Pedro Ruíz (footballer, born 1947)

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Pedro Ruiz
Pedro Ruiz La Rosa.jpg
Ruíz playing for Unión Huaral
Personal information
Full name Pedro Domingo Ruiz La Rosa
Date of birth (1947-07-06) 6 July 1947 (age 78)
Place of birth Huaral, Peru
Position Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1966 Oscar Berckemeyer
1967–1971 Defensor Lima
1972 Juan Aurich
1973 Defensor Lima
1974–1982 Unión Huaral
1983–1984 Sporting Cristal
1985–1988 Unión Huaral
International career
1975–1979 Peru 7 [1] (0)
Managerial career
1986 Unión Huaral
2002–2003 Unión Huaral
2016 Unión Huaral
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Flag of Peru (state).svg  Peru
Copa América
Winner 1975
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pedro Domingo Ruiz La Rosa (born 6 July 1947) is a Peruvian footballer.

Contents

Playing as a midfielder, he is considered the greatest player of his hometown club, Unión Huaral. [2] He was also part of Peru's squad for the 1975 Copa América tournament. [3]

Club career

"Pedrito" Ruiz left an indelible mark on Peruvian football in the 1970s and 80s, becoming a beloved figure among both the public and the sports press. [2] [4] He began his career with the Oscar Berckemeyer club in Huaral in 1966, [5] but it was with another club in his hometown that he truly made his name: Unión Huaral. He led them to second place in the Peruvian championship in 1974 before winning the title two years later—a historic victory, as it was the first ever won by a club outside the Lima-Callao metropolitan area. [6]

He had, however, been a Peruvian champion in 1973 with another club, Defensor Lima. He would win the title a third time, ten years later, with Sporting Cristal, thanks in particular to his partnership with fellow Huaral native Jorge Hirano. [7] Returning to Unión Huaral in 1985, he had a brief stint as a player-manager in 1986 before hanging up his boots in 1988.

A cerebral midfielder with exceptional passing accuracy and a set-piece specialist, Pedro Ruiz's career was nonetheless hampered by his penchant for nightlife and his fear of flying, [4] which prevented him from playing abroad in a more competitive league, unlike other Peruvian stars of the era such as Teófilo Cubillas, Hugo Sotil, or César Cueto.

International career

Despite his great talent, he played only a few matches with the Peruvian national team (7 in total, between 1975 and 1979, with no goals scored). [1] He did, however, play three matches in the 1975 Copa América, which Peru won.

Managerial career

Pedro Ruiz was appointed coach of his lifelong club, Unión Huaral, in 2002 when the club was in the second division. After a blistering end to the season where Unión Huaral won their last nine matches, the club was crowned D2 champion and returned to the top flight in 2003. [8]

Honours

Player

Defensor Lima

Unión Huaral

Sporting Cristal

Manager

Unión Huaral

References

  1. 1 2 José Luis Pierrend (14 February 2025). "Peru - Record International Players". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 Raúl Behr (31 July 2012). "Pedro Ruiz: El héroe del Pelícano". De Chalaca (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Martín Tabeira (22 April 2020). "Copa América 1975". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Pedrito Ruiz, el genio que odiaba subir a los aviones". Líbero (in Spanish). 21 August 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Pedro Ruíz (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  6. ↑ El Pelotero (11 December 2010). "Es cosa de "chicos"". De Chalaca (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Manuel Aranibar Luna (20 October 2010). "Pedrito Ruiz, el mago". La Esquina Celeste (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Unión Huaral del 2002 y su regreso a primera división" (in Spanish). Futbolperuano.com. 15 August 2002. Archived from the original on 9 March 2005. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  9. ↑ Raúl Behr (4 September 2013). "Defensor Lima 1973: El toque de Don Roque". De Chalaca (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  10. ↑ Raúl Behr (20 September 2012). "Huaral 1976: La gran naranjada". De Chalaca (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Campeón 1983". Club Sporting Cristal (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2025.
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