Pedro Rocha

Pedro Rocha

Personal information
Full name	Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti
Date of birth	(1942-12-03)3 December 1942
Place of birth	Salto, Uruguay
Date of death
Place of death	São Paulo, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Second Striker / Offensive Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1959–1970	Peñarol
1970–1977	São Paulo
1978	Palmeiras
1979	Coritiba
1979	Bangu
1979–1980	Neza
1980	Monterrey
International career
1961–1974	Uruguay	52	(17)
Managerial career
1981	Inter de Limeira
1981	Taubaté
1987	Botafogo-SP
1987	Coritiba
1987	Guarani
1988	Mogi Mirim
1988	Portuguesa
1988–1989	Sporting
1990–1991	Vitória de Guimarães
1996	Internacional
1997	Kyoto Purple Sanga
1998	Ponte Preta
1999	Ituano
2000	Caldense
2000	XV de Piracicaba
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rocha and the second or maternal family name is Franchetti.

Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti (3 December 1942 – 2 December 2013) was a former Uruguayan footballer who played 52 games for the Uruguay national team between 1961 and 1974. Usually a playmaker, Pedro Rocha is one Uruguay's greatest footballers and was noted for his technique, passing abilities and free kick ability.

Biography

He is the only player to appear in four consecutive World Cups for the Uruguay national football team: 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974. He also played in the Copa América in 1967.

At club level he played most of his career for C.A. Peñarol and São Paulo F.C. in Brazil.

During his time with Peñarol, the club won 8 Uruguayan league titles (1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), three Copa Libertadores (1960, 1961 & 1966) the Copa Intercontinental in 1966 and two editions of the Uruguayan Copa Competencia in 1964 and 1967.

In 1970 Rocha joined São Paulo F.C. where he helped the team obtain the Campeonato Paulista in 1971 and 1975. He was the championship top scorer in 1972. In 1977, his final year with the club they became national champions for the first time in their history.

Later in his career he played for Coritiba where he won Campeonato Paranaense championship, Palmeiras and Bangu in Brazil. His last clubs were Deportivo Neza and Monterrey in Mexico in 1979 and 1980.

He coached Japan's J. League club Kyoto Purple Sanga in 1997.

He suffered from mesencephalic atrophy, a serious degenerative illness that affected his speech and his movements, paralyzing part of his body and confining him to a wheelchair. He died on 2 December 2013 in São Paulo, one day before completing 71 years.

External links

• (Spanish) Profile at Futbol Factory
• Pedro Rocha Liga MX stats at Medio Tiempo.com (Spanish)

Preceded by Dadá Maravilha

Brazilian Championship Top Scorer 1972

Succeeded by Ramon