Argentine legend Antonio Latín has passed away at the age of 89.

Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors announced that Antonio Latín, one of the greatest midfielders in Argentine football history and former national team captain, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.

Boca Juniors expressed their deepest condolences, calling him an idol and symbol of the club. Latín's career was legendary; he only wore two jerseys throughout his life: one for Boca Juniors and one for the Argentine national team.

During his time with Boca Juniors from 1956 to 1970, Latín made 382 appearances, scoring 28 goals, helping the team win four league titles and reach the final of the 1963 Copa Libertadores. At the national team level, he represented Argentina from 1959 to 1969 and participated in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups.

Lattin's most famous incident occurred at the 1966 World Cup in England. In the quarter-final match between Argentina and the host nation England, he was sent off by a German referee.

Because the referee didn't understand Spanish, Lattin protested that he couldn't understand the ruling and refused to leave the field. As he eventually walked towards the players' tunnel, he angrily crumpled the England corner flag at Wembley Stadium and even sat on the red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II for several minutes in protest.

This historic event directly highlighted the communication barriers between referees and players from different countries on the football field at that time. Inspired by this, FIFA officially introduced the red and yellow card system at the subsequent 1970 World Cup.

After retiring, Latín briefly coached Boca Juniors before entering politics, where he served as a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.

Image source: Internet