An unforgettable chapter in football history has come to a close. Antonio Rattin—one of Argentina’s greatest-ever midfielders and the figure behind the introduction of the red and yellow cards used by referees—has passed away at the age of 89. His former club, Boca Juniors, confirmed the legend’s death in a statement.
Rattin played his entire career for the Buenos Aires club, Boca Juniors. A statement from the club read, “It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of our club’s icon and idol, Antonio Ubaldo Rattin. We stand with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Farewell, Rata.”
Between 1956 and 1970, Rattin played 382 matches for Boca, scoring 28 goals and winning four league titles; he also played in the 1963 Copa Libertadores final. Representing Argentina from 1959 to 1969, the midfielder played in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. It was the incident surrounding his controversial red card in the 1966 World Cup quarter-final against England that forever changed the refereeing system in world football.
When German referee Rudolf Kreitlein ordered him off the pitch that day, Rattin refused to leave, claiming he did not understand Spanish. As he finally left the field, he angrily crumpled the English corner flag and staged a protest by sitting on the red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II. In a later interview, Rattin recounted, “When I went near the corner, I crumpled the English flag and swore at them. Then I went over to the carpet used for the Queen’s entry into the stadium and sat there for about five minutes.” “The red carpet was truly beautiful.”
To overcome communication barriers between players and referees speaking different languages, FIFA introduced the system of red and yellow cards at the subsequent 1970 World Cup. After his playing career ended, Rattin spent a brief period as the coach of Boca before eventually entering politics.
