Enzo Francescoli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Enzo Francescoli

Francescoli in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Enzo Francescoli Uriarte
Date of birth	(1961-11-12) 12 November 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	5 ft 11+1⁄4 in (1.81 m)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1980–1982	Wanderers	74	(20)
1983–1986	River Plate	113	(68)
1986–1989	RC Paris	89	(32)
1989–1990	Marseille	28	(11)
1990–1993	Cagliari	98	(17)
1993–1994	Torino	24	(3)
1994–1997	River Plate	84	(47)
Total		510	(198)
National team
1982–1997	Uruguay	73	(17)
Honours Men's football Representing  Uruguay Copa América Winner 1983 Winner 1987 Winner 1995 Runner-up 1989 CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions Runner-up 1985
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Enzo Francescoli Uriarte (born 12 November 1961) is a famous Uruguayan former footballer. People often called him "El Príncipe" (which means "The Prince"). He played as an attacking midfielder, helping his team create goals. Many people think he is one of the best playmakers of his time. He is also considered one of Uruguay's and South America's greatest players ever.

Enzo played for his country in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 1986 and 1990. He also helped Uruguay win the Copa América three times: in 1983, 1987, and 1995.

At the club level, Francescoli started his career with Wanderers in Uruguay. He then moved to Argentina to play for River Plate. There, he became a top scorer and a key player. He helped River Plate win their second Copa Libertadores title. Overall, he won five Argentine titles with River Plate. He also played successfully in France for Racing Paris and Marseille. His great play helped Marseille win the French league title in 1989–90. Later, he played in Italy for Cagliari and Torino. He then returned to River Plate, where he finished his amazing career.

Enzo Francescoli was a very important player for the Uruguay national team. He played 73 times for the Celeste (Uruguay's nickname) between 1982 and 1997. At that time, he was the player with the most international games for Uruguay. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé included Francescoli in his FIFA 100 list. This list featured the world's greatest living footballers. He was also named the sixth-greatest Uruguayan player of the 20th century.

Early Life and Nicknames

Enzo Francescoli was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. His family had roots from Italy and Spain. When he was a child, Enzo was known for being quiet and observant. People who knew him said he was very kind. Because he was quite thin, he was sometimes called "El Flaco" (which means "The Skinny One").

Club Career Highlights

Montevideo Wanderers

Francescoli's identity card at Montevideo Wanderers

As a young boy, Enzo was a fan of Peñarol, another Uruguayan club. He tried out for them but didn't join. He also had a successful try-out with River Plate, a big club he would join later. But he decided to stay with his high school team. He won five championships with them!

After finishing high school, he joined his hometown club, Montevideo Wanderers. He started playing for their main team in 1980. That year, his team finished second in the league, which was their best result in a long time. His graceful way of playing and his polite behavior earned him the nickname "El Príncipe" ("The Prince"). He also had a habit of chewing gum during games. He said it helped him avoid a dry mouth.

In 1981, Francescoli played very well for Wanderers. The team finished third in the Uruguayan league. In 1982, he played his first game for the Uruguay national team. He also made his debut in the Copa Libertadores, a big South American club tournament.

First Time at River Plate

Francescoli during his first year in River Plate, 1983

After Enzo helped Uruguay win the 1983 Copa América, River Plate signed him. They paid $310,000 for him. In 1984, he started to show his talent more. He played more games as the season went on. River Plate reached the Argentine final but lost. However, Francescoli was voted the best South American footballer of 1984. This was because of his great performances for River Plate and Uruguay. He even turned down an offer from a very successful club, América de Cali. He wanted to do well with River Plate.

In 1985, even though River Plate didn't win the championship, Francescoli was named Argentina's best player. He was the first foreign player to receive this honor. He finally won the Argentine title with River Plate in the 1985–86 season. He was the top scorer that season with 25 goals. He scored three goals in a big 5–4 win that helped them win the championship. In January 1986, he scored a very famous goal. It was a bicycle kick that gave River Plate a win in a friendly tournament.

