MONTEVIDEO: Luis Cubilla, who played in three World Cups for Uruguay and, as a coach won the Copa Libertadores twice with Paraguay’s Olimpia, has at 72 in Asuncion where he had made his home.

Cubilla appeared in the 1962, 1970 and 1974 World Cups. In 1970 he famously made the winner for Victor Esparrago in the quarter-final against the Soviet Union before losing 3-1 to Brazil in the semis.

Cubilla played for both Uruguay’s major clubs, Penarol and Nacional, winning four domestic championship titles with each, plus one more s a veteran with outsiders Defensor Sporting.

He also played for Spain’s Barcelonafor two seasons, winning the Spanish cup and River Plate in Argentina.

As a coach, he worked in Paraguay, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala as well as his homeland.

He had five stints with Olimpia, winning the Libertadores at the first attempt in 1979, the first time a club from outside Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay had won the competition.

He led them to success again in 1990, midway through his third spell at the club. No other club from Paraguay have ever won the competition.

Altogether, he coached Olimpia for a total of 15 years, winning eight Paraguayan championships.

His major disappointment as a coach was with the Uruguay national team, which he led without success at the 1991 and 1993 Copa America.

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