COLOMBIA

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have been in Europe. He was a
sensational idol in Bolivia. Every
Sunday after each match, they
carried him shoulder high about
20 blocks from the stadium until
Murillo Square, one block from the
Government Palace. The people
used to invite him to have dinner
in their homes…
What is the following saga
of your life been like?, since
that is what it really was.
In 1961, I had a beautiful
experience. Always Ready, another
club of La Paz, made a long tour
along Europe, and they took me
with them as a kind of reinforcement.
I went with a lot of
youngsters, since the Bolivian great
players were unable to travel,
because the tour did not pay them
and the older ones had to take
money to their homes. We played
in 11 countries, England, Scotland,
France, Germany, Switzerland,
Belgium, Denmark, Romania,
Greece, Spain, Bulgaria… We
played 27 matches, almost all of
them against important teams; I
remember the one we played
against Belgium’s Anderlecht
when we tied 3-3. As to myself,
only 17 years old, I was the
youngest of the delegation.
An unforgettable
memory!
Of course, it was sensational.
As to learning, it was excellent for
100●CSF
El plantel campeón
Antonio AGUIRRE
Máximo ALCÓCER
Abdul ARAMAYO
Ramiro BLACUT
Roberto CAINZO
Wilfredo CAMACHO
Carlos CÁRDENAS
Fortunato CASTILLO
Eduardo ESPINOZA
Ausberto GARCÍA
Jesús HERBAS
Arturo LÓPEZ
Renán LÓPEZ
Hugo PALENQUE
Edgar QUINTEROS
Max RAMÍREZ
Alfredo TORRES
Eulogio VARGAS
Víctor Agustín UGARTE
Mario ZABALAGA
DT: Danilo ALVIM
we had to confront big teams.
We played on Wednesdays and
we travelled in bus, train, airplane
or whatever. We never trained
because we did not have time. It
lasted 4 months and we were
close to Russia, but we had to
return, we were tired and had
no more money.
You were telling me that
this tour was some sort of
preparation for the Team to
the 1963 Copa América.
Certainly it was. They took
Máximo Alcócer, Renán López,
Zabalaga from Wilstermann;
Eduardo Espinoza from Always
Ready, and myself from Bolívar. We
were all champions after 1963.
As a good native of La Paz, he
speaks like the people of the high
plateau, dragging the “s,s,s,”
pronouncing clearly and slowly.
I came back from the tour
and I played half a year in Bolívar.
At 18 years of age, I played in
Argentina´s Ferro Carril Oeste. That
was in 1962. I went to play and
study and I got my title as
Max Ramírez, en esa copa zaguero
central, y Camacho, mediocampista
y capitán, entran al campo de juego.
Izquierda: el Dr. Leoz condecora a
Ramiro Blacut. Completan la escena
Julio Grondona y Jorge Burruchaga.
Max Ramírez, a central back in that
Cup and Camacho, captain and
midfielders enter the field of play.
On the left: Dr. Leoz decorates
Ramiro Blacut accompanied by Julio
Grondona and Jorge Burruchaga.
Bachelor. There I had Garabal;
Marrapodi, Etchevest, Ribaudo as
teammates and afterwards we
were Champions of America with
Estudiantes…
You were getting to
the Copa América, at the
beginning of 1963…
You’re right. I went back to
La Paz and the National Team was
getting ready. I was incorporated
by Christmas or the New Year… I
was 19 years old in January and
the Cup was played in March. I
played it with only 19 years of
age! I was the youngest footballer
of the competition.
Let’s pass the Cup for a
moment, was it from there
that you went to play in
Germany?
No, I went to study. When the
Cup finished, I played a few more
months in Bolívar while I waited