Pedro Sarmiento died after being hospitalized for five months

The Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital (HPTU) in Medellín, where the Colombian coach was hospitalized Pedro Sarmiento in five months, the death of the 68-year-old coach, who during his time as a player was part of the Colombian national team, was officially confirmed on Wednesday. After family members rejected the information provided this Wednesday morning by the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) with a publication on their X account in which they regretted the death, the medical center issued a statement that evening reporting the death of former footballer and coach.

“The Hospital of Pablo Tobón Uribe regrets to inform the community of the death of Professor Pedro Enrique Sarmiento Solís, at 6:43 pm on October 30, 2024, after the deterioration of his state of health,” reported the HPTU. In the statement he added: “The professor is under our care and with his family at all times, mainly in his last hours of life.” His brother Juan Carlos Jaramillo told local newspaper ‘El Colombiano’ that the technical director was hospitalized for five months due to polycythemia (a type of blood cancer) diagnosed in May of this year.

On his last day, Sarmiento, who was on the bench for teams such as Deportivo Cali, Independiente Medellín, Santa Fe, Cúcuta Deportivo, Deportivo Pereira, Águilas Doradas and Unión Magdalena, received a visit from his teammates Francisco Maturana, Hernán Darío ‘Bolillo’ Gómez and Hernán Darío Herrera.

When his death became official, Atlético Nacional, the team for which Sarmiento played, joined in the mourning, “deeply regretting the death of Pedro Sarmiento, who won titles in ’76 and ’81.” “His mark on the club and on Colombian football will last forever,” the club added.

For its part, Deportivo Independiente Medellín dedicated a statement of thanks to him in reference to one of his best achievements as a coach, when he won the league in 2004 against Atlético Nacional with that team . “Pedro Sarmiento left an indelible mark, a legacy of passion and dedication that will forever mark the stands of Atanasio Girardot (…) His time at DIM was not just a stage, but an epic written with sweat and tears,” Medellín published on its website.

He made Deportivo de Cali a champion

He coached Deportivo Cali, where he also won the Colombian championship in 2005, Independiente Santa Fe, Cúcuta Deportivo, Deportivo Pereira, Águilas Doradas and Unión Magdalena. He said goodbye to the technical bench in 2023 with Once Caldas and Envigado players like Juan Fernando Quintero and Frank Fabra who passed through his hands, who also regretted his departure.

During his time as a player, Sarmiento played for the Colombian national team from 1980 to 1985, a period in which he played 37 games and scored three goals. He was part of the team that played in the South American Qualifiers for the World Cup in Spain 1982 and Mexico 1986. One of his most glorious moments was in the 1980 Olympic Qualifiers, when the team qualified for Moscow 1980. Sarmiento scored of three goals in the 5-1 victory over Brazil in Cali.

Sarmiento debuted as a professional player in 1976 at Atlético Nacional and retired from América de Cali in 1989, after 13 years of activity. After his retirement, he became part of the América de Cali coaching staff, directed by the late Gabriel Ochoa Uribe, and recently worked as a soccer commentator for various media outlets.