Carlos Bilardo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Carlos Bilardo

Bilardo as Argentina's manager during the 1986 World Cup

Personal information

Full name

Carlos Salvador Bilardo

Date of birth

16 March 1938 (age 87)

Place of birth

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Height

1.74 m

Playing position

Midfielder

Youth career

San Lorenzo de Almagro

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1958–1960

San Lorenzo

174

(12)

1961–1965

Deportivo Español

111

(39)

1965–1970

Estudiantes

175

(11)

Total

460

(62)

National team

1959

Argentina youth

Teams managed

1971

1973–1976

1976–1978

1979

1979–1981

1982–1983

1983–1990

1992–1993

1996

1998

1999–2000

2003–2004

Honours

Men's football

Representing Argentina (as manager)
FIFA World Cup
Winner	1986 Mexico
Runner-up	1990 Italy

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Dr. Carlos Salvador Bilardo (born March 16, 1938) is a famous person from Argentina. He was a doctor, a football player, and a football manager.

Bilardo became very well known as a player for Estudiantes de La Plata in the 1960s. Later, he became the manager of the Argentina national team. He led them to win the 1986 FIFA World Cup! They almost won again in 1990, reaching the final match.

As a manager, Bilardo was famous for using a special team setup called the "3-5-2 formation." This means having three defenders, five midfielders, and two attackers. Fans and the media often called him el narigón, which means "the big-nosed one."

Who is Carlos Bilardo?
Playing Career Highlights
Managerial Successes
- After the 1990 World Cup
- General Manager Role
Awards and Achievements
- As a Player
- As a Manager
Images for kids
See also

Who is Carlos Bilardo?

Bilardo as a player

Carlos Bilardo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents were immigrants from Sicily, Italy. Even as a child, he loved football. But he also worked hard at school and helped his family. During school breaks, he would wake up very early to help carry food to the market.

Bilardo was a talented young player for a big club in Buenos Aires called San Lorenzo de Almagro. He even played for Argentina's youth national team. With this team, he won the Pan-American title in 1959 and played in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome.

In 1961, Bilardo moved to a team called Deportivo Español. He was their best scorer at first, but he slowly started playing more as a defensive midfielder. At the same time, he studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires.

Playing Career Highlights

Bilardo playing for Estudiantes de La Plata in 1968

In 1965, Bilardo joined Estudiantes de La Plata. The team's manager, Osvaldo Zubeldía, saw Bilardo as a smart and experienced player who could help lead the midfield.

Bilardo became like a coach on the field for Estudiantes. Over four years, his team won many important titles. They won one Argentine championship (the Metropolitano title in 1967). They also won the Copa Libertadores three times in a row (1968, 1969, and 1970). This is a huge tournament for South American clubs.

In 1968, Estudiantes also won the Intercontinental Cup by beating Manchester United. This was a big achievement!

After finishing his medical studies, Bilardo stopped playing football. He became the coach for Estudiantes in 1971. For several years, he balanced coaching, his family, and helping with his father's furniture business. He even worked as a doctor for a while, but he stopped in 1976 because he felt being a doctor needed all his time.

Managerial Successes

After he stopped playing, Bilardo became a coach. He first coached Estudiantes in 1971. His team reached the final of the 1971 Copa Libertadores, but they lost. In 1976, he moved to coach Deportivo Cali in Colombia. He led them to the Copa Libertadores Final in 1978, but they didn't win the title.

After a short time coaching San Lorenzo, Bilardo became the manager of the Colombia national team. When they didn't qualify for the 1982 World Cup, he returned to Argentina to coach Estudiantes again.

Bilardo with Pedro Pasculli in México 1986

His Estudiantes team played very well, winning the Metropolitano title in 1982. Their strong attacking style got the attention of the Argentine Football Association. They offered him the job of managing the Argentina national team.

Bilardo was the manager of Argentina from 1983 until after the 1990 World Cup. Under his leadership, Diego Maradona became one of the best players in the world. Argentina had its most successful time in international football. They won the 1986 World Cup and reached the final in 1990.

Bilardo even wrote a book called "Así Ganamos" ("How We Won"). It tells the story of Argentina's amazing 1986 FIFA World Cup victory.

After the 1990 World Cup

After 1990, Bilardo worked as a teacher and a journalist, while also coaching different teams. He coached Diego Maradona again at Sevilla FC and later at Boca Juniors. He also had a short time as the national coach for Libya.

Bilardo returned to coach Estudiantes for the 2003–2004 season. During one game, he was seen drinking from a bottle. People thought it was champagne, but he said it was Gatorade. Tests later proved he was right! His team improved that season, and many young players became stars. Years later, some of these players helped Estudiantes win more titles.

Bilardo also worked as a TV commentator for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Later, he became the Secretary of Sports for the Buenos Aires province government.

General Manager Role

Many coaches who were influenced by Bilardo's ideas now lead important teams in Argentina and South America. Some of these include Brown, Pumpido, Burruchaga, Batista, Russo, and Maradona.

In October 2008, when Diego Maradona became the national team coach, Bilardo was chosen to be the General Manager for Argentina. He left his government job to take on this important role.