José Andrade
Encyclopedia
José Leandro Andrade was an Uruguay
an footballer who played at right half
. Nicknamed the black marvel, "meravilla negra", is considered the first great colored player, and the very first real international football star.
in 1901 to an Argentine
mother. José Ignacio Andrade, who is believed to have been his father, was listed on his birth certificate as a witness. The older Andrade, who was 98 years old at the time of José Leandro Andrade's birth, had been an expert in African magic and is believed to have been an African-born slave who had escaped from Brazil
.
At an early age Andrade moved to the Palermo barrio
in Montevideo
where he lived with an aunt
.
Prior to the introduction of professional football in Uruguay he worked in a number of jobs. He at one time worked as a carnival musician playing the drums, violin
and the tambourine
, and at another time led the drums corp for carnival comparsa
Libertadores de Africa. At various times in his life he also worked as a shoeshiner
and as a newspaper salesman.
when Uruguay won their second world championship. His nephew Víctor Rodríguez Andrade
, a member of the 1950 team, had adopted Andrade as his second surname in honour of Andrade.
By 1956, when he was located by German journalist Fritz Hack, he had descended into alcoholism
and was living in a small flat in a poor area of Montevideo.
After contracting tuberculosis
Andrade died in poverty in 1957 at the Piñeyro del Campo nursing home in Montevideo.
.
In the early 1920s Andrade was signed by Bella Vista, where he played 71 matches and scored seven goals. It was at Bella Vista that he was first selected for the national team.
Andrade later moved to Nacional
where he won four Uruguayan Championships
and three national cups.
Andrade transferred to Peñarol
in 1930 where he played 88 matches over the next few years. He had as a teenager trained with Peñarol but had not been accepted.
From the mid-1930s he played for a number of teams in Argentina including Atlanta
, Lanús
-Talleres and Argentinos Juniors
. He also had a brief stint with Wanderers
in Uruguay.
) winning teams in 1923, 1924 and 1926.
in Paris
. He was recognised as being the first black international football player to play Olympic football. He was nicknamed The Black Marvel and The Black Pearl, the latter a name later used in reference to Pelé
.
In reaction to the 1924 Olympic win the Uruguayan team were challenged to a two match series by Argentina
. In the second match at the Estadio Sportivo Barracas in Buenos Aires
Andrade was pelted with stones by the Argentine crowd to which Andrade and the rest of the Uruguayan team responded by throwing the stones back. In the ensuing riot a member of his team was arrested and the Uruguayans refused to play out the remainder of the match.
in Amsterdam. During the semi-final match against Italy
Andrade collided with a goal post, seriously injuring and eye. This later deteriorated to the point that he became blind in that eye.
. At the end of the tournament he was selected in the All-Star team. In 1994 he was selected by France Football
as number ten in their World Cup Top-100.
A plaque was placed at the Estadio Centenario
in honour of his achievements.
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an footballer who played at right half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
. Nicknamed the black marvel, "meravilla negra", is considered the first great colored player, and the very first real international football star.
Early life
Andrade was born in SaltoSalto, Uruguay
Salto is the capital city of the Salto Department in northwestern Uruguay and the second largest city of the country. It is located on Route 3, about northwest of Montevideo, and on the east bank of Río Uruguay, across the city Concordia of Argentina...
in 1901 to an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
mother. José Ignacio Andrade, who is believed to have been his father, was listed on his birth certificate as a witness. The older Andrade, who was 98 years old at the time of José Leandro Andrade's birth, had been an expert in African magic and is believed to have been an African-born slave who had escaped from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
At an early age Andrade moved to the Palermo barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
where he lived with an aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
.
Prior to the introduction of professional football in Uruguay he worked in a number of jobs. He at one time worked as a carnival musician playing the drums, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, and at another time led the drums corp for carnival comparsa
Comparsa
A comparsa is the band which plays a conga during a Latin American Carnival celebration. It consists of a large group of dancers dancing and traveling on the streets, followed by a Carrosa where the musicians play...
Libertadores de Africa. At various times in his life he also worked as a shoeshiner
Shoeshiner
Shoeshiner or boot polisher is a profession in which a person polishes shoes with shoe polish. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job is traditionally that of a male child. In the leather fetish communities, they are often called bootblacks...
and as a newspaper salesman.
Later life
Andrade was a guest at the 1950 FIFA World Cup1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
when Uruguay won their second world championship. His nephew Víctor Rodríguez Andrade
Víctor Rodríguez Andrade
Víctor Pablo Rodríguez Andrade was an Uruguayan footballer. He was the left halfback of the Uruguayan national team that won the 1950 World Cup tournament, after defeating Brazil in the decisive match....
, a member of the 1950 team, had adopted Andrade as his second surname in honour of Andrade.
By 1956, when he was located by German journalist Fritz Hack, he had descended into alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and was living in a small flat in a poor area of Montevideo.
