Editing Paco Gento (section)

==Club career==
Gento debuted in the [[La Liga|''Primera División'']] with [[Racing Santander]] in the 1952–53 season. He was still playing mostly for the B team at Santander when a flu virus saw him promoted to the first team ahead of a home game against [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]]. Such was his performance in the match, that Madrid signed him three days later.<ref name="transfer">Ball 2011, 135</ref> 
[[File:Amsterdam_tegen_Real_Madrid_1-4_in_het_Olympisch_Stadion_te_Amsterdam,_vlnr,_Gento,_Leo_Horn_,_Di_Stefano_en_Wilkes;_Bestanddeelnr_910-4823.jpg|thumb|Gento, [[Leo Horn]], [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]] and [[Faas Wilkes]] in 1959]]
La ''Galerna del Cantábrico'' (The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea), as he was known, played [[outside left]] and was noted for his exceptional pace, his skills with the ball and his scoring prowess from the midfield position.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ortego |first1=Enrique |title=Gento: "Lo que hizo Bale ya lo hacía yo"|trans-title=Gento: "I already did what Bale is doing now"|url=https://www.marca.com/2014/04/19/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1397896164.html |access-date=19 January 2022 |work=Marca |date=19 April 2014 |language=Spanish}}</ref> In 1967, following [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]]'s departure and [[Ferenc Puskás]]'s retirement, he became the captain of a young side, known in Spain as ''[[Ye-yé (Real Madrid)|Ye-yé]]'', because of the popularity of [[The Beatles]] at that time.<ref name="captain">Ball 2011, 136</ref>

Gento did not score in his first season and was under pressure from club president [[Santiago Bernabéu (footballer)|Santiago Bernabéu]]. The president was won over by Di Stéfano's argument "he is quick and hits the ball like a cannon. That can't be learned, it's innate. We can teach him the rest".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siguero |first1=Santiago |title=Di Stéfano, a Santiago Bernabéu sobre Paco Gento: "Le enseñaremos"|trans-title=Di Stéfano, to Santiago Bernabéu on Paco Gento: "We will teach him"|url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/real-madrid/2022/01/18/5e727038e2704e563f8b45da.html |access-date=18 January 2022 |work=Marca |date=18 January 2022 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
Among other honors, Gento won the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] a record six times with Real Madrid between 1955 and 1966 being the only Madrid player to figure in all of the wins (a record since equalled by [[Nacho (footballer, born 1990)|Nacho]], [[Luka Modrić]] and [[Dani Carvajal]]).<ref name=Titles>{{cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/12/29/in-celebration-of-paco-gento-the-habitual-european-cup-winner/|title=Paco Gento: the habitual European Cup winner|website=These Football Times|date=29 December 2015|accessdate=11 March 2021}}</ref> He contributed with 31 goals in 88 European Cup career matches.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Azzoni |first1=Tales |title=Muere Paco Gento, mítico delantero del Real Madrid|trans-title=Paco Gento, Real Madrid legendary forward, dies|url=https://apnews.com/article/deportes-0cc506d4edf55a251bbb3a3e8882bd64 |access-date=19 January 2022 |publisher=Associated Press |date=18 January 2022 |language=Spanish}}</ref>

Gento played in eight European Cup finals, with a 6–2 record, and he also appeared in a ninth European final appearance in the [[1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup|1970–1971 Cup Winners' Cup]] final that Real Madrid lost to [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/12/14/the-emperors-of-athens-how-chelsea-won-the-cup-winners-cup-in-1971/|title=The emperors of Athens|website=These Football Times|date=14 December 2018|accessdate=11 March 2021}}</ref> He holds this record jointly with [[A.C. Milan|Milan]]'s [[Paolo Maldini]], who has an inferior 5–3 record. Gento's legendary Real Madrid teammate, Alfredo Di Stéfano's 5–2 record comes third.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0221-0e90f325d671-3e169a0ee9bb-1000--eight-days-to-go-maldini-and-gento-s-record/|title=Eight days to go ... Maldini and Gento's record|website=UEFA|date=29 May 2015|accessdate=11 March 2021}}</ref>[[File:Sharif_El-Far_1960.jpg|thumb|Gento shaking hands with [[Zamalek SC|Zamalek]]'s captain [[Sharif El-Far]] before their friendly match on the occasion for celebrating 50 years on Zamalek's establishment in [[Cairo International Stadium|Cairo Stadium]] on 10 March 1961]]Domestically, Gento collected 12 [[La Liga]] titles during his time with Madrid.<ref name=Titles /> He scored 128 times in 428 league appearances for the club, a strong return for a winger, especially as he was often providing goals for teammates Di Stéfano and Puskás.<ref name=Titles /> He won 23 trophies for the club, which remained an outright record until equalled by [[Marcelo (footballer, born 1988)|Marcelo]] days before Gento's death.<ref>{{cite news |title=Real Madrid: Six-time European Cup winner Francisco 'Paco' Gento dies aged 88 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60037044 |access-date=18 January 2022 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Marcelo alcanza a Gento|trans-title=Marcelo reaches Gento|url=https://as.com/futbol/2022/01/16/primera/1642369341_498282.html |access-date=18 January 2022 |work=Diario AS |date=16 January 2022 |language=Spanish}}</ref>

After he retired from football in 1971, he coached various lower-league teams, such as [[Real Madrid Castilla|Castilla]], [[CD Castellón|Castellón]], [[Palencia CF (I)|Palencia]], and [[Granada CF|Granada]]. In [[1978–79 Segunda División B|1978–79]], he led Palencia to promotion to the [[Segunda División]] for the first time in their history.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sánchez Barreda |first1=Julio J. |title=El día en que el Castilla ganó al Palencia de Paco Gento en el Bernabéu|trans-title=The day that Castilla beat Paco Gento's Palencia in the Bernabéu|url=https://www.adnblanco.com/el-dia-en-que-el-castilla-gano-al-palencia-de-paco-gento/ |access-date=18 January 2022 |publisher=ADN Blanco |date=30 March 2020 |language=Spanish}}</ref> He later took up a role as an ambassador for Real Madrid throughout Europe, alongside Di Stéfano. After Di Stéfano died in 2014, Gento became the honorary president of the club.<ref>{{cite news |title=Murió Francisco Gento, leyenda del Real Madrid|trans-title=Francisco Gento, Real Madrid legend, died |url=https://www.elgrafico.com.ar/articulo/1053/48457/murio-francisco-gento-leyenda-del-real-madrid |access-date=18 January 2022 |work=El Gráfico |date=18 January 2022 |language=Spanish}}</ref>