In loving memory of Crescencio Gutiérrez, champion and legend of Chivas. | OneFootball

Club Deportivo Guadalajara deeply mourns the passing of Don Crescencio Gutiérrez, one of the players who was a fundamental part of the most successful period in the history of our institution, on which the greatness of Chivas was built. At the age of 91, 'Mellone' left this earthly plane on July 21, but his figure will be eternal in our history.

He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on October 26, 1933. It was at the age of 19 that he got the opportunity to wear the Rojiblanca jersey, after a brief stint with the Sutaj team. 'Mellone' only needed one training session with the club's reserves to be called up that same week for the match in which Guadalajara faced León, where he sealed his future as a lethal striker, making his debut as a goalscorer with a brace against 'Tota' Carbajal himself.

He was nicknamed 'Mellone' because of his physical resemblance to Atilio Mellone, a Paraguayan footballer who played for Club Oro and with whom he also played internationally.

From there, he began his golden path alongside names such as Don 'Chava' Reyes, Sabás Ponce, and 'Cabo' Valdivia, to name a few, in a forward line that conquered Mexican soccer. Wearing the number 9 jersey, he was the top scorer of the 1956-1957 season with 19 goals, which helped Chivas win their first league title in history.

One of his most memorable moments is the match between Guadalajara and River Plate in 1958 for the second edition of the Pentagonal de la Ciudad de México. On February 13, 'Mellone' shot with his left foot into the corner and beat Amadeo Carrizo, the 'Millonaria' legend and at that time recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world. The Argentine goalkeeper repeated several times, "It was a lucky goal, kid," to which Don Crescencio replied, "Yes, sir." At the end of the match, Carrizo chased Gutiérrez to try to hit him, but Don Crescencio was lifted on the shoulders of his teammates for his great performance, so the goalkeeper gave up.

In total, he won five league championships with his beloved team and participated in Guadalajara's first Concacaf championship. Thanks to his achievements, he was called up to the national team on multiple occasions, with which he played in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

His legacy as a Rojiblanco is not limited to titles, but also left his name immortalized among the top scorers in Guadalajara's two biggest rivalries. That's right, in both the Clásico Tapatío and the Clásico de México, 'Mellone' scored five times in the Mexican championship.

Don Crescencio Gutiérrez will always be remembered as one of the men who built the history of what is now Mexico's most beloved and popular team. From Club Deportivo Guadalajara, we send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Abrazos to heaven, 'Mellone'. Rest in peace.