Raúl Osvaldo Castronovo Zanón (Rosario, Argentina, 1949) was a striker who quickly made his mark in South America, playing for Rosario Central in his home country and especially for Peñarol of Montevideo in Uruguay, where he became the top scorer of the 1971 Copa Libertadores with 10 goals.
Castronovo moved to Europe in 1971, joining French club Nancy (1971-74) before signing for Málaga for the 1974/75 season in Spain’s First Division. He was the team’s top scorer with 10 goals, although Club Deportivo Málaga was relegated that season.
In the 1975/76 season, he remained at the Blue and White club but did not play a single minute due to the strict foreign-player quota of the time, which prevented him from competing in a campaign in which Málaga earned promotion to the top flight under Mirolad Pavic.
Back in the First Division, Castronovo once again stood out as a scorer, netting 7 goals in 23 league appearances in the 1976/77 season. Once more, he finished as Málaga’s top scorer, although the team was relegated to the Second Division.
The 1977/78 season was the Argentine striker’s last at CD Málaga, where he scored 3 goals in just 2 Second Division matches at the start of that campaign. He then moved to Hércules CF in Alicante, who were in the top flight at the time, and went on to play in the top flight again in 1978/79 with Salamanca. His spell in Spain ended in the 1979/80 season at the age of 30, when he played in the Second Division for Algeciras.
Rest in peace, Raúl Castronovo.