Tomás Felipe Carlovich (19 April 1946[2] – 8 May 2020), nicknamed El Trinche,[3][4][5][6][7] was an Argentine professional football player and coach. His position on the field was central midfielder, playing in several clubs although he is mostly associated with Central Córdoba, where he became an idol[4][8] and the most representative player of the club along with Gabino Sosa.[9] Due to his ball control and dribbling ability, many people saw Carlovich as a pure representative of creole football, although he had played only a few matches in the top division of Argentine football.[4] Carlovich also had a brief stint as coach in Central Córdoba, although he stated that he was not interested in taking over the senior squad again after resigning.[10] He is the only one recognized by the regional league. Two of the world's greatest football superstars like, Diego Maradona and Pelé.[6]
 Carlovich with Central Córdoba, c. 1975 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tomás Felipe Carlovich | ||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1946 | ||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Argentina | ||
| Date of death | 8 May 2020 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Rosario, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1965-1968 | Sporting of Bigand | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1969-1070 | Rosario Central | 2 | (2) |
| 1971 | Flandria | 4 | (1) |
| 1972 | Independiente Rivadavia | 15 | (8) |
| 1973–1975 | Central Córdoba | 58 | (48) |
| 1976 | Rosario Central | 3 | (1) |
| 1977 | Colón de Santa Fe | 2 | (1) |
| 1978–1979 | Deportivo Maipú | 13 | (7) |
| 1980–1983 | Central Córdoba | 82 | (34) |
| 1984 | Pergamino | 10 | (5) |
| 1985 |
Newell's Old Boys of Cañada de Gómez | 7 | (4) |
| 1986 | Central Córdoba | 8 | (2) |
| 1987-88 | Argentino (MM) | 40 | (23) |
| Total | 244+ | (136+) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
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Carlovich grew up in Belgrano neighborhood, Rosario. Carlovich (Croatian: Karlović) was of Croatian descent: his father, Mario Karlović, was an immigrant from Zagreb. Once settled in San Francisco de Santa Fe he met Carlovich's mother, Elvira Vega. At the end of the 1960s decade he began to play football in Rosario Central, but he received most recognition during his tenure in Central Córdoba. Playing for Central Córdoba, Carlovich won the promotions of 1973 and 1982.
He also played in Colón de Santa Fe and Independiente Rivadavia (team which defeated Internazionale in a friendly match, with Carlovich as part of the line-up), Furthermore, in 1984 he went through Provincial of Pergamino and, in 1985, he played for Newell's Old Boys of Cañada de Gómez, an entity belonging to the Cañadense Football League. He retired in October 1988, at the age of 42, in Argentino, from Monte Maíz.[11]
The historical "forward and back nutmeg"
editDuring a match between Central Córdoba and Talleres de Remedios de Escalada, a supporter encouraged Carlovich to make a double nutmeg, moving the ball first forward, then back. This request was immediately fulfilled by "El Trinche", causing a huge ovation from his fans in the grandstand. This nutmeg would be repeated many times by Carlovich during his career.
Legend the 1974 consecration
editThe last match as a preparation for the 1974 World Cup found the Argentina national football team going to Rosario to play a friendly game against a squad formed exclusively by players born in that city. Some of the Rosarian players were prominent footballers, such as Mario Zanabria, Daniel Killer, Carlos Aimar and Carlovich as well.[12]
At the end of the first half, the team from Rosario led 3–0. The supremacy of the local team was so big that the Argentina national team coach, Vladislao Cap, asked for his colleague to exclude Carlovich for the second half, and this is what finally happened. The final score was 3–1 [13][14]
Style of play and temperament
edit
A specialist in pipes, one of his characteristic plays was the so-called "double pipe", by which he passed the ball between the opponent's legs in two consecutive moments, snubbing the same player twice.[15]
Left-foot talent, number 5 in Central midfielder the back, Carlovich was a very technically gifted player. During the friendly match against the Argentine selection in 1974, he inflicted a legendary bridge on Sancho Pa.[16] The legend, unverifiable, says that he invented the double small bridge, even more humiliating for the adversary.[17] El Trinche himself wanted to put things into perspective. “Here in Rosario, there are tons of inventions around me. But they are false. People in Rosario love to tell stories. I would have made small bridges going back and forth (the famous doble caño), but it’s not that important.[18]
The prestigious sports magazine El Grão described him like this: He had his style: he was an elegant, virtuous and somewhat disdainful central midfielder. He walked slowly, but with reasoning inversely proportional to his walk. Carlovich is something like the greatest exponent of the lyrical arc of Argentine football.[19] Because he played most of his career in lower categories of Argentine football (he gave up fame and the first division to continue playing with his friends), GloboEsporte.com defined him as "The best Argentine player that the world hasn't seen".[20]
Death
editOn 6 May 2020, Carlovich was assaulted and beaten by a young man who stole his bicycle. Carlovich fell and hit his head on the ground, and died two days later.[21]
Recognition
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Carlovich was even compared with Diego Maradona when some referred to him as "the Maradona that never was" because of his bohemian style of life his refusal Famous teams like Boca Juniors and his refusal to play in clubs outside Argentina.[3][5][22] famous overseas teams like. AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain tried to sign him, but Carlovich declined the offers. At the end of his career, Brazilian star Pelé tried to convince him to play for the New York Cosmos but he also refused.[6][23]