After winning the Argentine title, Francescoli moved to Europe. He signed with Racing Paris in France.

Playing in France: RC Paris and Marseille

Enzo started his European journey with Racing Paris in 1986. This team was trying to become strong again. A car company, Matra, sponsored the team, and they signed many talented players. In his first season, Francescoli scored 14 goals. This made him one of the league's top scorers.

Francescoli became a favorite player for the fans. In 1987, he was chosen as the best foreign player in France. He kept scoring goals and was the club's top scorer for three seasons in a row. During this time, he even received an offer from Juventus in Italy. But he decided to stay in France.

In 1989, Francescoli moved to Marseille. He only played one season there, but it was a very successful one. He helped Marseille win the French league title in 1989–90. He scored 11 goals in 28 games. His play at Marseille caught the eye of a young French player named Zinedine Zidane. Zidane later became one of the world's greatest players and said Francescoli was his idol.

Playing in Italy: Cagliari and Torino

After the 1990 World Cup, Francescoli moved to Italy to play in the Serie A league. He joined Cagliari. At first, he found it hard to play his best. He played in a deeper midfield role, which meant he scored fewer goals. Cagliari fought to avoid being sent down to a lower league for his first two seasons.

His third season in Italy, 1992–93, was his best. He helped Cagliari finish in a surprising sixth place in Serie A. This earned them a spot in the UEFA Cup, a European competition. He scored seven league goals that season, his best in Italy. He is still seen as one of Cagliari's greatest players.

In 1993, Francescoli joined Torino. He almost won a trophy with Torino, but they lost the 1993 Supercoppa Italiana final. Torino also reached the quarter-finals of a European cup. However, Francescoli didn't score as many goals that season.

Return to River Plate and Retirement

In 1994, at 33 years old, Francescoli decided to return to River Plate in Argentina. He wanted to prove he could still play at the highest level. He played very well and helped River Plate become undefeated champions that year.

In 1995, he was again voted South American Player of the Year. He also received the title of Argentine Player of the Year, ten years after his first time. The next year, Francescoli led a young and talented River Plate team to win the 1996 Copa Libertadores title. This was a huge achievement! He also won his second league title with the club.

At the end of 1996, Francescoli played against Juventus in the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final. Juventus had a player who admired Francescoli very much: Zinedine Zidane. Zidane later said, "when I saw Francescoli play, he was the player I wanted to be." They swapped jerseys after the match.

Francescoli retired from international football after winning the Copa América for the third time. However, he briefly returned to help Uruguay try to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. He finally announced his retirement from all football in early 1998. He felt he couldn't play another year due to injuries. His last two matches for River Plate were historic. They won two titles in just four days! This included the Supercopa Libertadores, a trophy River Plate had never won before.

On 1 August 1999, Francescoli had a friendly farewell match at River Plate's stadium. Sixty-five thousand fans came to see him. Even the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay were there! After the match, thousands of children came onto the field. Francescoli signed autographs and kicked the ball around with them.

Enzo Francescoli is still River Plate's seventh all-time leading goal scorer. He scored 115 goals in 198 matches.

International Career for Uruguay

In 1981, Francescoli joined the Uruguayan team that won the South American Under-20 Championship. He was seen as one of the best young players in the world. He made his debut for the senior national team in 1982. In 1983, he scored his first international goal in a 2–0 win against Brazil in the Copa América.

Francescoli being tackled by Scotland's David Narey at the 1986 FIFA World Cup

Uruguay qualified for the 1986 World Cup. However, their performance in the tournament was not great. They had two draws and two losses. Francescoli scored only one goal in a tough 1–6 loss to Denmark. He later said this was his worst performance ever. Uruguay lost in the second round to Argentina, who went on to win the World Cup.

Francescoli and Antonio Alzamendi with Uruguay in the 1987 Copa América

The next year, 1987, was much better. Uruguay won the Copa América again! Francescoli played brilliantly in the semi-final against Argentina. Uruguay then beat Chile in the final, winning their 13th continental title.

