Pedro Pablo León García (29 June 1943 – 9 May 2020), also known as Perico León, was a Peruvian professional footballer who played as a striker.

Perico León
Personal information
Full name Pedro Pablo León García
Date of birth (1943-06-29)29 June 1943[1]
Place of birth Lima, Peru
Date of death 9 May 2020(2020-05-09) (aged 76)[2]
Place of death Lima
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1970 Alianza Lima 227 (104)
1971–1972 Barcelona SC 49 (24)
1973–1974 Deportivo Galicia 33 (16)
1975 Deportivo Municipal 14 (7)
1976 Juan Aurich 9 (4)
Total 332 (155)
International career
1963–1973 Peru 49 (15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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León made 49 appearances for the Peru national team between 1963 and 1973.[3] He then started in the 1970 FIFA World Cup for the Peru national football team, along with Teófilo Cubillas, Roberto Challe and Hugo Sotil.

At club level, León played most of his career for Alianza Lima in Peru. He also played in Ecuador for Barcelona Sporting Club and in Venezuela for Deportivo Galicia.

Playing style

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Perico León was a strong striker of playful skills and a unique ability to effectively use the score with his head. His ability to create technical plays often allowed him to go back and aid his teammates, thus making him quite a complete player with the possibility to serve as both a good midfielder and an excellent forward. Due to this, Pedro Pablo León is often considered one of the best forwards in the history of Peruvian football.

Personal life

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He lived in Miami, Florida, and enjoyed watching his grandson Brian Jair León play soccer for the Varsity high school soccer team in Nevada. His grandson is following in his grandfather's footsteps of becoming a professional footballer.

Honours

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Season Club Title
1962 Alianza Lima Peruvian League
1963 Alianza Lima Peruvian League
1965 Alianza Lima Peruvian League
1971 Barcelona SC Serie A de Ecuador
1974 Deportivo Galicia Primera División Venezolana

Individual awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Worldfootball.net". 3 June 2024.
  2. ^ Fallece en Lima el mítico exdelantero peruano Pedro Pablo "Perico" León
  3. ^ Pierrend, José Luis (28 May 2009). "Peru - Record International Players". RSSSF.
  4. ^ Peruvian League: Top Scorer
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