Guillermo Barros Schelotto facts for kids
Guillermo during a master lecture in 2014.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Guillermo Barros Schelotto | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 4 May 1973 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Plata, Argentina | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward, attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Argentina | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Lanús | |||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Palermo | |||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Boca Juniors | |||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | LA Galaxy | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Paraguay | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Guillermo Barros Schelotto (born May 4, 1973) is an Argentine football manager and a former player. He was a forward during his playing days. Most recently, he managed the Paraguay national football team.
Guillermo played professional football for 16 years in Argentina. He spent six years with Gimnasia La Plata and ten years with Boca Juniors. With these two teams, he won an amazing 17 official titles. One title was with Gimnasia, and 16 were with Boca Juniors.
In 2007, Guillermo moved to the United States to play for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer (MLS). This was his first time playing outside Argentina. With Columbus, he won one MLS Cup (the league championship) and two Supporters' Shields. He also earned two individual awards for his great play. After his time in the U.S., he returned to Gimnasia La Plata in 2011 before retiring as a player.
Contents
Playing Career: A Football Star
Playing for Clubs
Starting in Argentina
Guillermo was born with a twin brother, Gustavo. Because of this, he was nicknamed El Mellizo, which means "the twin". He began his professional career in 1991 with his hometown team, Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata. He played five seasons there, scoring 45 goals in 181 matches. In 1993, he helped Gimnasia win the AFA Centenario Cup.
On September 14, 1997, Guillermo moved to the famous Argentine club Boca Juniors. He played for Boca for almost 10 years and became a true hero to the fans. He was known for his experience and skill on the field. Guillermo is still one of Boca's top goal scorers in international games, with 25 goals.
In 1997, Boca Juniors became interested in Guillermo and his brother Gustavo. So, the Barros Schelotto twins joined Boca. They even 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, scoring a goal in a 2–1 win against Newell's Old Boys.
When Carlos Bianchi became Boca Juniors' coach, Guillermo got his famous number 7 shirt. He kept this number until the 2006–07 season. He and Martin Palermo formed a very successful attacking team. They helped Boca win the 1998–99 league title. Guillermo was a key player in Boca's Copa Libertadores win in 2003. He scored three goals in a match against Paysandú and helped with another goal. He played a small part in the Copa Intercontinental win against AC Milan in 2003 due to injuries.
Moving to the United States
In 2007, Guillermo's contract with Boca was ending. Many people thought he would leave to find more playing time. 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 in as a substitute for the last 15 minutes. On May 12, he played his first home game for the Crew. He quickly became a team leader and a favorite among the fans. 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 an amazing 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 (Most Valuable Player). He also had a fantastic performance in the 2008 MLS Cup. Columbus won 3–1 against New York Red Bulls, and Guillermo made three assists in that game. For his great leadership, vision, passing, and scoring, he was named Sports Illustrated Latino's Sportsman of the Year.
In 2009, Guillermo played more as a second striker. He scored 12 goals and made three assists in 24 games. On November 16, 2010, his contract with Columbus Crew ended. He left as a club legend.
Returning to Argentina
Guillermo thought about retiring from football. But on January 13, 2011, he changed his mind. He decided to finish his playing career with his childhood club, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. This was 14 years after he had left them to join Boca Juniors. Guillermo chose not to take a salary 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, and 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, fans still see Guillermo as a hero.
Playing for Argentina
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 1995 Pan American Games.
Coaching Career: Leading Teams
After he retired as a player in 2011, Guillermo and another Argentine, Gino Padula, started a soccer academy in Ohio, USA.
Coaching Lanús
In July 2012, Guillermo took his first job as a manager. He became the coach of Club Atlético Lanús in Argentina.
Coaching Boca Juniors
On March 1, 2016, Guillermo signed with his former club, Boca Juniors, as their new coach.
Under Guillermo's leadership, Boca Juniors reached the semifinals of the 2016 Copa Libertadores. They also won the 2016–17 Argentine Primera División league title. Even when club legend Carlos Tevez left, Boca still managed to win. Guillermo's Boca team also won the 2017–18 Argentine Primera División title, making it two league titles in a row!
However, the team lost the 2018 Copa Libertadores finals to their big rivals, River Plate. A few days later, Boca Juniors' president decided not to renew Guillermo's contract for 2019.
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 left his role as head coach.
Coaching Paraguay National Team
On October 20, 2021, the Paraguayan Football Association chose Guillermo Barros Schelotto as the new manager of the Paraguay national football team. On September 16, 2023, he was relieved of his duties as manager.
Personal Life
Guillermo's twin brother, Gustavo, played alongside him at Gimnasia La Plata and briefly at Boca Juniors. Since 2012, they have worked together in coaching, with Guillermo as head coach and Gustavo as his assistant. Guillermo and his wife, Matilde, have three sons: Máximo, Nicolás, and Santiago. Some of his nephews, including Bautista Barros Schelotto, are also footballers. His father, Hugo Barros Schelotto, was a president of Gimnasia y Esgrima in the 1980s.
On July 7, 2013, a statue of Guillermo was placed in the Museo de la Pasión Boquense (Boca Juniors Museum). This museum also has statues of other famous players like Diego Maradona and Martín Palermo.
Honours: Trophies and Awards
As a Player
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
As a Manager
Lanús
- Copa Sudamericana: 2013
Boca Juniors
- Primera División (2): 2016–17, 2017–18
Images for kids
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Guillermo giving a master lecture in 2014.
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Barros Schelotto playing for Columbus Crew in 2007.
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Barros Schelotto playing for Gimnasia y Esgrima in 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo Barros Schelotto para niños
