kids encyclopedia robot

Erwin Sánchez facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Erwin Sánchez
Erwin Sánchez Freking.jpg
Sánchez in 2021
Personal information
Full name Erwin Sánchez Freking
Date of birth (1969-10-19) 19 October 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8+12 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1981–1986 Tahuichi Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Destroyers 67 (23)
1988–1990 Bolívar 34 (13)
1990–1992 Benfica 15 (1)
1991–1992 → Estoril (loan) 28 (8)
1992–1997 Boavista 105 (25)
1997–1999 Benfica 26 (6)
1998–1999 Boavista (loan) 22 (0)
1999 Benfica B 3 (3)
2000–2004 Boavista 92 (19)
2004–2005 Oriente Petrolero 38 (10)
Total 430 (108)
International career
1989–2005 Bolivia 57 (15)
Managerial career
2003–2004 Boavista
2006–2009 Bolivia
2012–2013 Oriente Petrolero
2015 Blooming
2015–2016 Boavista
2018–2020 Blooming
2020–2023 Oriente Petrolero
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Erwin Sánchez Freking (born on October 19, 1969) is a famous Bolivian former footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder, which means he helped both defend and attack. Today, he is a manager (coach).

People sometimes called him Platini because of his skills. He spent most of his football career playing in Portugal. He played 288 matches and scored 59 goals in Portugal's top league over 13 seasons. He mostly played for two teams: Boavista and Benfica. After he stopped playing in 2005, he became a coach.

From 2006 to 2009, Sánchez was the coach for the Bolivia national team. He had also played for Bolivia in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. That was only the third time Bolivia had ever been in the World Cup!

Erwin Sánchez's Club Journey

Erwin Sánchez was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. He started his football journey at a local team called Club Destroyers. Later, he moved to Club Bolívar.

Playing in Portugal

In the 1990–91 season, Sánchez joined S.L. Benfica, a big club in Portugal. However, he didn't have much success there at first. He was even loaned to another team in Lisbon, G.D. Estoril Praia, for a while.

In 1992, Sánchez left Benfica and joined Boavista F.C.. This was a great move for him! He quickly became one of Boavista's best players. His amazing performance led to him returning to Benfica in 1997. But again, he found it hard to settle in.

So, he went back to Boavista. This time, he was super important for the team. In 2001, he helped Boavista win their only league title ever! He scored nine goals in 33 games that season.

Later Career and Coaching

After a serious knee injury, Sánchez played less for Boavista. He left the club in 2004. He then went back to Bolivia for his final season as a player with Oriente Petrolero. He stopped playing football when he was 36 years old. In his very last game on March 14, 2005, he faced a long suspension.

After retiring as a player, Sánchez became a football manager. He coached Boavista again. He also coached Club Blooming and Oriente Petrolero twice each.

Erwin Sánchez for Bolivia

Erwin Sánchez was a key player for the Bolivia. He played a huge part in helping Bolivia qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. This was a big achievement for the country!

World Cup Appearance

At the 1994 World Cup, Bolivia's team didn't make it past the first round. But Sánchez made history! He scored Bolivia's only goal in the tournament, in a 3–1 loss against Spain. This was Bolivia's first and only goal ever in a World Cup tournament across all their appearances.

Sánchez played a total of 57 matches for Bolivia over 16 years. He scored 15 goals for his country.

Copa América Success

He was also part of Bolivia's team in the 1997 Copa América tournament. Bolivia hosted the tournament that year. Sánchez played almost every match and scored three goals. One of his goals was in the final against Brazil. Bolivia finished as the runner-up, which was a great result!

In 2006, Sánchez became the manager of the national team. He coached them until 2009.

Family Life

Erwin Sánchez has a son who is also named Erwin. His son also became a professional football player and played as a midfielder for Bolivia.

Awards and Trophies

Erwin Sánchez won several important titles during his career, both as a player and as a manager.

As a Player

Benfica

  • Primeira Liga: 1990–91 (This is the top football league in Portugal)

Boavista

  • Primeira Liga: 2000–01 (He helped Boavista win their only league title!)
  • Taça de Portugal: 1996–97 (This is Portugal's main cup competition)

Oriente Petrolero

  • Copa Aerosur: 2005 (A football cup competition in Bolivia)

As a Manager

Blooming

  • Copa Cine Center: 2015 (Another cup competition in Bolivia)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Erwin Sánchez para niños

kids search engine
Erwin Sánchez Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.