Carlovich is considered one of the best Argentine football players ever. José Pekerman chose him as the best central midfielder he had ever seen; César Luis Menotti said, "Carlovich is one of those kids whose unique toy has been a ball since they were born. Watching him playing football was impressive". Diego Maradona, when arriving at Newell's Old Boys and after being defined by a journalist as "the best footballer", replied: "The best footballer has already played in Rosario, and his name is Carlovich".[12] In February 2020, when Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata went to Rosario to play Rosario Central, Maradona met Carlovich and expressed his admiration again, saying to him "you were better than me".[6][24]
Legacy in his own words
edit"Many things about me were told, but most of them were not true. The real thing is I never liked being so far from my neighborhood, my parents' house, the bar I used to go, my friends, and 'the Vasco' Artola, who teach me how to hit the ball when I was a boy.[25]
"Sometimes I sat on the ball during the matches, but I did it just to have a break and not to mock the rivals on the field. My style of playing football was very modest, as my own life was, despite the sins of youth I could have committed".[25]
"The most beautiful gift that football gave me were Central Córdoba and Independiente Rivadavia; I would define them as 'the two loves of my life'. In both teams I have played the best years of my career which totalises 16 years as a professional. With the 'Charrúas' I obtained two Second Division championships, in 1973 and 1982. The club administrators paid me a special bonus by nutmeg and double bonus by double nutmeg. The fans used to encourage me from the grandstand shouting like this: 'Go Trinche, make a double nutmeg'".[25]
"When Diego (Maradona) came to Rosario, some Central Córdoba executives emphasized on me so much to go see him at the hotel, that I said 'well, let's go'. I was 20 meters away from where Diego –surrounded by 15 or 20 people– was... Suddenly he appeared in front of me, gave me a hug and began talking non-stop. He even signed me a t-shirt and put on it 'Trinche, you were better than me.' The only thing I could answer is 'Diego, now I can leave this world in peace, you were the greatest player I saw in my life. Unusual things happen to me'.[26][24]
Honours
editCentral Córdoba[25]
- Primera C: 1973, (1982 play-offs)
Rosario Central (Regional competitions)
References
edit- ^ Tomás Carlovich: "el Trinche” Textos: José Félix Suárez 31 de diciembre de 2013
- ^ "Murió El "Trinche" Carlovich, la leyenda y mito del fútbol argentino que aseguran que fue mejor que Maradona". ambito.com (in Spanish). Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Carlovich: el mito viviente, El Gráfico, 21 Jan 2018
- ^ a b c Murió Tomás "El Trinche" Carlovich, el mito del fútbol argentino: el talento rosarino de las historias imposibles by Diego Morini on La Nación, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b Murió el Trinche Carlovich, el crack que no quiso ser Maradona, Clarín, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b c d Así era el Trinche: el mito que no quiso ser Maradona by Aritz Gabilondo, As, 8 May 2020
- ^ El Trinche on CIHF website (sources: "Historia en Azul y Amarilla" (La Capital); La Capital. La Prensa, 24–30/8/1969; La Capital 18 Apr 1974; Goles magazine #1241
- ^ Murió el Trinche Carlovich, un mito del fútbol argentino by Facundo Martínez, Pagina/12, 8 May 2020
- ^ Gabino Sosa: El payador de la redonda by Borocotó on El Gráfico, 1934
- ^ La palabra de Tomás Carlovich, Charrúa a Full website, February 17, 2011
- ^ "La historia del mágico jugador rosarino". www.infocielo.com (in Spanish). January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "1977 – Tomás Carlovich" on Colón con o sin Tiento website
- ^ "El hombre que pudo ser el mejor", March 9, 2012
- ^ "Dicen que fue mejor que Maradona", Revista Catalina, Sep 2010
- ^ "El hombre que pudo ser el mejor". May 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ "Voici 10 histoires de petits ponts mythiques". SOFOOT.com (in French). Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Clarín.com (May 8, 2020). "Murió el Trinche Carlovich, el crack que bailó a la Selección, cautivó a Pelé y no quiso ser Maradona". www.clarin.com (in Spanish). Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Carlovich: el mito viviente". El Gráfico (in Spanish). Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Carlovich: el mito viviente". Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ globoesporte.globo.com/ O melhor jogador argentino que o mundo não viu
- ^ ""Lo mataron por una bicicleta: así fue el violento robo que le costó la vida al Trinche Carlovich"". Infobae. May 8, 2020.(in Spanish)
- ^ The day that the Trinche Carlovich refused to play in the Boca de Maradona: the reasons Archysport.com, 08-05-2020
- ^ Why Tomas 'the Fork' Carlovich, idol to Maradona, was the greatest player in soccer you've never seen ESPN FC, May 13, 2020
- ^ a b Las historias que transformaron en mito al Trinche Carlovich, Infobae, 8 May 2020
- ^ a b c d "Maradona: 'El mejor fue Carlovich'"
- ^ Carlovich telling about his meeting with Diego Maradona in Rosario, February 2020.
- ^ "Trinche, idolatrado en todos lados: de joven ganó la Liga Deportiva del Sur con Sporting de Bigand". Diario El Ciudadano y la Región (in European Spanish). May 13, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ "Mitos y verdades del Trinche Carlovich: el crack que huyó del éxito". www.lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
Bibliography
edit- Pujol, Ayelen, Jorge (January 21, 2018). "Carlovich: El mito viviente". Elgrafico.com (in Spanish). El Gráfico. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Caravario, Alejandro (2019). "Trinche: un viaje por la leyenda del genio secreto del fútbol". Planeta. ISBN 9789504964827.
External links
edit
- Dicen que fue mejor que Maradona, Interview to Carlovich on Revista Catalina, September 9, 2010 (archived)
- "La leggenda del fuoriclasse fantasma". tuttocalciatori.net. February 23, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- "Profilo e statistiche" (PDF). once-onze.narod.ru. Retrieved April 21, 2022.