José Miguel Marín Ocotto (15 March 1945 – 30 December 1991) was an Argentine

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

and as a football coach. He started his career in

Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield () is an Argentine sports club based in Liniers, Buenos Aires. Its football team plays in Primera División, the highest level of the Argentine league system. Founded in 1910, the club has spent most of its histo ...

, and became champion with this Argentine team. He then became a Mexican soccer star with

Cruz Azul Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...

, where he won several championships and became an iconic player. He is widely regarded as one of the best international goalkeepers to play in Mexico.

Early life

Born on May 15, 1945, in

Río Tercero, Córdoba Río Tercero is a city located on the center of the country, more specifically on the Tercero River in the Tercero Arriba Department of Córdoba Province (Argentina). Notable residents * Juan Fernandez, college basketball player with the Temple ...

, Marín was of a modest family. He grew up working in the greengrocery stores of his neighborhood. Marín would play in the pastures and use the frame of the trees as goals. This caught the attention of a boss at work who subsequently took him to Buenos Aires for a trial at Vélez Sarsfield. Despite conceding eight goals,

Victorio Spinetto Victorio Luis Spinetto (3 June 1911 – 28 August 1990) was an Argentine football player and manager. He played as a centre half, mostly for Vélez Sársfield in the Argentine Primera División, debuting with the club in 1932 and retiring in ...

accepted him into the institution and was enrolled into the club's youth team at 14. Marín was notably disciplined. He devoted himself to train his physical and technical skills twice a day.

Career

Marín began his career with Vélez Sarsfield. He joined

in 1971, making his league debut at Guadalajara on 26 December 1971. Marín played for Cruz Azul until he retired in 1980, appearing in 309

Mexican Primera División The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year. The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in al ...

matches. Marin won five league championships with Cruz Azul. Marín was selected in the

Argentina national football team The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in men's international football and is administered by the Argentine Football Association, the governing body for football in Argentina. Nicknamed ''La Albiceleste'' ('The White and S ...

for the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, but did not appear in any matches. He made two appearances for the senior side. After retiring from playing, Marín became a football coach. He was appointed manager of Cruz Azul during the 1982–83 season. Later, he managed

Deportivo Neza Deportivo Neza also known as Coyotes is a Mexican football team. The club was founded in 1978 when the city of Ciudad Neza bought the Club de Fútbol Laguna franchise. The club has played in various leagues in Mexico. The club played from 1978 to ...

Nicknames

He was initially referred to by the nickname "El Gato" (The Cat). However, due to his spectacular saves, the label of "El Superman" was applied by the famed commentator and broadcaster Rugama Angel Fernandez. Marin's brilliant career would place him in a unique position in football statistics, with a minimum number of goals allowed, making him the most effective goal keeper in the history of Mexican soccer.

Death

He was working as coach of the University of Querétaro, when he suffered a massive heart attack: on 30 December 1991 he was admitted to the Hospital of Santa Cruz de Querétaro. The news spread like wildfire, a sharp blow to Mexican soccer: "Superman" had died. The insurmountable "Miguel Marin." His rivals and colleagues came to say their last goodbyes. Marin became a legend who has endured over time, and is a giant in the history of Cruz Azul and Mexican soccer. His remains rest in the

La Chacarita Cemetery Cementerio de la Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the National Cemetery and is the largest in Argentina. Location The cemetery is in the barrio or district of Chacarita, in the western part of Buenos Aires. Its main entrance i ...

in his native Argentina.

Honours

Cruz Azul *

(5): 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1979–80 Individual *

Golden Ball: 1979–80

References

Argentine men's footballers Argentina men's international footballers Argentine expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Footballers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic footballers for Argentina Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield footballers Cruz Azul footballers Cruz Azul managers Argentine Primera División players Liga MX players Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery 1945 births 1991 deaths Men's association football goalkeepers Argentine football managers Footballers from Córdoba Province, Argentina {{Argentina-footy-goalkeeper-stub