César Luis Menotti
Menotti with the FIFA World Cup Trophy in 1978 as Argentina head coach
Personal information
Full name César Luis Menotti
Date of birth (1938-11-05) 5 November 1938
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1963 Rosario Central 86 (47)
1964 Racing Club
1965–1966 Boca Juniors 18 (6)
1967 New York Generals
1968 Santos 1 (0)
1969–1970 Clube Atlético Juventus
International career
1963–1968 Argentina 11 (2)
Managerial career
1970 Newell's Old Boys
1971–1974 Huracán
1974–1983 Argentina
1978–1979 Argentina U20
1983–1984 Barcelona
1986–1987 Boca Juniors
1987–1988 Atlético Madrid
1989 River Plate
1990–1991 Peñarol
1991–1992 Mexico
1993–1994 Boca Juniors
1996–1997 Independiente
1997 Sampdoria
1997–1999 Independiente
2002 Rosario Central
2005 Independiente
2006 Puebla
2007 Tecos
2019–2023 Argentina (director)
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Argentina (as player)
Copa América
Bronze medal – third place1963 Bolivia
Representing  Argentina (as manager)
FIFA World Cup
Winner1978 Argentina
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner1979 Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

César Luis Menotti (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsesaɾ ˈlwis meˈnoti]; born 5 November 1938), known as El Flaco ("Slim"), is an Argentine former football manager and player who won the 1978 FIFA World Cup as the head coach of the Argentina national team.

During his playing days, he played as a striker, most notably for Argentine clubs Rosario Central and Boca Juniors.

Playing career

Menotti (left) with Miguel Gitano Juárez in Rosario Central. They would then work together in Newell's Old Boys.

After playing some games for the reserve team, Menotti debuted in Primera División playing for Rosario Central in 1960. His first professional match was on 3 July versus Boca Juniors, a 3–1 victory.[1]

Menotti remained four seasons in Rosario Central prior to be transferred in 1964 to Racing, then moving to Boca Juniors in 1965, where he would win his first title as player, the 1965 Primera División. Two years later Menotti arrived to the North American Soccer League to play for the New York Generals. In 1968 Menotti was traded to Santos FC where he was teammate of Pelé and won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Intercontinental Supercup and Campeonato Paulista all in 1968. After his tenure with Santos, Menotti signed with Clube Atlético Juventus, where he retired from football in 1970.

Early managerial career

After retiring from play, Menotti became friends with coach Miguel "Gitano" Juárez, with whom he traveled to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Fascinated by the Brazilian style of play led by his friend Pelé, he decided to become a coach himself.[1] Menotti worked as coach assistant of Juárez in Newell's Old Boys.[2]

As manager, Menotti won his first title with Huracán, the 1973 Torneo Metropolitano with a side that included notable players such as Carlos Babington,[3] Miguel Brindisi, Roque Avallay and the outstanding René Houseman. That squad was widely praised by the media due to their style of playing, being considered one of the best Argentine teams of all time.[2] Huracán played 32 matches, winning 19 with 5 loses. The squad scored 62 goals and received 30.[4]

Argentina national team

Menotti was appointed the head coach of the Argentina national team in October 1974.[5]

1978 World Cup

Menotti was the coach of Argentina when they won their first FIFA World Cup in 1978, defeating the Netherlands in the final.[3]

Between 1978 and 1982

In 1979, Menotti led the Argentina U20 national team to success in the World Youth Championship in Japan, with Diego Maradona the team's star player.[6]

1982 World Cup

At the 1982 World Cup, Argentina lost to Belgium in their opening match. The team started with Fillol; Olguin, Galván, Passarella, Tarantini; Ardiles, Gallego, Maradona; Bertoni, Díaz, and Kempes. Argentina then defeated Hungary and El Salvador, and met Italy and Brazil in Group 3 of the second round, although they lost both matches.

Later career

Menotti was appointed Barcelona head coach in 1983, helping them to win the Copa del Rey, 1983 Copa de la Liga and the 1983 Supercopa de España before leaving in 1984.[7]

On 3 February 2017, Guadalajara made a formal offer to sign him on as their academy director.[8]

In January 2019, Menotti was named as the director of the Argentina National Teams.[9]

Personality, influence and political views

Menotti always displayed a rebellious streak and cultivated an image of coolness. He wore long hair, dressed casually, and used to drop references to cultural icons in his conversations, from writer Ernesto Sabato to singer Joan Manuel Serrat. He was opinionated on politics, projecting a left-wing socialist image that contrasted with his holding a very visible post during the right-wing military dictatorship.[10]

Menotti famously proclaimed:

There's a right-wing football and a left-wing football. Right-wing football wants to suggest that life is struggle. It demands sacrifices. We have to become of steel and win by any method... obey and function, that's what those with power want from the players. That's how they create retards, useful idiots that go with the system.

[10]

Honours

Player

Boca Juniors

Santos

Argentina

Manager

Huracán

Barcelona

Boca Juniors

Independiente

Argentina Youth

Argentina

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 A la carta: Menotti 100x100, El Gráfico, 2014
  2. 1 2 Huracán 73, El Gráfico, 16 January 2008
  3. 1 2 Jonathan Wilson (16 March 2011). "Get-well wishes to Argentina's El Flaco whose football moved the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Argentina 73 by Javier Roimiser on RSSSF.com
  5. ↑ Tim Vickery (18 March 2002). "Menotti goes back to his roots". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 February 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "MENOTTI Cesar Luis: El Flaco Menotti raised Argentina's game". Classic Football. FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Cesar Luis Menotti (1983-84)". History. FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Chivas le llena agenda a Menotti para convencerlo". mediotiempo.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Cesar Luis MENOTTI named as director of Argentina National Teams, mundoalbiceleste.com, 14 January 2019
  10. 1 2 Jonathan Wilson, Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics, page 335
  11. ↑ Jamie Rainbow (4 July 2013). "The Greatest Manager of all time". World Soccer.
  12. ↑ Jamie Rainbow (2 July 2013). "The Greatest XI: how the panel voted". World Soccer. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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