Spaniard Moncho Monsalve, former coach of the Brazilian men’s basketball team, died this Tuesday (28), aged 81. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Monsalve was in charge of the Brazilian team between 2008 and 2010. During that period, he won the Copa América in 2009, held in Puerto Rico, commanding a team that included names like Tiago Splitter, Anderson Varejão, Leandro Barbosa and Marcelo Huertas.
In the final, Brazil defeated the home team 61-60, guaranteeing qualification for the following year’s World Cup.
At the World Cup, held in Türkiye, the team stopped in the round of 16, beaten by Luis Scola’s Argentina 93 to 89.
His biggest setback as head of the Brazilian team was not qualifying for the Beijing Games in 2008.
He also led the Moroccan and Dominican Republic national teams.
“Brazilian basketball regrets the departure of Moncho Monsalve. He was a legend of Spanish basketball,” said the CBB (Brazilian Basketball Confederation) in a statement.
During his time as a player in Spain, Monsalve marked his time playing for Real Madrid, between 1963 and 1967. With the Merengue club, he won three European Cup titles and three local league titles. He also accumulated 61 appearances for his country’s national team.
In 2024, he was inducted into the Spanish Basketball Hall of Fame.
