Uruguay Gustavo Graffigna Banhoffer, also known as Uri Banhoffer or Yuri Banhoffer (14 January 1948 – 12 March 2021), was a Uruguayan footballer who played for clubs in Uruguay, Chile, the Netherlands and the United States.

He died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, and Alzheimer's disease.

Uruguay Graffigna

Career

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Graffigna moved to Chile in 1968 after playing for Defensor Sporting in his homeland. He helped Unión San Felipe win the 1971 Primera División title and after a spell with Antofagasta, he moved to Mexico to play for C.F. Pachuca.

Uruguay Graffigna

Graffigna played two seasons in the NASL for the Los Angeles Aztecs and won the championship in 1974. He next moved to the Netherlands where he joined Eerste Divisie club PEC Zwolle. Graffigna spent three seasons with PEC, and had a goal disallowed as the club lost the 1976–77 KNVB Cup final to FC Twente. In 1978 he clinched promotion to Holland's top level after winning the Eerste Divisie league title. He left for Chile in 1979 after his father died there and to be close to his mother.

Uruguay Graffigna

Personal life

He naturalized Chilean in 2015, keeping the Uruguayan nationality.

In 1968, he came to Chile to join Unión La Calera where his older brother, Pedro Graffigna, played since 1966.

He lived in Quillota, Chile.

References

External links

Uri Banhoffer at North American Soccer League Players

Uri Banhoffer at North American Soccer League

1948 births

2021 deaths

Footballers from Montevideo

Men's association football forwards

Uruguayan men's footballers

El Tanque Sisley players

San Luis de Quillota footballers

Unión San Felipe footballers

Unión Española footballers

C.F. Pachuca players

Atlético Español F.C. footballers

C.D. Aviación footballers

Los Angeles Aztecs players

PEC Zwolle players

Santiago Morning footballers

Deportes Iberia footballers

Uruguayan Segunda División players

Chilean Primera División players

Primera B de Chile players

Liga MX players

Eerste Divisie players

North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players

Uruguayan expatriate men's footballers

Expatriate men's footballers in Chile

Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Chile

Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico

Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Mexico

Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands

Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands

Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States

Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in the United States

Uruguayan emigrants to Chile

Naturalized citizens of Chile

Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile