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{{Short description|Indian footballer (1937–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Fortunato Franco
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname =
|birth_date = 1937
|birth_place = [[Colvale]], [[Portuguese India]]
|death_date = 10 May 2021 (aged 84)
|death_place = [[Goa]], India
|height =
|position = [[Half back (association football)|Half back]]
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 =
|years1 =
|clubs1 = [[Western Railways FC|Western Railways]]
|caps1 =
|goals1 =
|years2 =
|clubs2 = [[Tata FC|Tata]]
|caps2 =
|goals2 =
|years3 = 1959–1966
|clubs3 = [[Maharashtra football team|Maharashtra]]
|caps3 =
|goals3 =
|years4 =
|clubs4 = [[Salgaocar FC|Salgaocar]]
|caps4 =
|goals4 =
|totalcaps =
|totalgoals =
|nationalyears1 = 1960–1965
|nationalteam1 = [[India national football team|India]]
|nationalcaps1 = 26
|nationalgoals1 =
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Football at the 1962 Asian Games|1962 Jakarta]]|[[Football at the 1962 Asian Games – Men's team squads|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[AFC Asian Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1964 AFC Asian Cup|1964 Israel]]|[[1964 AFC Asian Cup squads#India|Team]]}}
}}
'''Fortunato Franco''' (1937 – 10 May 2021) was an Indian international [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[half back (association football)|half back]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700388 |title=Fortunato Franco |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 December 2021 |archive-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214195838/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700388 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Early and personal life==
Franco was born in 1937 in [[Colvale]] in [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]], moving to [[Mumbai]] at the age of six.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/indian-football-fortunato-franco-passes-away/19tmm1c1bfnpe1orqpm8gtl8v6|title=Indian Football: Former Olympian Fortunato Franco passes away | Goal.com|website=www.goal.com|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510105448/https://www.goal.com/en/news/indian-football-fortunato-franco-passes-away/19tmm1c1bfnpe1orqpm8gtl8v6|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Club career==
Franco played club football with [[Western Railways FC|Western Railways]], [[Tata FC|Tata]], [[Maharashtra football team|Maharashtra]] and [[Salgaocar FC|Salgaocar]].<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/field/994545/football-fortunato-franco-member-of-gold-medal-winning-indian-team-at-1962-asian-games-dies-at-84|title=Football: Fortunato Franco, member of gold-medal-winning Indian team at 1962 Asian Games, dies at 84|author=Scroll Staff|website=Scroll.in|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510083829/https://scroll.in/field/994545/football-fortunato-franco-member-of-gold-medal-winning-indian-team-at-1962-asian-games-dies-at-84|url-status=live}}</ref> He captained Maharashtra for eight seasons and won the [[1964 Santosh Trophy]] with them.<ref name="auto2"/><ref>{{Cite web|first=Novy|last=Kapadia|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/memorable-moments-in-the-santosh-trophy-2|website=www.sportskeeda.com|publisher=Sportskeeda|date=27 May 2012|access-date=7 March 2021|title=Memorable moments in the Santosh Trophy|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412140304/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/memorable-moments-in-the-santosh-trophy-2}}</ref> He retired before the age of 30 due to a knee injury.<ref name="auto2"/>

==International career==
Franco was part of the [[India national football team|India national team]] which appeared at the [[Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympics]], although he did not appear at the tournament, and he won gold with India at the [[Football at the 1962 Asian Games|1962 Asian Games]].<ref name="auto2"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/fortunato-franco-one-of-the-finest-indian-midfielders-sa-rahim-shabbir-ali-victor-amalraj/article34525616.ece|title=Fortunato Franco was one of the finest midfielders, says S. A. Hakim|first=V. V.|last=Subrahmanyam|website=Sportstar|date=10 May 2021 |access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510105449/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/fortunato-franco-one-of-the-finest-indian-midfielders-sa-rahim-shabbir-ali-victor-amalraj/article34525616.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sengupta|first=Somnath|title=Tactical Evolution of Indian Football (Part Two): Revolution Under Rahim Saab|url=https://thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-two-revolution-under-rahim-saab/|location=Kolkata|date=13 July 2011|access-date=2021-03-16|website=thehardtackle.com|publisher=The Hard Tackle|language=en-US|archive-date=25 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025021904/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-two-revolution-under-rahim-saab/}}</ref> He also played at the [[Merdeka Cup]] in [[1964 Merdeka Cup|1964]] (winning silver) and [[1965 Merdeka Cup|1965]] (winning bronze).<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/former-asiad-gold-medallist-footballer-fortunato-franco-dead/articleshow/82516972.cms|title=Former Asiad gold medallist footballer Fortunato Franco dead | Football News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510105448/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/former-asiad-gold-medallist-footballer-fortunato-franco-dead/articleshow/82516972.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> In total he earned 26 caps with the national team before retiring in 1965,<ref name="auto2"/> following his debut in 1960.<ref name="auto1"/>

==Later life and death==
After retiring from football in 1966, he worked for [[Tata Group]] as a senior manager in public relations, before retiring in 1999 and moving back to Goa.<ref name="auto1"/> He died on 10 May 2021, aged 84,<ref name="auto1"/> leaving behind a wife and two children.<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto"/>

==Honours==

'''India'''
*[[Football at the Asian Games|Asian Games]] Gold medal: [[Football at the 1962 Asian Games|1962]]<ref name="auto2"/>
*[[AFC Asian Cup]] runners-up: [[1964 AFC Asian Cup|1964]]<ref>{{cite web |first=Arunava |last=Chaudhuri |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1964asiacup.html |title=The Indian Senior Team at the 1964 Tel Aviv Asia Cup |publisher=Indianfootball.de |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002162221/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1964asiacup.html |archive-date=2 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/indian-football-down-the-years-looking-back-at-the-glorious-moments#|title=Indian Football Down the Years: Looking back at the glorious moments|first=AIFF|last=Media Team|website=www.the-aiff.com|publisher=[[All India Football Federation]]|language=en|trans-title=|location=New Delhi|agency=|date=15 August 2022|access-date=20 October 2022|archive-date=21 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921011335/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/indian-football-down-the-years-looking-back-at-the-glorious-moments}}</ref>
*[[Merdeka Tournament]] runner-up: 1964;<ref>{{cite web |title=The Indian Senior Team at the 1964 Merdeka Cup |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1964merdekacup.html |website=indiafootball.de |publisher=IndiaFootball |access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122051912/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1964merdekacup.html |archive-date=22 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> third-place: 1965<ref>{{cite web |title=The Indian Senior Team at the 1965 Merdeka Cup |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1965merdekacup.html |website=indiafootball.de |publisher=IndiaFootball |access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233522/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1965merdekacup.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{sports links}}

{{India football squad 1960 Summer Olympics}}
{{India squad 1964 AFC Asian Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franco, Fortunato}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:India men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Maharashtra football team players]]
[[Category:Salgaocar FC players]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:1964 AFC Asian Cup players]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for India]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in football]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1962 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1962 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Mumbai Football League players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Goa]]
[[Category:People from North Goa district]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India]]

{{India-footy-bio-stub}}

Fortunato Franco - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 17:23, 21 July 2023