In the 1989 Copa América, Uruguay reached the final again. They played against Brazil in the famous Maracanã Stadium. Brazil won this time.

Francescoli played in his second World Cup in 1990. Uruguay won only one game in the group stage. They were eliminated in the second round by Italy. This was Francescoli's last World Cup. He played in eight World Cup matches in total.

There was a time when Francescoli and other European-based players were not called up for the national team. This caused Uruguay to struggle. But by the 1993 Copa América, they were back.

The 1995 Copa América was held in Uruguay. This was a fresh start for Francescoli. He led his team to the final against Brazil. Uruguay won a tough match 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Francescoli scored Uruguay's first penalty. He lifted the trophy for the last time! Uruguay now had 14 Copa América titles, tying Argentina's record. Francescoli was named the player of the tournament again. He was also chosen as the best player in South America at age 34.

Francescoli announced his retirement from international football after this win. But he briefly returned to help Uruguay try to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. He played his last games for Uruguay in 1997. He played 73 official matches for his country, scoring 17 goals.

Playing Style and Legacy

Francescoli in action v Ferro Carril Oeste, 1984

Enzo Francescoli was a quick, elegant, and very creative attacking midfielder. He was known for his amazing control of the ball, his graceful movements, and his dribbling skills. He was great at passing and could score goals from midfield. He was also known for scoring acrobatic goals, like overhead kicks.

His style of play greatly influenced Zinedine Zidane, the famous French player. Zidane said Francescoli was one of his favorite players. Zidane even named one of his sons, Enzo, after him! Francescoli found this out just before playing against Zidane in a final match. They swapped jerseys after the game.

Other Argentine players have also been named after him, like Enzo Pérez and Enzo Fernández. Another player, Diego Milito, was nicknamed "Il Principe" because he played elegantly and looked a bit like Francescoli. Francescoli joked that Milito resembled him more than his own sons!

Because of his great talent, Enzo Francescoli was the only Uruguayan footballer chosen by Pelé for his list of the top 125 greatest living footballers in 2004.

Life After Playing

After retiring from playing, Francescoli moved to Miami with his family. There, he helped create a TV sports channel called GOL TV. He later returned to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Many times, people asked Francescoli to coach River Plate. But he never accepted. He said he might accept a manager role, where he could use his business skills.

Leadership at River Plate

Francescoli returned to River Plate in a leadership position. He became the head of player personnel. It was his decision to bring in a young coach, Marcelo Gallardo, who was a former teammate. Under Francescoli's leadership and Gallardo's coaching, River Plate had huge international success. They won many important South American trophies, including the Copa Sudamericana 2014, Recopa Sudamericana 2015, and the Copa Libertadores 2015 and Copa Libertadores 2018.

Personal Life

Enzo Francescoli married Mariela Yern in 1984. They have two sons, Bruno and Marco. His wife is a psychologist, which he said was very helpful for their marriage. One reason he retired from football was to spend more time with his sons. Outside of football, he enjoys smoking and playing golf.

In 2002, Francescoli became a Uruguayan ambassador for UNICEF, an organization that helps children.

Honours and Awards

River Plate

• Argentine League: 1985–86, 1994 Apertura, 1996 Apertura, 1997 Clausura, 1997 Apertura
• Copa Libertadores: 1996
• Supercopa Sudamericana: 1997

Marseille

• French League: 1989–90

Uruguay National Team

• South American Youth Football Championship: 1981
• Copa América: 1983, 1987, 1995

Individual Awards

• Copa América Player of the Tournament: 1983, 1995
• South American Footballer of the Year: 1984, 1995
• Argentine League Top Scorer: 1984 Metropolitano, 1985–86, 1994 Apertura
• Player of the Year of Argentina: 1985, 1995
• French Division 1 Foreign Player of the Year: 1987
• South American Team of the Year: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
• FIFA 100 (one of the greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé)
• World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
• Cagliari Hall of Fame
• Cagliari Greatest All-time Starting XI

Images for kids

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  Francescoli and Mauricio Macri in an exhibition match in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Enzo Francescoli para niños