Zenón Díaz (31 December 1880 – 5 September 1948) 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 lea ...
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
after he was discovered by two club executives who had watched him playing ''la ronda'' in the streets. Those executives had been impressed by Díaz's ability to use hands. He debuted as goalkeeper in a match against Rosario A.C. in 1903, which Central lost 2–1. Nevertheless, Díaz did not remain playing as a goalkeeper much longer because he preferred to play in a position where he could run.
As a defender, Díaz consolidated as one of the most famous players of his time. Díaz played for Rosario Central from 1903 to 1919, when he retired after a match against the arch-rival
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Argentine football.
A ...
on 4 May. Notably, Díaz played the last minutes as goalkeeper, replacing his nephew
Octavio Díaz
Octavio Juan Díaz (7 October 1900 – 12 November 1977) was an Argentine Association football goalkeeper who played for the Argentina national football team.
Díaz played club football for Rosario Central, where he won a few local titles a ...
, who had left the field after being injured.
Díaz played at least 175 games and scored at least eight goals, winning four national cups and seven regional titles with Rosario Central. Like other players during the amateur era, he also worked at the
Central Argentine Railway
The Central Argentine Railway, referred to as CA below, (in Spanish: Ferrocarril Central Argentino) was one of the ''Big Four'' Indian gauge, broad gauge, Great Britain, British companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina. T ...
. Díaz's playing style was based on tough man-marking, and he was known for his slide
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position)
A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
1916 South American Championship
The 1916 South American Championship () was the first continental championship for national association football teams in South America. It was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 2 to 17 July during Argentina's Independence Centenary commemo ...
against
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. Díaz was the first Argentine native (non-British origin) player to be capped for the national team.
After retirement
Díaz attended the celebration of the 50th. anniversary of Club Rosario Central held in 1939, being honored by the club as one of its most notable players. He was also the flag bearer during the ceremony. Díaz also participated in the radio program ''La Voz del Deporte'' ("the voice of sports") where he was part of a special edition to commemorate the 50th. anniversary.
Zenón Díaz died on 5 September 1948, after battling against a disease.
Honours
;
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
*
Copa de Competencia La Nación
The Copa de Competencia "La Nación" (also called "Concurso por Eliminación") was an official Argentine football cup competition organized by dissident " Federación Argentina de Football" (FAF), being first held in 1913. The tournament only had ...
:
1913
Events January
* January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city.
* January 3 &ndash ...
*
Copa Ibarguren
The Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, also called Campeonato Argentino by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF or simply Copa Ibarguren was an offi ...
:
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
*January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1
* ...
*
Copa de Competencia Jockey Club
The Copa de Competencia Jockey Club was an official Argentine football cup competition contested between 1907 and 1933. The winner of this Cup was allowed to play the Tie Cup against the Uruguayan champion of Copa de Competencia.
Alumni and Sa ...
:
1916
Events
Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...
1916
Events
Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...
* Copa Nicasio Vila (6): 1908, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919
* Federación Rosarina de Football: 1913
* Copa Damas de Caridad: 1910, 1914, 1915, 1916
;Argentina
*
Copa Lipton
The Copa Lipton or Copa de Caridad Lipton was a Association football, football friendly competition contested between Argentina national football team, Argentina and Uruguay national football team, Uruguay national teams. The competition was hel ...
: 1906
*
Copa Premier Honor Argentino
The Copa Premier Honor Argentino or the Copa Honor Argentino was an international football friendly competition contested by Argentina and Uruguay national teams. All games were played in Buenos Aires. It was held in ten occasions between 1908 and ...
: 1913
*
Copa Newton
Copa Newton was a football friendly competition contested between Argentina and Uruguay. The trophy, donated by Nicanor Newton,Copa Premier Honor Uruguayo: 1916