Guillermo Barros Schelotto facts for kids
Guillermo during a master lecture in 2014.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Guillermo Barros Schelotto | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 4 May 1973 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Plata, Argentina | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Vélez Sarsfield (manager) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| –1985 | For Ever La Plata | |||||||||||||||
| 1985–1991 | Gimnasia La Plata | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1997 | Gimnasia La Plata | 184 | (49) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2007 | Boca Juniors | 300 | (86) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Columbus Crew | 102 | (33) | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Gimnasia La Plata | 20 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 526 | (145) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Argentina | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Lanús | |||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Palermo | |||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Boca Juniors | |||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | LA Galaxy | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Paraguay | |||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Vélez Sarsfield | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (born on May 4, 1973) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He used to play as a forward. He is currently the manager of Vélez Sarsfield.
Guillermo played professional football for 16 years in Argentina. He spent six years with Gimnasia La Plata and 10 years with Boca Juniors. With these teams, he won 17 official titles. One title was with Gimnasia, and 16 were with Boca.
In 2007, Guillermo left Boca Juniors to play for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. This was his first time playing outside Argentina. With Columbus, he won one league championship and two Supporters' Shields. He also won two individual awards. In 2011, he returned to Gimnasia La Plata before retiring.
Playing Career Highlights
Club Football Journey
Starting in Argentina
Guillermo has a twin brother named Gustavo. Because of this, Guillermo was nicknamed El Mellizo, which means "the twin". He started his professional career in 1991 with his hometown team, Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata. He scored 45 goals in 181 matches over five seasons. In 1993, he helped Gimnasia win the AFA Centenario Cup.
On September 14, 1997, he moved to the famous Argentine team Boca Juniors. He played for Boca for almost 10 years. Boca fans considered him a hero. He is one of Boca's top scorers in international matches with 25 goals. He is just one goal behind his former teammate Martín Palermo.
In 1997, Guillermo and his brother Gustavo joined Boca Juniors. They teamed up with Martín Palermo, who used to play for Boca's rival, Estudiantes de La Plata. Diego Maradona, a football legend, recommended them to Boca. Guillermo made his debut for Boca as a substitute. He scored a goal against Newell's Old Boys in a 2–1 win.
When Carlos Bianchi became Boca Juniors' coach, Guillermo wore the number 7 shirt. He kept this number until the 2006–07 season. He and Martin Palermo formed a very successful attacking duo. They helped Boca win the 1998–99 league title. Guillermo was a key player in Boca's Copa Libertadores win in 2003. He had an amazing game against Paysandú, scoring three goals and assisting another. He scored 87 goals in 302 games for Boca Juniors.
Playing in the United States
In 2007, Guillermo's contract with Boca was ending. Many thought he would leave to play more often. On April 19, 2007, he announced he would sign a two-year contract with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.
Guillermo played his first game in the United States on May 5, 2007. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Kansas City Wizards. On May 12, 2007, he played his first home game against Chivas USA. The game ended in a 1–1 tie, and Guillermo assisted the Crew's goal. He quickly became a team leader and a fan favorite in Columbus. He helped the team improve their season. In 2007, he played as an attacking midfielder. He led the team with 11 assists and scored 5 goals in 22 games.
Guillermo had a fantastic MLS season in 2008. He was named Player of the week four times and Player of the month once. He made 19 assists and scored 7 goals during the regular season. On November 20, 2008, he was named the Major League Soccer MVP. Guillermo finished his 2008 MLS season with an MVP performance in the 2008 MLS Cup. Columbus won the Cup 3–1 against New York Red Bulls. Guillermo provided three assists in that final game. He became the Crew's first ever "Designated Player" on December 2, 2008. This meant he was a very important player for the team.
In the 2009 season, Guillermo played more as a second striker. He scored 12 goals and made three assists in 24 games. On November 16, 2010, his contract option was not renewed by the team. This ended his time in Columbus, where he became a club legend.
Coming Back to Argentina
Guillermo had thought about retiring from football. But on January 13, 2011, he changed his mind. He decided to finish his career with his childhood club, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. He returned 14 years after leaving the club in 1997 to join Boca Juniors. Guillermo chose not to take any wages from the club. He played for free, which is called "ad honorem".
Guillermo played for Gimnasia for six months. During that time, he played 17 matches, mostly as a winger. He scored 3 goals. His last goal was against Boca Juniors. This was his last goal for Gimnasia and his 110th goal in the Primera Division. Because of his contributions and skills, Gimnasia fans see Guillermo as a true idol.
International Games
Guillermo Barros Schelotto played ten times for the Argentina national football team between 1995 and 1999. He also won a gold medal with the under-23 team at the Pan American Games in 1995.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing in 2011, Guillermo and his friend Gino Padula started a soccer academy in Ohio, USA.
Coaching Lanús
In July 2012, Guillermo took his first job as a football manager. He became the coach of Club Atlético Lanús, replacing Gabriel Schürrer.
Coaching Boca Juniors
On March 1, 2016, Guillermo signed with his former club, Boca Juniors, as their new coach.
Under Guillermo's leadership, Boca reached the semi-finals of the 2016 Copa Libertadores. They also won the 2016–17 Argentine Primera División league title. This was a great achievement, even though club legend Carlos Tevez left the team. Guillermo's Boca also won the 2017–18 Argentine Primera División league title.
Even with two league titles in a row, Boca lost the 2018 Copa Libertadores finals to their rivals River Plate. A few days later, Boca Juniors' president decided not to extend Guillermo's contract.
Coaching LA Galaxy
On January 2, 2019, the MLS team LA Galaxy named Guillermo Barros Schelotto as their new head coach. On October 29, 2020, he was no longer the head coach of LA Galaxy.
Coaching Paraguay National Team
On October 20, 2021, the Paraguayan Football Association named Guillermo Barros Schelotto as the new manager of the Paraguay national football team. On September 16, 2023, Guillermo was relieved of his duties as manager. This happened after a 1–0 loss in a World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela.
Personal Life
Guillermo's twin brother, Gustavo, played with him at Gimnasia La Plata and briefly at Boca Juniors. Since 2012, they have worked together, with Guillermo as head coach and Gustavo as assistant coach. Guillermo and his wife, Matilde, have three sons: Máximo, Nicolás, and Santiago. His nephews Juan, Salvador, and Tomás Cataldi, and Bautista Barros Schelotto are also footballers. His father, Hugo Barros Schelotto, was one of Gimnasia y Esgrima's presidents in the 1980s.
On July 7, 2013, a statue of Guillermo was placed in the Museo de la Pasión Boquense. This museum also has statues of other famous players like Diego Maradona, Juan Román Riquelme, and Martín Palermo.
Honours and Achievements
Player Awards
Argentina
- Pan American Games: 1995 (Gold Medal)
Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
- Copa Centenario de la AFA: 1993
Boca Juniors
- Copa Libertadores (4): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007
- Copa Sudamericana (2): 2004, 2005
- Recopa Sudamericana (2): 2005, 2006
- Primera División (6): 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 2000 Apertura, 2003 Apertura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura
- Intercontinental Cup (2): 2000, 2003
Columbus Crew
- MLS Cup: 2008
- Supporters' Shield (2): 2008, 2009
Individual Awards
- MLS Player of the Month: July 2007, August 2008, June 2009
- Major League Soccer MVP: 2008
- MLS Best XI: 2007, 2008
- MLS top assist provider: 2008
- MLS Cup MVP: 2008
- MLS All-Star (4): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Manager Awards
Lanús
- Copa Sudamericana: 2013
Boca Juniors
- Primera División (2): 2016–17, 2017–18
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo Barros Schelotto para niños
