| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pablo Mario Ansaldo Villacís | ||
| Date of birth | (1935-03-02)2 March 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Guayaquil, Ecuador | ||
| Date of death | 31 October 2016(2016-10-31) (aged 81) | ||
| Place of death | Guayaquil, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1954–1966 | Barcelona SC | ||
| 1958 | →Emelec (loan) | ||
| 1966–1967 | Manta | ||
| International career | |||
| Ecuador | 23 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1965–1966 | Barcelona SC | ||
| 1966–1967 | Manta | ||
| 1970 | Once Caldas | ||
| Atlético Bucaramanga | |||
| 1973 | Barcelona SC | ||
| 1974 | Barcelona SC | ||
| 1985 | Barcelona SC | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Pablo Mario Ansaldo Villacís (2 March 1935 – 31 October 2016) was an Ecuadorianfootballer and manager.
Born inGuayaquil, Ansaldo began his career with hometown clubBarcelona SC, making his debut for the club on 23 June 1954 in a 2–0 win againstPanamá.[1] In 1958, Ansaldo played forrivalsEmelec on an international tour.[2] During Barcelona's victorious1960 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol campaign, Ansaldo became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in Ecuadorian football since the establishment of a national league three years prior. In 1966, Ansaldo signed forManta, playing for the club for a season before his retirement.[3]
In total, Ansaldo representedEcuador 23 times,[4] including four times at the1963 South American Championship.[5]
On 15 August 1965, duringqualification for the1966 FIFA World Cup, Ansaldo suffered three broken ribs and a punctured lung, following a robust challenge fromChilean strikerCarlos Campos, resulting in surgery and Ansaldo being sidelined for several months.[6]
In 1965, whilst still playing, Ansaldo took up the role of player-manager at Barcelona. In 1966, after moving to Manta, Ansaldo once again resumed the role of player-manager.[3] Following his time managing in Ecuador, Ansaldo managed Colombian clubsOnce Caldas andAtlético Bucaramanga.[7] Ansaldo later returned to Barcelona as manager on a number of occasions.[8]
Nicknamedel gato (the cat), due to his reflexes, Ansaldo's hardiness was praised by journalistMauro Velásquez as being "brave to the point of being described as reckless and suicidal". Ansaldo's performance in a 1–0 win away toColombia on 20 July 1965 won plaudits from the press at the time, with one newspaper reporting that Ansaldo was even capable of stopping the "Caribbean winds".[9]
On 2 September 2016, Ansaldo suffered astroke. Following 60 days in intensive care, Ansaldo died at a hospital in Guayaquil at the age of 81 on 31 October 2016.[9]
