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Enrique Iturra

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Iturra and the second or maternal family name is Díaz.
Enrique Iturra
Personal information
Full name Enrique Iturra Díaz
Date of birth (1946-06-27)27 June 1946
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Date of death 10 November 2021(2021-11-10) (aged 75)
Place of death Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Santiago, Chile
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
Enrico Caruso
Cultural PAC
Unión Española
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1967–1968 Transandino
1969 Naval
1970–1971 Ferroviarios
1972 Santiago Morning
1973 Pachuca
1973–1975 Alianza FC
1975 Tapachulteca
1976 Sonsonate
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Enrique Iturra Díaz (27 June 1946 – 10 November 2021) was a Chilean professional footballer who played as a centre-back for clubs in Chile, Mexico and El Salvador.

Club career

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Iturra came to Pedro Aguirre Cerda commune at the age of 4 and played for the local clubs Enrico Caruso and Cultural Pedro Aguirre Cerda.[1] A product of Unión Española youth system, in his country of birth he played for Trasandino, Naval, Ferroviarios and Santiago Morning.[2]

He emigrated to Mexico in 1973 looking for a chance in the Mexican football, getting trials in both América thanks to Carlos Reinoso and Cruz Azul thanks to Alberto Quintano, but he finally joined Pachuca and made his debut playing alongside the Mexican Javier Bazán in a match where he was sent off.[3]

Then he moved to El Salvador, met his compatriot Miguel Hermosilla and played for Alianza,[4] Deportivo Tapachulteca and Sonsonate, his last club in 1976.[3]

Personal life

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As a child, Iturra was nicknamed El Cabeza de Juguera (The Blender Head),[1] but he is better known by the nickname that gave him when he was a player of Ferroviarios, El Chacal Iturra (The Jackal), due to the fact that he injured to a player of Naval with a sweep.[2]

He married in El Salvador with María Elena Rodas and had two children, Antonio José and Anabella. Back in Chile, they separated.[2]

Outside of a football field, he was known for a controversial personality,[5] in addition to have fell into alcoholism and suffered for the deaths of his father and his brother.[2] In 1991, he was stabbed by a drug addict and fell into depression. Thanks to his friend Miguel Merello, a journalist who said him "you have reached further than anyone could have thought, others did better, but nobody gave a peso for you", he moved forward and spent time as a motivational speaker and therapist on public buses.[3]

He died on 10 November 2021 due to multiple health issues.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Enrique Iturra Díaz . (el Chacal)o el (Kiko) Gente de Población. PAC Norte. on Facebook (in Spanish)
  2. ^ a b c d Fernández, Denís (22 January 2018). "La historia más triste del fútbol" (in Spanish). La Tercera. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Abarzúa, Esteban (30 March 2020). "Secretos de camarín". DeadBall (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Hace 7 años nos dejó Raúl "La Araña" Magaña". Victor Zelada (in Spanish). 30 September 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  5. ^ Salviat, Julio (1 December 2016). "Las pequeñas y grandes perversidades en las canchas de fútbol: entre la "chispeza" y la crueldad". El Ágora (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  6. ^ Abarzúa, Esteban (15 November 2021). "Hace unos días murió el Chacal Iturra". LUN (in Spanish). Las Últimas Noticias. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
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