Sports Nicknames - Zapatones, El Sabio de Hortaleza

Luis Aragones is a famous Spanish footballer and coach, best known for his time at Atletico Madrid.



His career at Atletico was an awesome display of technical skills and scoring of goals. Many, many goals. Luis was an outstanding forward, who also played for Getafe, Real Madrid, and Real Oviedo during his career.

During his time at Atletico in the 1960s and 70s, Aragones scored 172 times, setting a long-standing club record later equalized by Antoine Griezmann. His scoring was crucial to Atletico's domestic and European successes.

After retiring, Aragones became a successful coach, leading several clubs, including Atletico Madrid. His biggest coaching glory was with the Spanish national team, guiding them to victory in the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. He introduced "tiki-taka," a style of play emphasizing possession and quick passing, which ended up being crucial in changing Spain's football history.

Aragones was known as "El Sabio de Hortaleza" or "The Sage of Hortaleza," reflecting his tactical wisdom in football and also his birth place. He also earned the nickname "Zapatones," meaning "Big Boots," for his powerful shooting.

--

Click for more Sports Nicknames