COVID-19 Education News: Most popular footballers who died of coronavirus disease

Bests, most popular and famous coronavirus deaths. Photo credit: ft.com

Most popular professional footballers and managers who died of coronavirus disease pandemic

COVID-19 Deaths: Bests and most famous football legends and coaches

Urano Navarrini

Urano Navarrini, also known as Urano Benigni was an Italian professional footballer and manager.

Navarrini played as a winger for Grunland Milanese Libertas, AC Milan, Pistoiese, Savona, Taranto, Verbania, Novara and Pro Patria.

Urano Navarrini managed a number of Italian clubs, including Pro Patria, Aosta, and Vigevano

He died from COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on April 18, 2020 at the age of 74.

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Norman Hunter

Norman Hunter was one of the most popular English professional footballers and football legends who played for Leeds United, Bristol City, Barnsley, and England. He was part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, receiving a winner’s medal in 2007.

Norman Hunter was the first winner of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in 1974 and was included in the Football League 100 Legends. He was nicknamed “Bites Yer Legs” Hunter because he was a tough-tackling center-half and defensive midfielder.

He played 726 games in total for Leeds, scoring 21 goals.

He was also a football manager. Hunter took Barnsley to second place in the Third Division and won promotion to Division Two. He was an assistant manager at Bradford City. Hunter also worked as a coach at West Bromwich Albion.

Norman Hunter (aged 76) died of coronavirus disease on 17th April 2020.

Norman Hunter. Photo credit: freesupertips.cy

Cyril Lawrence

Cyril Lawrence was an English professional footballer who played as a winger.

He was played in the English football league for Blackpool, Rochdale, and Wrexham.

Cyril Lawrence was one of the most famous World War II veterans who saw service in the destruction of the German battleship Bismarck, as well as arctic convoys to supply the Soviets, the Battle of Okinawa and the final surrender of the Japanese home islands.

He died (aged 99) after suffering from the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) infection on 14th April 2020 at Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth, Greater Manchester.

Cyril Lawrence. Photo credit: dailymail.co.uk

Frederik Arnoldus “Frits” Flinkevleugel

Frederik Arnoldus “Frits” Flinkevleugel was a Dutch footballer who played as a defensive right back.

Flinkevleugel won the Dutch championship in 1964 with DWS.

He also earned 11 caps for the Dutch national team between 1964 and 1967.

Flinkevleugel (aged 80) died of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) outbreak on 10 April 2020.

Frederik Arnoldus Flinkevleugel. Photo credit: pl.wikipedia.org

David Méresse

David Méresse was a French footballer and one of the best and most famous football managers

Méresse played 24 Ligue 1 games and 48 Ligue 2 games between 1950 and 1957. He was selected for the French Military Team in 1951 for the Bataillon de Joinville.

He was the manager and president from 1982 to 1991. He recorded 78 matches and 5 goals.

David Méresse was one of the most popular professional football administrators.

He was secretary-general then vice-president of the Scheldt District, member of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais League Council, and member of the Central Commission for the National Championship of the French Football Federation (FFF) and was also a correspondent for L’Équipe, France Football, Nord Matin, and La Voix des Sports. He received the FFF gold medal in 2008.

David Méresse died aged 89, after contracting the coronavirus.

David Méresse. Photo credit: facebook.com

Miguel Jones Castillo

Miguel Jones Castillo was one of the most popular and bests Spanish football legends who played as a midfielder for SD Indautxu and Atlético Madrid during the 1950s and 1960s.

He played in two successive Copa del Generalísimo finals for Atlético Madrid against Real Madrid in 1960 and 1961 which Atlético won on both occasions and in the 1960 final Jones scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory.

He served as a director at SD Indautxu

Miguel Jones Castillo won 1 Spanish Champions (1966); 3 Copa del Generalísimo (1960, 1961, 1965) and 1 European Cup Winners Cup (1962)

Jones died on 8 April 2020 (aged 81) in Madrid during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Miguel Jones Castillo. Photo credit: achetron.com

Arnold Sowinski

Arnold Sowinski was a Polish-French footballer and a coach who did not just play with RC Lens but also managed RC Lens on four different occasions.

Sowinski (aged 89) died of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on 2nd April 2020.

Arnold Sowinski. Photo credit: programme-television.org

Zaccaria Cometti

Zaccaria Cometti was one of the bests football legends in Italy to die due to coronavirus pandemic

Zaccaria Cometti spent the majority of his career at Atalanta in Serie A having 178 caps as a goalkeeper.

He also managed Atlanta Youth, worked as an assistant coach and goalkeeping coach at different times.

Cometti (83) died from the COVID-19 coronavirus disease outbreak on 2 April 2020.

Zaccaria Cometti. Photo credit: pesmitidelcalcio.com

Gregorio “Goyo” Benito Rubio

Gregorio “Goyo” Benito Rubio was one of the most popular professional Spanish footballers who played as a central defender.

He spent most of his 16-year professional career with Real Madrid, playing 420 games and scoring 3 goals. He won 6 league titles and five Spanish Cups with the club.

Gregorio “Goyo” Benito Rubio earned 22 caps for Spain and played all the matches for Spain at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico for the eventual quarter-finalists.

Benito Rubio (aged 73) died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on April 2, 2020.

Gregorio Benito Rubio. Photo credit: Rubio worldfootball.net

José Luis Capón González

José Luis Capón González was one of the most famous professional Spanish footballers from Madrid.

José Luis Capón Gonzálezplayed for Atlético Madrid from 1970 to 1980, winning the Spanish Championship in 1973 and 1977, the Spanish Cup in 1976, and the Intercontinental Cup in 1974. He played in the 1974 European Cup Final, which Atlético lost.

González died on 29th March 2020 at the age of 72 from COVID-19-related pneumonia.

José Luis Capón González. Photo credit: achetron.com

Benito Joanet Giménez 

Benito Joanet Giménez was one of the most famous professional Spanish footballers and

Joanet Giménez played as for Espanyol, Real Zaragoza, Terrassa, Europa and Deportivo de La Coruña as a goalkeeper.

He later became a football coach after retiring from playing football and managed Hércules, Castellón, Antequerano, Cádiz, Mallorca, Tenerife, Espanyol, Salamanca and Las Palmas.

Joanet (84 years of age) died on 22nd March 2020 from during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic

Benito Joanet Giménez. Photo credit: diarioinformacion.com

COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) has indeed reduced the global population of the bests, most popular and famous professional footballers and managers. Many advanced countries are counting COVID-19 deaths of these most popular and famous football legends and coaches they have lost in great numbers.

These bests, most popular and famous professional footballers (football legends) and managers (coaches) have in one way or another contributed immensely to the development of both domestic and international football and sports in general.