Miguel Ángel “Zurdo” López, the Argentine defender turned manager who steered Junior de Barranquilla to its 2004 league crown, died on 7 July in Barranquilla at the age of 83 after a period of ill-health, the Colombian club and local media announced. A commanding centre-back in the 1960s and 1970s, López enjoyed his greatest success as a player with Independiente, capturing four Copa Libertadores titles and the 1973 Intercontinental Cup. He later lifted the Colombian league trophy with Atlético Nacional in 1976 before retiring to the touchline. López’s managerial career spanned nearly four decades and more than a dozen teams across South America, Mexico, Spain and the Middle East. His tenure at Club América delivered back-to-back Mexican championships in 1984 and 1985 and a Concacaf Champions Cup in 1992, while seven separate stints at Junior cemented his status as a club icon; the 2004 campaign, his fifth spell, produced Junior’s fifth domestic star after a penalty-shoot-out victory over Atlético Nacional. Junior, former players such as Colombian great Carlos ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama, and clubs in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia paid tribute, citing López’s leadership, charisma and commitment to youth development. Funeral arrangements were not immediately disclosed.