Héctor Cúper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Héctor Cúper

Cúper as Egypt manager at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Date of birth	(1955-11-16) 16 November 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth	Santa Fe, Argentina
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1976–1977	Ferro Carril Oeste	5	(0)
1977–1978	Independiente Rivadavia	6	(2)
1978–1988	Ferro Carril Oeste	424	(24)
1988–1992	Huracán	132	(8)
Total		567	(34)
National team
1984	Argentina	3	(0)
Teams managed
1993–1995	Huracán
1995–1997	Lanús
1997–1999	Mallorca
1999–2001	Valencia
2001–2003	Inter Milan
2004–2006	Mallorca
2007	Real Betis
2008	Parma
2008–2009	Georgia
2009–2011	Aris Thessaloniki
2011	Racing Santander
2011–2013	Orduspor
2013–2014	Al Wasl
2015–2018	Egypt
2018–2019	Uzbekistan
2021–2022	DR Congo
2023–2024	Syria
Honours Men's football Representing  Egypt (as manager) Africa Cup of Nations Runner-up 2017
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Héctor Raúl Cúper, born on November 16, 1955, is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He recently coached the Syria national team.

As a player, Cúper was a strong defender. He spent most of his playing career at Ferro Carril Oeste, where he played over 460 games. People often called him "Cabezón," which means "Big Head."

Cúper became well-known as a manager at Mallorca. He led them to the Copa del Rey final in 1998 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final a year later. He also helped Mallorca finish third in their league, which was their best result ever.

Later, he managed Valencia and took them to the UEFA Champions League final twice in a row. After that, he moved to Italy to coach Inter Milan. Cúper has also managed national teams like Egypt, leading them to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

About Héctor Cúper's Life

Héctor Cúper's great-grandfather was from England and moved to Argentina. His family also has Italian roots.

Cúper was born in a small town called Chábas in Argentina. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was very young, and his grandmother raised him.

Héctor Cúper's Playing Days

Like many young football players in Argentina, Cúper moved to Buenos Aires to chase his dream. He joined Ferro Carril Oeste and helped them win the Argentine Primera División (a top football league) in 1982 and 1984.

Héctor Cúper's Coaching Career

Starting as a Coach

Cúper began his coaching journey with Huracán shortly after he stopped playing. He led them to a second-place finish in the 1994 Clausura tournament. In 1995, he moved to Lanús and won his first trophy as a manager, the Copa CONMEBOL.

In 1997, Cúper became the manager of Mallorca. In his first year, he guided the team to the Copa del Rey final. Even though they lost to Barcelona, they later beat Barcelona to win the 1998 Supercopa de España. The next season, Mallorca reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, but lost to Lazio. That same season, Mallorca finished 3rd in La Liga, which was their best league finish ever.

Coaching Valencia

In 1999, Cúper became the manager of Valencia. He won another Supercopa de España with them. However, he faced tough luck in the UEFA Champions League, losing the final two years in a row. In 2000, they lost to Real Madrid, and in 2001, they lost to Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout.

Time at Internazionale

On June 22, 2001, Cúper moved to Italy to coach Internazionale. In his first season, his team was close to winning the Scudetto (the Italian league title). But they lost their final game and finished in 3rd place.

In the 2002–03 season, Inter Milan finished 2nd in Serie A. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but lost to their city rivals AC Milan because of the away goals rule. Cúper was later let go from the club in October 2003.

Returning to Spain and Italy

Cúper with Parma in May 2008

Cúper returned to Mallorca in November 2004. He helped the team avoid being relegated (moved down to a lower league) that season. However, he resigned in February 2006 when the team was struggling again.

In 2007, Cúper became the manager of Real Betis. He was sacked in December of that year. In March 2008, he took over Parma in Italy, but he left after only two months.

Coaching National Teams and Clubs (2008–2014)

In August 2008, Cúper became the coach of the Georgia national team. He stepped down in November 2009.

He then moved to Greece to manage Aris Thessaloniki in November 2009. He led Aris to the final of the Greek Football Cup in 2010, but they lost. In the 2010–11 season, Aris did well in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, even beating Atlético Madrid twice. Cúper left Aris in January 2011.

In June 2011, Cúper returned to Spain to coach Racing Santander. He left after five months. He then managed Orduspor in Turkey from December 2011 to April 2013.

In November 2013, Cúper became the head coach of Al Wasl in the UAE. He was sacked in March 2014 due to poor results.

Return to International Football

Coaching Egypt

Cúper (centre) managing Egypt at the 2018 World Cup

On March 2, 2015, Héctor Cúper was appointed as the new manager of the Egyptian national football team. He led Egypt to the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 2–1 to Cameroon.

Cúper also guided Egypt to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was their first time in the tournament since 1990! After Egypt lost all three of their group games at the World Cup, Cúper's contract was not renewed.

Coaching Uzbekistan

On August 1, 2018, Cúper became the head coach of the Uzbekistan national team. He was sacked in September 2019 after a surprising loss to Palestine in a World Cup qualifying game.

Coaching DR Congo

On May 13, 2021, Cúper was appointed manager of the DR Congo. His team missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing to Morocco in a playoff. He was dismissed in June 2022.

Coaching Syria

On February 2, 2023, Cúper became the head coach of the Syria national team. He helped Syria make history at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. For the first time ever, Syria qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament after beating India 1–0.

In February 2024, he extended his contract with Syria for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. However, after two away losses, Syria failed to qualify for the World Cup, and Cúper resigned in June 2024.

Managerial Statistics

Here's a summary of Héctor Cúper's coaching record with different teams:

Awards and Achievements

As a Player

Ferro Carril Oeste

• Primera División: 1982 Nacional, 1984 Nacional

Huracán

• Primera B Nacional: 1989–90

As a Manager

Huracán

• Primera División runner-up: 1994 Clausura

Lanús

• Copa CONMEBOL: 1996

Mallorca

• Supercopa de España: 1998
• Copa del Rey runner-up: 1997–98
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1998–99

Valencia

• Supercopa de España: 1999
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000, 2000–01

Aris FC Thessaloniki

• Greek Cup runner-up: 2009–10

Egypt

• Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2017

Individual Awards

• La Liga Coach of the Year – Don Balón Award: 1999
• UEFA Club Coach of the Year: 2000
• Globe Soccer Awards best Best Arab National Team Coach: 2017
• CAF Coach of the Year: 2017

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