César Luis Menotti facts for kids
Menotti with the FIFA World Cup Trophy in 1978 as Argentina head coach
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 5 November 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 May 2024 (aged 85) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1968 | Argentina | 11 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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César Luis Menotti ( 5 November 1938 – 5 May 2024), known as El Flaco ("Slim"), was an Argentine football player and manager who won the 1978 FIFA World Cup as the head coach of the Argentina national team.
During his playing days, Menotti played as a striker, most notably for Argentine clubs Rosario Central and Boca Juniors.
Contents
Playing career
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.
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. Menotti worked as coach assistant of Juárez in Newell's Old Boys.
As manager, Menotti won his first title with Huracán, the 1973 Torneo Metropolitano with a side that included notable players such as Carlos Babington, 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. Huracán played 32 matches, winning 19 with 5 loses. The squad scored 62 goals and received 30.
Argentina national team
Menotti was appointed the head coach of the Argentina national team in October 1974.
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.
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.
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.
On 3 February 2017, Guadalajara made a formal offer to sign him on as their academy director.
In January 2019, Menotti was named as the director of the Argentina National Teams.
Personality
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.
Death
Menotti died on 5 May 2024, at the age of 85, after being hospitalized for a month with severe anemia.
Honours
Player
Boca Juniors
- Primera División: 1965
Santos
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1968
- Intercontinental Supercup: 1968
- Campeonato Paulista: 1968
Manager
Huracán
- Primera División: 1973 Metropolitano
Barcelona
- Copa del Rey: 1982–83
- Copa de la Liga: 1983
- Supercopa de España: 1983
Boca Juniors
- Supercopa Libertadores runner-up: 1994
- Copa Iberoamericana runner-up: 1994
Independiente
- Argentine Primera División runner-up: 1996 Apertura
Argentina Youth
- Toulon Tournament: 1975
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979
Argentina
Individual
- World Soccer 22nd Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
See also
In Spanish: César Luis Menotti para niños
