiudo.
Escocia clasificouse para un mundial, o de Alemaña 1974, por vez primeira dende 1958. Law foi convocado pola selección, aínda que non xogara moito ese ano. Foi titular no primeiro encontro contra Zaire, vencendo Escocia por 2-0. Nos seguintes encontros contra o Brasil e a Iugoslavia non xogou nin un só minuto. Law confesouse "moi decepcionado"[16] por non poderes participar no xogo. Escocia non pasou á segunda rolda.
[editar] Despois do Fútbol
Law tiña contrato co City mais o adestrador Tony Book díxolle que se ficaba no equipo actuaría coma xogador reserva. Non querendo rematar deste xeito a súa carreira, decide retirarse no verán de 1974.[17]
Dende entón Law traballou ocasionalmente coma presentador de radio e televisión
Segue casado con Diana, vive en Manchester e ten cinco fillos. A súa filla, tamén chamada Diana traballa coma axente de prensa para o United.
Law está no English Football Hall of Fame en recoñecemento ó seu impacto no fútbol inglés.
On 23 February, 2002, a statue of Law was unveiled at Old Trafford, in the part of the stadium known as the Stretford End.[18] He had a successful operation to treat prostate cancer in November 2003[19] and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen on 5 July 2005.[20]
The emergence of Dutch international Dennis Bergkamp in the 1990s uncovered a story that the player's parents, who were fans of Manchester United in the 1960s, named their son after Law, although Dutch authorities refused to recognise the name unless it was spelt with two n's as they felt it was otherwise too similar to Denise.
On November 25 2005, Law was at the bedside of former United team-mate George Best as he lost his battle against multiple organ failure.
[editar] Historial deportivo
Clubes:
- Huddersfield Town (1956–1960)
- Manchester City (1960–1961)
- Torino (1961–1962)
- Manchester United (1962–1973)
- Manchester City (1973–1974)
Galardóns:
- FA Cup (1963)
- Campión da Liga inglesa (1965, 1967)
- Balón de Ouro (1964)
(Law was a Manchester United player when the team won the European Cup in 1968, but he missed the match through injury).
- Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame (2002)
- Scotland's Golden Player (most outstanding player of the past 50 years) by the Scottish Football Association (November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee)[21]
[editar] Encontros e goles nos clubes
En tódalas competicións:
Tempada | Clube | Encontros | Goles |
---|---|---|---|
1956-57 | Huddersfield Town | 18 | 3 |
1957-58 | Huddersfield Town | 20 | 6 |
1958-59 | Huddersfield Town | 26 | 2 |
1959-60 | Huddersfield Town | 27 | 8 |
1959-60 | Manchester City | 7 | 2 |
1960-61 | Manchester City | 43 | 21 |
1961-62 | Torino | 27 | 10 |
1962-63 | Manchester United | 44 | 29 |
1963-64 | Manchester United | 41 | 45 |
1964-65 | Manchester United | 52 | 39 |
1965-66 | Manchester United | 48 | 24 |
1966-67 | Manchester United | 38 | 25 |
1967-68 | Manchester United | 27 | 9 |
1968-69 | Manchester United | 36 | 21 |
1969-70 | Manchester United | 20 | 12 |
1970-71 | Manchester United | 34 | 16 |
1971-72 | Manchester United | 41 | 13 |
1972-73 | Manchester United | 12 | 3 |
1973-74 | Manchester City | 26 | 12 |
TOTAL | 587 | 300 |
[editar] References
- ↑ Denis Law and Bob Harris, The King (New York: Bantam Press, 2003), 29.
- ↑ Ibid., 53.
- ↑ Ibid., 112.
- ↑ Ibid., 67.
- ↑ Ibid., 68.
- ↑ Denis Law – An Autobiography, 67.
- ↑ Ibid., 68.
- ↑ Ibid., 74.
- ↑ The King,164.
- ↑ Ibid., 170.
- ↑ Ibid., 170–171.
- ↑ Ibid., 178.
- ↑ Ibid., 189.
- ↑ Ibid., 208.
- ↑ Ibid., 217.
- ↑ Ibid., 108.
- ↑ Denis Law – An Autobiography, 162.
- ↑ Denis Law statue unveiled. Article on official Manchester United website.
- ↑ How I beat prostate cancer: Denis Law. Article on Manchester Online.
- ↑ Law will not judge Glazers yet. Article on Manchester Online.
- ↑ Golden Players take center stage. UEFA.com.
[editar] Bibliography
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
[editar] External links
- Short biography on the official Manchester United website
- Short biography on Manchester Online
- English Football Hall of Fame Profile
- Photos & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- UEFA.com - Scotland's Golden Player