Vavá II explained

Vavá II
Fullname:Luciano Sánchez García
Birth Date:28 May 1944
Birth Place:Béjar, Spain
Height:1.69 m
Position:Forward
Youthclubs1:Béjar Industrial
Years1:1963–1964
Years2:1964–1973
Caps2:214
Goals2:64
Years3:1973–1974
Caps3:7
Goals3:0
Years4:1974–1976
Years5:1976–1977
Years6:1977–1979
Totalcaps:221
Totalgoals:64
Nationalyears1:1966–1969
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:0

Luciano Sánchez García (28 May 1944), known as Vavá II, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

Club career

As a youngster, Luciano gave himself the nickname Vavá II, due to his admiration for the Brazilian striker, he began his career with his hometown team, CD Béjar Industrial. In 1963 he signed for Elche CF, although the first season he played for the reserve team, Deportivo Ilicitano, in Segunda División.

He made his debut on Primera División on 18 October 1964, in a match against UD Las Palmas in which he scored a goal. In 1965, he played a friendly match for FC Barcelona. The following year, the 1965/66 season, he was the top scorer in the Spanish League, with nineteen goals, making him the only player in the history of Elche CF to have won the Pichichi Trophy. A few months later, he also became the first Elche player to wear the Spain national team shirt. In 1969 he was runner-up in the Copa del Rey, the greatest sporting success in the history of Elche CF. In the final, Athletic Bilbao won 1-0 and Vavá played the entire match.

Despite losing the category in the 1970/71 season, he continued to play for Elche in Segunda División. For the 1973/74 season he signed for Deportivo de La Coruña, where he played for one season. In 1974 he retired from professional football, and he played for Melilla CF, Mérida Industrial and Don Benito for the following seasons until 1979, when he ultimately retired.[1]

International career

In the Spain national team, he played two matches without scoring a goal. He made his debut on 23 October 1966 in a match against the Republic of Ireland.

Career statistics

Clubs

Source:[2]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Elche1964–65La Liga1910212111
1965–66La Liga3018653623
1966–67La Liga298623510
1967–68La Liga259533012
1968–69La Liga30880388
1969–70La Liga27221293
1970–71La Liga24730277
1971–72Segunda División30221323
Total21464341324877
Deportivo de La Coruña1973–74Segunda División70??70
Don Benito1977–78Tercera División??1010
1978–79Tercera División??2020
Total??3030
Career total22164371325877

International

[2]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain196610
196910
Total20

Honours

Individual

Top Scorer 1965–66[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vavá, el primer "Pichichi" en la historia del Elche. Marca. 6 August 2018. 3 January 2022.
  2. Web site: Spain – Vavá II. Besoccer. 4 January 2022.
  3. Web site: Spain – List of Topscorers ("Pichichi") 1929–2015. RSSSF. 3 January 2022. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084634/http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/spantops.html. 4 March 2016. dmy.