Alejandro Sabella facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alejandro Sabella

Sabella during a press conference in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Alejandro Javier Sabella
Date of birth	(1954-11-05)5 November 1954
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date of death	8 December 2020(2020-12-08) (aged 66)
Place of death	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1974–1978	River Plate	117	(11)
1978–1980	Sheffield United	76	(8)
1980–1981	Leeds United	23	(2)
1982–1987	Estudiantes (LP)	149	(10)
1985	→ Grêmio (loan)	10	(0)
1987–1988	Ferro Carril Oeste	27	(2)
1988–1989	Irapuato	31	(0)
Total		433	(33)
National team
1983–1984	Argentina	8	(0)
Teams managed
1995	Qatar U20
2009–2011	Estudiantes
2011–2014	Argentina
Honours Men's football Representing  Argentina (as manager) FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2014 Brazil
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alejandro Javier Sabella (born November 5, 1954 – died December 8, 2020) was an Argentine football player and manager. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Sabella started his playing career with River Plate in Argentina. In 1978, he moved to England to play for Sheffield United. While in England, people called him "Alex." He also played for Leeds United before returning to South America. There, he played for Estudiantes, Grêmio, Ferro Carril Oeste, and Irapuato.

After he stopped playing, Sabella became a coach. He worked as an assistant manager for his friend Daniel Passarella for many years. They coached teams like the Argentina national team and clubs in Italy, Uruguay, Mexico, and Brazil.

Later, Sabella became the main manager for Estudiantes. He led them to win the 2009 Copa Libertadores and an Argentine championship. In 2011, he became the coach of the Argentina national team. He guided them to the final in 2014, where they lost to Germany. Sabella passed away on December 8, 2020, at 66 years old, due to health problems.

Playing Career

Early Life and Club Start

Sabella playing for River Plate in the mid 1970s

Alejandro Sabella grew up in a middle-class family in Buenos Aires. He was a very good student and even got into law school. However, his football career became more important, so he stopped his studies.

As a young player, Sabella joined River Plate in the early 1970s. He played as an attacking midfielder. His style was known for good technique and short passes. Because he was a bit slow, his teammates nicknamed him Pachorra, which means "slowcoach."

In 1975, River Plate won their first title in 18 years. Sabella got more chances to play in 1976. He helped River win another championship in 1977.

Playing in England

Sabella with Sheffield United in 1978.

In 1978, the English team Sheffield United signed Sabella for £160,000. He made his first appearance for them in August 1978.

Sabella played for Sheffield United until 1980. He scored eight goals in 76 games. After the team was moved to a lower division, he was sold to Leeds United for £400,000.

He played for Leeds United from 1980 to 1981. He made 23 appearances and scored two goals.

Return to Argentina

At his return to Argentina, Sabella signed with Estudiantes de La Plata in 1981

In December 1981, Sabella returned to Argentina and joined Estudiantes de La Plata. Under coach Carlos Bilardo, the team became very strong. Sabella and his teammates helped Estudiantes win two championship titles in a row.

Sabella also played for the Argentina national team eight times. He played in the 1983 Copa América and some friendly matches.

Later Playing Years

After Estudiantes, Sabella moved to Brazil to play for Grêmio from 1985 to 1986. He then returned to Estudiantes for a short time. He finished his playing career in Mexico with Irapuato in 1989.

Managerial Career

Starting as a Coach

Sabella managing Estudiantes de La Plata in 2009

After retiring as a player, Sabella became a coach. For many years, he worked as an assistant to Daniel Passarella. They coached the Argentina national team and several club teams in different countries.

In 2009, Sabella became the main coach of Estudiantes de La Plata. He led the team to win the important 2009 Copa Libertadores tournament. He also won the Argentine championship in 2010. Sabella left Estudiantes in February 2011.

Coaching Argentina

After the 2011 Copa América, Sabella was chosen to manage the Argentina national team. He had almost joined a team in the UAE, but he decided to coach his home country instead. In August 2011, Sabella made Lionel Messi the new captain of the team. His first game as manager was a 1–0 win against Venezuela in India.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Sabella coached Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He led them all the way to the final match. This was the first time Argentina had reached the World Cup final since 1990.

Argentina played very well throughout the tournament. They won all three of their group games. They beat Switzerland 1–0 in extra time in the Round of 16. Then, they defeated Belgium 1–0 in the quarter-finals.

In the semi-finals, Argentina played against the Netherlands. The game ended in a 0–0 draw, and Argentina won in a penalty shootout. In the final, Argentina lost to Germany 1–0 after extra time. Germany scored the winning goal.

Sabella officially resigned as Argentina's manager on July 30, 2014, after the World Cup.

Managerial Statistics

Here is a summary of Sabella's record as a manager:

Nicknames

During his playing days, Sabella was called el Mago ("the Magician") because of his skills. He was also called Pachorra ("Sloth") because he seemed slow on the field.

As a manager for Estudiantes, he was sometimes called Magno (like Alexander the Great). This was because his team played very well in the Club World Cup final against Barcelona. Even though they lost, they made it a very close game.

Honours

Sabella celebrates after winning the Apertura title with Estudiantes in 2010.

Player

River Plate

• Primera División: 1975 Metropolitano, 1975 Nacional, 1977 Metropolitano

Estudiantes (LP)

• Primera División: 1982 Metropolitano, 1983 Nacional

Manager

Estudiantes (LP)

• Copa Libertadores: 2009
• Primera División: 2010 Apertura
• FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2009

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014

Images for kids

• 

  Sabella (right) with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Lionel Messi in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Alejandro Sabella para niños