# Pedro Rocha (Uruguayan footballer)

Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti (Spanish pronunciation:; 3 December 1942 – 2 December 2013) was a Uruguayan footballer who played 52 games for the Uruguay national team between 1961 and 1974. Nicknamed "el Verdugo" ("the Executioner"), he was a highly skillful midfielder and a prolific goalscorer, regarded by Pelé as "one of the 5 best players in the world". He was listed by the IFFHS as the 37th greatest South American player of the XXth century.

## Biography

He is the only player to appear in four consecutive World Cups for the Uruguay national football team: 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974. He also played in the Copa América in 1967.
At club level he played most of his career for Peñarol and São Paulo in Brazil.
During his time with Peñarol, the club won 8 Uruguayan league titles (1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), three Copa Libertadores (1960, 1961, 1966) the Copa Intercontinental in 1961 and 1966 and two editions of the Uruguayan Copa Competencia in 1964 and 1967.
In 1970 Rocha joined São Paulo F.C. where he helped the team obtain the Campeonato Paulista in 1971 and 1975. He was the championship top scorer in 1972. In 1977, his final year with the club they became national champions for the first time in their history.
Later in his career he played for Coritiba where he won Campeonato Paranaense championship, Palmeiras and Bangu in Brazil. His last clubs were Deportivo Neza and Monterrey in Mexico in 1979 and 1980.
He coached Japan's J.League club Kyoto Purple Sanga in 1997.
He suffered from mesencephalic atrophy, a serious degenerative illness that affected his speech and his movements, paralyzing part of his body and confining him to a wheelchair. He died on 2 December 2013 in São Paulo, one day before completing 71 years.

## Career statistics
### Club

| Club | Season | League | League | League | State league | State league | Friendly | Friendly | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Peñarol | 1960 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | 5 |
| Peñarol | 1961 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | 1 |
| Peñarol | 1962 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 8 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | - | 14 |
| Peñarol | 1963 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 18 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | - | 36 |
| Peñarol | 1964 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | 29 |
| Peñarol | 1965 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 15 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | - | 26 |
| Peñarol | 1966 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 3 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 11 | - | 7 |
| Peñarol | 1967 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 6 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | - | 22 |
| Peñarol | 1968 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 8 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 4 | - | - |
| Peñarol | 1969 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 12 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 8 | - | - |
| Peñarol | 1970 | Uruguayan Primera División | ? | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | - | 4 |
| Peñarol | Total | Total | 157 | 82 | — | — | — | — | 72 | 35 | 287 | 234 |
| São Paulo | 1970 | Série A | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | — | — | - | 4 |
| São Paulo | 1971 | Série A | 15 | 0 | 19 | 5 | | 4 | — | — | - | 9 |
| São Paulo | 1972 | Série A | 18 | 18 | 21 | 4 | - | 0 | 10 | 3 | - | 25 |
| São Paulo | 1973 | Série A | 34 | 8 | 20 | 6 | | 7 | - | - | - | 21 |
| São Paulo | 1974 | Série A | 11 | 1 | 22 | 6 | | 1 | 13 | 7 | - | 15 |
| São Paulo | 1975 | Série A | 22 | 3 | 32 | 11 | - | 3 | — | — | - | 17 |
| São Paulo | 1976 | Série A | 11 | 0 | 22 | 9 | - | 6 | — | — | - | 15 |
| São Paulo | 1977 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 39 | 13 | - | 0 | — | — | - | 13 |
| São Paulo | Total | Total | 136 | 34 | 175 | 54 | 59 | 21 | 23 | 10 | 393 | 119 |
| Coritiba | 1978 | Série A | 20 | 1 | - | 6 | - | 1 | — | — | - | 8 |
| Palmeiras | 1979 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Bangu | 1980 | Campeonato Carioca | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | - | 2 | — | — | - | 5 |
| Monterrey | 1979–80 | Liga MX | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 416 | 117 | - | 63 | - | 3 | 101 | 46 | - | 367 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Appearances in Copa Libertadores
* ↑ Fourteen appearances and ten goals in Copa Libertadores, two appearances and one goal in Intercontinental Cup
* ↑ Ten appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores, four appearances and three goals in Intercontinental Champions' Supercup
* ↑ Seven appearances and two goals in Copa Libertadores, six appearances and six goals in Intercontinental Champions' Supercup

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Uruguay | 1961 | 1 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1962 | 5 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1963 | 2 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1964 | 0 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1965 | 9 | 5 |
| Uruguay | 1966 | 7 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 1967 | 10 | 8 |
| Uruguay | 1968 | 8 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 1969 | 5 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 1970 | 2 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 1971 | 0 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1972 | 0 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1973 | 0 | 0 |
| Uruguay | 1974 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 52 | 17 |

## Managerial statistics

| Team | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | From | To | G | W | D | L | Win % |
| Kyoto Purple Sanga | 1997 | 1997 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 028.13 |
| Total | Total | Total | 32 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 028.13 |

## Honours

Peñarol
* Primera División: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968
* Copa Libertadores: 1960, 1961, 1966
* Intercontinental Cup: 1961, 1966
* Intercontinental Champions' Supercup: 1969
São Paulo
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1977
* Campeonato Paulista: 1971, 1975
Uruguay
* Copa América: 1967
Individual
* Uruguayan Primera División Top Scorer: 1963, 1965, 1968
* Copa América Best Player: 1967
* Intercontinental Champions' Supercup Top Scorer: 1968, 1969
* Campeonato Brasileiro Top Scorer: 1972
* Bola de Prata: 1973
* Copa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1974
* IFFHS Uruguayan Men's Dream Team (Team B)