November 26 is a solemn day for Club Guadalajara, because on a day like today, but in 2006, one of the pillars that built the greatness of Chivas left this earthly world. We are talking about Javier De la Torre, one of the greatest historical references of our institution, who contributed both on the field and from the bench.
He was born in Aguascalientes in 1923, although he grew up in La Perla Tapatía from a young age. At the age of 19, he made his debut with the Rebaño Sagrado in the 1943-44 season, the first professional season in our football, and did so in a Clasico Tapatio, in which Chivas overwhelmed the Rojinegros 7-3 at Parque Oro.
He played 12 long tournaments with the team of his love, during which time he remained one of the most regular players, accumulating 278 official matches and scoring 81 goals, until he retired in 1955.
The following year he took over as coach of the Rebaño Sagrado for 3 years, a period in which he began to build the legend of the Campeonísimo. In his two stints as Chivas' coach, he spent 15 years at the service of the club, filling it with glory along with a group of players like no other in the history of Mexican soccer, since under the Engineer's orders, Club Deportivo Guadalajara's trophy cabinets were filled with 14 official trophies, including the first international one.
Undoubtedly, we are talking about one of the most important figures in the history of the Rebaño Sagrado, who undoubtedly contributed to the fact that today, without a doubt, it is the most popular and beloved team in Mexico.
Hug to the sky, Engineer Javier de la Torre!
Javier de la Torre's legacy
- 5 League titles
- 1 Mexican Cup title
- 6 Champion of Champions titles
- 1 Concacaf title
- 1 Occidental Gold Cup title
