José Andrade (behind the bar) serving a drink to his teammates in Amsterdam (1928) |
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | José Leandro Andrade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | November 22, 1901 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Salto, Uruguay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 5 October 1957 | (aged 55)||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.72m (5ft 8in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Right half | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Misiones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1921-1923 | Bella Vista | 71 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1924-1929 | Nacional | 105 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1930-1935 | Peñarol | 88 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1933 | Atlanta | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1934 | Lanús-Talleres | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wanderers | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1923–1930 | Uruguay | 34 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
José Leandro Andrade (November 22, 1901 – October 5, 1957) was an Uruguayan footballer who played at right half. Nicknamed the black marvel, "meravilla negra", is considered the first great colored player, and the very first real international football star.
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Andrade was born in Salto in 1901 to an Argentine mother. José Ignacio Andrade, who is believed to have been his father, was listed on his birth certificate as a witness. The older Andrade, who was 98 years old at the time of José Leandro Andrade's birth, had been an expert in African magic and is believed to have been an African-born slave who had escaped from Brazil.[1]
At an early age Andrade moved to the Palermo barrio in Montevideo where he lived with an aunt.[2]
Prior to the introduction of professional football in Uruguay he worked in a number of jobs. He at one time worked as a carnival musician playing the drums, violin and the tambourine,[3][4][5] and at another time led the drums corp for carnival comparsa Libertadores de Africa.[6] At various times in his life he also worked as a shoeshiner and as a newspaper salesman.[2][4]
Andrade was a guest at the 1950 FIFA World Cup when Uruguay won their second world championship. His nephew Víctor Rodríguez Andrade, a member of the 1950 team, had adopted Andrade as his second surname in honour of Andrade.[7]
By 1956, when he was located by German journalist Fritz Hack, he had descended into alcoholism and was living in a small flat in a poor area of Montevideo.[7]
After contracting tuberculosis Andrade died in poverty in 1957 at the Piñeyro del Campo nursing home in Montevideo.[5][7][8]
As a teenager Andrade played for Montevideo club Misiones.
In the early 1920s Andrade was signed by Bella Vista, where he played 71 matches and scored seven goals. It was at Bella Vista that he was first selected for the national team.[2][9]
Andrade later moved to Nacional where he won four Uruguayan Championships and three national cups.[10]
Andrade transferred to Peñarol in 1930 where he played 88 matches over the next few years. He had as a teenager trained with Peñarol but had not been accepted.[7]
From the mid-1930s he played for a number of teams in Argentina including Atlanta, and Lanús-Talleres. He also had a brief stint with Wanderers in Uruguay.
Andrade earned 34 appearances with la Celeste Olimpica scoring one goal between 1923 and 1930.[11]
Andrade played in South American Championship (now known as Copa América) winning teams in 1923, 1924 and 1926.[12][13][14]
Andrade won his first Olympic gold medal at the 1924 Olympic football tournament in Paris. He was recognised as being the first black international football player to play Olympic football.[15] He was nicknamed The Black Marvel and The Black Pearl, the latter a name later used in reference to Pelé.[16]
In reaction to the 1924 Olympic win the Uruguayan team were challenged to a two match series by Argentina. In the second match at the Estadio Sportivo Barracas in Buenos Aires Andrade was pelted with stones by the Argentine crowd to which Andrade and the rest of the Uruguayan team responded by throwing the stones back. In the ensuing riot a member of his team was arrested and the Uruguayans refused to play out the remainder of the match.[4]
In 1928 he won his second Olympic gold medal at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. During the semi-final match against Italy Andrade collided with a goal post, seriously injuring and eye. This later deteriorated to the point that he became blind in that eye.[7]
Despite not being at his peak he managed to be one of Uruguay's best players as they won the 1930 World Cup. At the end of the tournament he was selected in the All-Star team.[9][17][18] In 1994 he was selected by France Football as number ten in their World Cup Top-100.[19]
A plaque was placed at the Estadio Centenario in honour of his achievements.[20]
Andrade was also credited with being an intelligent and honest player who never celebrated his goals. He was a dynamic, fast and highly technical player who was able to dominate the pitch without the physicality of many of his team mates.[1][7]
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