The Celeste great, regarded as one of the finest players to ever pull on a pair of gloves, has passed away following a short battle with a respiratory illness

Former Uruguay goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz has died aged 67.

The news was confirmed through the former Penarol player's Twitter account after it was revealed he had been suffering from breathing problems last week.

A deterioration in health saw him admitted to hospital and he was sadly unable to win his battle against a respiratory illness that ultimately claimed his life.

Mazurkiewicz will be remembered as one of the game's greatest-ever goalkeepers, with his performances for Celeste in the 1970 Mexico World Cup arguably the finest of his career as Uruguay reached the semi-finals of the competition.

A glistening career was laced with silverware and included three league titles, the South American Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in 1966, as well as a league championship success with Atletico Mineiro in the early 1970s.