José Pékerman facts for kids
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Pékerman as Colombia manager in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 September 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Villa Domínguez, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.76 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Argentinos Juniors | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1970–1974 | Argentinos Juniors | 134 | (12) |
| 1974–1977 | Independiente Medellín | 101 | (15) |
| Total | 235 | (27) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1981–1982 | Chacarita Juniors (youth) | ||
| 1982–1992 | Argentinos Juniors (youth) | ||
| 1992–1994 | Colo-Colo (youth) | ||
| 1994–2001 | Argentina U20 | ||
| 2004–2006 | Argentina | ||
| 2007–2008 | Toluca | ||
| 2009 | Tigres UANL | ||
| 2012–2018 | Colombia | ||
| 2021–2023 | Venezuela | ||
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José Néstor Pékerman Krimen (born 3 September 1949) is a famous football coach from Argentina. He also has Colombian roots. His last team was the Venezuela national team.
Pékerman is well-known for coaching young players. He helped Argentina's Under-20 team win the FIFA World Youth Championship three times. He also won the Under-20 South American Youth Championship twice. Later, he coached the main Argentina national football team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2012, he became the coach for the Colombia national team. He led Colombia in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. In 2014, Colombia reached the quarter-finals, which was their best result ever. This was also Colombia's first World Cup in 16 years!
Contents
Player Career
José Pékerman played football as a midfielder. A midfielder is a player who helps both attack and defend. His playing career was not very long or famous.
From 1970 to 1974, he played for Argentinos Juniors. He scored 12 goals in 134 matches. After that, he moved to Colombia. He played for Independiente Medellín from 1974 to 1977. There, he scored 15 goals in 101 matches.
Pékerman had to stop playing football when he was only 28 years old. This was because of a serious knee injury. After his playing days, he worked different jobs to support his family, even as a taxi driver.
Coaching Career
Youth Coaching Success
After his playing career, Pékerman returned to Argentina. He started coaching young players for Chacarita Juniors. Then, he coached youth teams for Argentinos Juniors. He also coached youth divisions for Colo-Colo in Chile.
In 1994, the Argentine Football Association asked him to coach Argentina's Under-20 and Under-17 teams. Many people were surprised because he hadn't had big coaching achievements yet. But Pékerman proved them wrong!
His Under-20 team became incredibly successful. They won the FIFA World Youth Championship three times: in 1995 (in Qatar), 1997 (in Malaysia), and 2001 (in Argentina). He even named his three pet dogs after these winning locations: Qatar, Malaysia, and Argentina! His teams also won the South American Youth Football Championship in 1997 and 1999.
After the 1998 World Cup, Pékerman was offered the job to coach the main Argentina national team. He chose not to take it. Instead, he became the general manager for all national teams. He suggested that Marcelo Bielsa become the main coach.
Coaching Argentina
On 15 September 2004, José Pékerman became the coach of the Argentina senior team. His first big tournament was the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil 4–1.
Pékerman then led Argentina to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The team played very well in the group stage. They won their first two matches and drew with the Netherlands. They finished first in their group. In the next round, they beat Mexico 2–1 after extra time.
In the quarter-finals, Argentina played against the host nation, Germany. Argentina was leading 1–0, but Germany scored a goal late in the game to make it 1–1. The match went to penalties, and Germany won. Argentina was out of the tournament. Pékerman made some changes during the match that were questioned by fans. After the loss, he announced he would resign.
Coaching in Mexico
In 2007, Pékerman started coaching again in Mexico. He became the head coach of Club Toluca. He stayed there until May 2008.
In 2009, he coached UANL Tigres for a short time. He left the team after a few months.
Coaching Colombia
In January 2012, Pékerman became the new coach of the Colombia national team. He took over during the World Cup qualifiers. His first friendly match against Mexico was a success, with Colombia winning 2–0.
In his first qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup, Colombia won 1–0 against Peru. Pékerman helped Colombia play much better. They had big wins against Uruguay (4–0) and Chile (3–1 away).
Colombia qualified for the 2014 World Cup after a 3–3 draw against Chile. Pékerman was very happy to help Colombia return to the World Cup after 16 years. He said it was "one of the greatest joys in his life." The President of Colombia even offered him Colombian citizenship, but he did not accept it.
In the 2014 World Cup, Colombia won all three of its group matches. They scored nine goals and only let in two. They then beat Uruguay in the Round of 16. They lost to the host nation, Brazil, in the quarter-finals. In August 2014, Pékerman extended his contract with Colombia until 2018.
Pékerman also led Colombia to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Colombia had a tough start, losing to Japan. But they bounced back with a strong 3–0 win over Poland. They then beat Senegal 1–0 to finish first in their group. In the Round of 16, Colombia lost to England on penalties after a 1–1 draw. In September 2018, Pékerman decided to leave his role as Colombia manager after six successful years.
Coaching Venezuela
In November 2021, Pékerman became the head coach of the Venezuela. He tried to lead them to the World Cup in Qatar, but they finished last in the South American qualifiers. In March 2023, he left his position as Venezuela's coach.
Honours
Manager
- Argentina U20
- South American Youth Championship: 1997, 1999
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1995, 1997, 2001
- Argentina
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
- Colombia
- Copa América Third-place: 2016
Individual
- South American Coach of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014
Management Style and Legacy
Pékerman is known for his smart tactical style of coaching. He often chooses players who fit his specific way of playing, even if they are not the most famous stars. Sometimes, his decisions about who plays can be surprising. He often tried different player combinations when he coached Argentina's youth teams.
Before the 2006 World Cup, Pékerman made a big decision not to include experienced defenders like Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel. When Argentina lost to Germany in the quarter-finals, his choice to substitute Juan Román Riquelme for Esteban Cambiasso was heavily criticized.
Even with the tough loss, many fans and news reporters still saw Pékerman as a very good coach. His time as coach, often called the "Pékerman Era," brought a lot of pride to Argentina. The team was very upset after the elimination from the World Cup.
Personal Life
José Pékerman was born in Villa Domínguez, Entre Ríos, Argentina. His grandparents moved to Argentina and settled in farming areas there.
After Colombia qualified for the 2014 World Cup, Pékerman said he wanted to become a naturalized Colombian citizen. The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, granted his wish the very next day.
Images for kids
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Pékerman in 2007
See also
In Spanish: José Néstor Pékerman para niños
