There are footballers who remain in memory for their titles, others for their goals, and some for a personality that is impossible to overlook. Carlos Horacio "El Loco" Salinas belonged to that last category. The former midfielder, champion of the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup with Boca, passed away this Tuesday, September 1, at the age of 70 in Buenos Aires.
Born in San Miguel de Tucumán and raised in the Ciudadela neighborhood, in a humble family, Salinas began to build his career away from the big stages. His first steps were in the youth divisions of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy and, as a teenager, he became part of a youth team known as the "Selección Fantasma", which was preparing to play against Bolivia in La Paz.
That experience caught the attention of several clubs in Buenos Aires, including River, which eventually signed him, and he made his debut in Primera División in 1974. However, his time at Núñez was not very long, and shortly after, he continued his career at Chacarita Juniors, where he found the continuity he needed to showcase his skills.
The leap to Boca and the titles
Between 1976 and 1977, he had an outstanding performance with the Funebrero, scoring 19 goals in 96 matches, and that growth led him to Boca in 1978. Juan Carlos Lorenzo trusted his offensive talent, and Salinas quickly responded in a team that already had the experience of having conquered the Libertadores.
Dressed in blue and gold, he starred in some of the most important moments of that era. In the Copa Libertadores that year, he scored decisive goals, including one against River in the semifinals and another against Deportivo Cali in the final series that ended with a new continental title for the Xeneize.
However, the image that remained most strongly etched in memory came months earlier in the Intercontinental Cup. On August 1, 1978, Boca faced Borussia Mönchengladbach in Karlsruhe for the rematch of the 1977 final. After goals from Darío Felman and Ernesto Mastrángelo, Salinas received the ball, advanced among several defenders, and finished crosswise to seal the 3-0 that gave the Argentine team the world title.
The temperament of "El Loco"
His character, however, was also an inseparable part of his figure. In November of that same year, during a match against Huracán, he was sent off by referee Abel Gnecco and reacted by attacking him. The consequence was a 25-match suspension imposed by the AFA Disciplinary Tribunal, a sanction that remains as the longest in the history of Argentine football.
