Legendary Argentine Goalkeeper Hugo Orlando Gatti Passes Away At 80

At age 44 he was still in the starting lineup for regional footballing giants Boca Juniors.

Gatti was famously extroverted and one of the first goalkeepers to make a habit of coming out of the six-yard box into the larger area in front of him.

Gatti was outspoken and once called the football legend Diego Maradona “gordito,” or chubby. Days later Maradona exacted revenge by scoring four goals against him.

Gatti was on the Boca Juniors team that won the Copa Libertadores in 1977.

He was supposed to be the starting goalie for the Argentine national team that went on to win the World Cup in 1978 but a knee injury months before the tournament sidelined him.