Oscar López Turitich
, a point marker for
Platense
and
River
who was a symbol of the 80s, died. The news came out in the last hours and was confirmed by Vicente López's club, which dedicated a post to him on his social networks
.
Wearing the Squid shirt, López Turitich starred in a historic play in Argentine soccer, on the 4th date of the Metropolitano 1984. He saved a penalty from the Uruguayan Fernando Morena, from Boca.
In that match the goalkeeper Puentedura was expelled and he showed his face.
"I asked to go to the goal. Then I saw that Morena leaned to one side, and she threw it to my right and I stopped it. The game ended 2 to 2. And I gave myself a great pleasure," López Turitich told Clarín three
years
ago years, when in the middle of the pandemic he described the difficult situation he was going through.
Diabetes hit him hard and at that time his leg had to be amputated.
He was looking for a job or some opportunity to help his family.
As it became known, his health worsened recently and they also had to amputate his other leg.
In addition to the anecdote of the penalty, López Turitich achieved sporting glory as part of the River squad that won its first Copa Libertadores, in 1986.
The former soccer player was a member of a WhatsApp group of former Millionaire players, including Negro Héctor Enrique, Nery Pumpido, Oscar Ruggeri, the Spider Luis Amuchástegui and Pedro Troglio, among others.
There the unfortunate news was announced, communicated by one of the relatives of the former marker.
The Uruguayan Antonio Alzamendi dedicated a message to him on Twitter.
"Our dear López Turitich left us," wrote the remembered scorer, along with a photo in which Oscar appears, with his crutches in a tribute from River to the 1986 champions.
In the talk with Clarín, López Turitich recounted how hard the amputation of his right leg was, due to gangrene.
"
I wanted to die, I didn't want to continue living.
But my friends asked me to keep going for my family. The most exciting thing was receiving the messages from the River players, which helped me to leave behind the great depression I had."
After soccer he was a bus driver and taxi driver, activities that he could no longer do without his leg.
López Turitich suffered a leg amputation.
"I searched for it, but
now with one leg less nobody gives me work
. And that makes me sick," he lamented.
His sports career began in Platense, where he played from 1979 to 1984. It was the springboard to play for River champion in 85/86.
From there he went to Huracán, who was looking to return to the First Division, until 1989. And later he went through Cipolletti de Río Negro, Colegiales, El Porvenir and Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta.
He emphasizes that his former River teammates never abandoned him and even Pedro Troglio sent him money from Peru.
"That helps me to continue living with my son here in San Martín.
It's very sad, for someone who was a player, to have one leg less.
You feel powerless because you can't work and I admit that I'm a cripple. But I know that with With the help of my friends I will get ahead and I will have a new crutch. And hopefully PAMI can help me because they are very supportive of the Argentines," he told Clarín.
His happiest moment in football was when they told him he would play for River.
He was doing the preseason with Platense and the president
del Marrón arrived at the concentration to tell him that his pass had been made.
"I swear I pinched myself because I couldn't believe it," he told Clarín.
But he recognized that the best of memories was when he saved Morena's famous penalty.
Because the game was lost: a two-goal disadvantage against Boca and with the goalkeeper sent off.
The penalty saved from him was fundamental.
"We in Platense prepared ourselves with Boca as if it were a classic. And you don't know how we celebrated that draw, as if we had emerged champions. That's why with the River shirt I also celebrated the double win over Boca," said the Oscar with his smile characteristic.
