Barça's 'Monster of Colombes' Basora dies aged 85

Former Barcelona right winger Estanislau Basora, a pacy and skilful player with an eye for goal who featured alongside Ladislao Kubala in their hugely successful team of the 1950s, died on Friday aged 85, the La Liga club announced.

Basora netted 153 goals in 373 matches for the Catalan club between 1946 and 1958, 113 of those in official competitions, and was part of the side known as "the team of the five cups" that won the Spanish League, the Spanish Cup, the Latin Cup, the Eva Duarte Cup and the Martini Rossi Cup in 1951-52.

He retired in 1958, eight years after scoring four goals for Spain at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil.

One of his most memorable performances came in June 1949 when he bagged a hat-trick in a friendly against France in Paris that earned him the nickname "Monster of Colombes", after the Olympic stadium located there.

"We are sad to announce the death on Friday morning of Estanislau Basora," Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.com).

"He will be remembered as one of the most emblematic players in FC Barcelona history," they added.