After contracting tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
Andrade died in poverty in 1957 at the Piñeyro del Campo nursing home in Montevideo.
Club career
As a teenager Andrade played for Montevideo club MisionesMiramar Misiones
Club Sportivo Miramar Misiones, usually known simply as Miramar Misiones is an Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. The club was formed from the merger of two clubs: Miramar and Misiones, in June 1980. As part of the merger, the new strip for the new club was a mixture of those of the...
.
In the early 1920s Andrade was signed by Bella Vista, where he played 71 matches and scored seven goals. It was at Bella Vista that he was first selected for the national team.
Andrade later moved to Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
where he won four Uruguayan Championships
Primera División Uruguaya
The Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
and three national cups.
Andrade transferred to Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
in 1930 where he played 88 matches over the next few years. He had as a teenager trained with Peñarol but had not been accepted.
From the mid-1930s he played for a number of teams in Argentina including Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta is an Argentine sports club from Buenos Aires. Nicknamed Los Bohemios , its football team won the 2010/11 Primera B Metropolitana championship and promoted to the Primera B Nacional for the 2011/12 season.-History:The club was founded on October the 12th, 1904 in Buenos...
, Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús is a sports club from Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Founded on 3 January 1915, the club's main sports are football and basketball. In both sports, Lanús plays in Argentina's top divisions: Primera División and Liga Nacional de Básquet...
-Talleres and Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
. He also had a brief stint with Wanderers
Montevideo Wanderers F.C.
Montevideo Wanderers Fútbol Club, usually known simply as Wanderers is a Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. The club are currently members of the Primera División and play at the Estadio Viera...
in Uruguay.
International career
Andrade earned 34 appearances with la Celeste Olimpica scoring one goal between 1923 and 1930.South American Championship
Andrade played in South American Championship (now known as Copa AméricaCopa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
) winning teams in 1923, 1924 and 1926.
1924 Olympics
Andrade won his first Olympic gold medal at the 1924 Olympic football tournamentFootball at the 1924 Summer Olympics
At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football tournament winning the Gold.-Amateur Status:In 1921, the Belgium Football Association first allowed for payments to players for time lost from work; in the months that followed four other Associations permitted similar...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was recognised as being the first black international football player to play Olympic football. He was nicknamed The Black Marvel and The Black Pearl, the latter a name later used in reference to Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
.
In reaction to the 1924 Olympic win the Uruguayan team were challenged to a two match series by Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. In the second match at the Estadio Sportivo Barracas in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
Andrade was pelted with stones by the Argentine crowd to which Andrade and the rest of the Uruguayan team responded by throwing the stones back. In the ensuing riot a member of his team was arrested and the Uruguayans refused to play out the remainder of the match.
1928 Olympics
In 1928 he won his second Olympic gold medal at the 1928 OlympicsFootball at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:...
in Amsterdam. During the semi-final match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
Andrade collided with a goal post, seriously injuring and eye. This later deteriorated to the point that he became blind in that eye.
1930 FIFA World Cup
Despite not being at his peak he managed to be one of Uruguay's best players as they won the 1930 World Cup1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
. At the end of the tournament he was selected in the All-Star team. In 1994 he was selected by France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
as number ten in their World Cup Top-100.
A plaque was placed at the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
in honour of his achievements.
Playing style
Andrade was also credited with being an intelligent and honest player who never celebrated his goals. He was a dynamic, fast and highly technical player who was able to dominate the pitch without the physicality of many of his team mates.Club
- NacionalClub Nacional de FootballClub Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
- Primera División UruguayaPrimera División UruguayaThe Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
- Winner:1924Primera División Uruguaya 1924-Overview:It was contested by 12 teams, and Nacional won the championship.-League Standings:-Overview:It was contested by 17 teams, and Peñarol won the championship. Otherwise, this dissident championship is not considered official by the Uruguayan Football Association.-League Standings:-References:*...
- Runner up:1929Primera División Uruguaya 1929-League standings:-References:*...
- Winner:1924
- Primera División Uruguaya
- PeñarolC.A. PeñarolClub Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
- Primera División UruguayaPrimera División UruguayaThe Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
- Winner (2):1932, 1935
- Runner up (2):1933, 1934
- Primera División Uruguaya
International
- UruguayUruguay national football teamThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
- Olympic GamesFootball at the Summer OlympicsAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
- Gold Medal (2):1924Football at the 1924 Summer OlympicsAt the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football tournament winning the Gold.-Amateur Status:In 1921, the Belgium Football Association first allowed for payments to players for time lost from work; in the months that followed four other Associations permitted similar...
, 1928Football at the 1928 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:...
- Gold Medal (2):1924
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
- Winner:19301930 FIFA World CupThe 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
- Winner:1930
- South American ChampionshipCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
- Winner (3):1923, 1924, 1926
- Runner up:1927
- Olympic Games
Individual
- IFFHS Football Player of the Century: 29th
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: Bronze Ball 1930 - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: All-Star Team 1930 - France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930–1990:10th