Manuel Antonio Suárez Paz (10 February 1940 – 10 January 2012) was a Peruvian manager and former player.
Nicknamed Meleque, he is considered the most influential player for Atlético Grau of his hometown of Piura, where he also served as coach in the 1980s.
His nephew, Fidel Suárez, was a Peruvian international footballer.
Biography He joined Atlético Grau in 1960 and participated in the first decentralized Peruvian championship in 1966 (a championship open to provincial teams). However, disagreements with the club forced him to seek a change of scenery, and he joined Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín, with whom he won the inaugural Copa Perú in 1967. This allowed him to participate in the first division championship that same year.
He returned to Atlético Grau in 1970 and remained there ever since. He won a second Copa Perú in 1972, which allowed the club to return to the first division. In 1981, he took on the role of player-manager. He ended his playing career in 1986 but immediately became the head coach of Atlético Grau.
Manuel Suárez never received a call-up to the Peruvian national team. Nevertheless, he participated in the 1961 Bolivarian Games in Barranquilla with the Peruvian amateur team – coached by Dan Georgiadis – and won the gold medal.
Having retired from football, he died in Piura on 10 January 2012.
Honours Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín Copa Perú: 1967
Atlético Grau Copa Perú: 1972
Peru (amateur) Bolivarian Games: 1961
References