Marcel Domingo passes away

Marcel Domingo, one of the great goalkeepers of Atlético’s post-war years and later the coach who brought the league title back to the Manzanares, has passed away at the age of 86.

Born in Arles in 1924, Domingo arrived in Madrid in 1948 and spent three seasons defending Atlético’s goal, quickly becoming a favourite of the support for his bravery and his reflexes. He was part of the squad in an era when Helenio Herrera’s side won back-to-back league championships, and his duels with the great forwards of the day are still recalled by older supporters.

It was as a coach, however, that Domingo wrote his name into the club’s honours board. Returning to the bench in 1969, he guided Atlético to the 1969–70 La Liga title, the club’s seventh, with a side built around Adelardo, Luis Aragonés, Gárate and Ufarte. He would coach the club again in the late 1970s, adding a runners-up finish and leaving a reputation as one of the most respected figures to have served on both sides of the touchline.

The club and its supporters’ groups have sent their condolences to his family. Domingo’s passing was recorded in obituaries across the Spanish and French sporting press, and he is remembered at AtleticoFans as a servant of the club in two eras.