Marcelo Gallardo facts for kids
Gallardo in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Marcelo Daniel Gallardo | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 January 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Merlo, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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River Plate (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1999 | River Plate | 109 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Monaco | 103 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | River Plate | 77 | (25) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Paris Saint-Germain | 41 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | D.C. United | 15 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | River Plate | 28 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Nacional Montevideo | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 367 | (77) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2003 | Argentina | 44 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Nacional Montevideo | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2022 | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Al-Ittihad | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Marcelo Daniel Gallardo was born on January 18, 1976. He is an Argentine football manager and a former professional player. He is currently the head coach of River Plate.
During his time as a player, Gallardo was an attacking midfielder. He was known for his great vision, excellent technique, and amazing dribbling skills. He was especially good at making passes that broke through the opponent's defense.
Gallardo started his football journey in the youth teams of River Plate. He made his first professional appearance at age 17 in 1993. He played for six years, winning five local league titles, the 1996 Copa Libertadores, and the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores.
After this, he moved to France to play for Monaco in Ligue 1. In 2000, he was named the French League Footballer of the Year. Gallardo also played for the Argentina national team in two FIFA World Cups. However, injuries affected his performance in both tournaments.
After winning the 2010–11 Uruguayan Primera División season with Nacional de Montevideo, Gallardo stopped playing to become a coach. He helped Nacional de Montevideo win the championship again the next season. Then, he moved to coach River Plate. Under Gallardo, River Plate won many local championships and became a strong team on the international stage again. He is considered River Plate's most successful coach ever, with the most international tournament wins in the team's history.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Early Years at River Plate
Marcelo Gallardo was born in Parque San Martín, Argentina. He started playing football around age 10 for local clubs. Many top teams wanted him for their junior squads. In 1988, he joined River Plate as a midfielder.
He made his professional debut for River Plate at age 17 in 1993. This was during the 1992–93 Argentinian Torneo de Clausura. River Plate won that game 2–0 against Newell's Old Boys.
The team then won the 1993–94 Torneo de Apertura. Gallardo helped the team win many national tournaments in the following seasons. These included the 1994, 1996, and 1997 Torneo de Apertura, and the 1997 Torneo de Clausura. By 1996, he became a regular starting midfielder.
He won his first international trophy, the Copa Libertadores, in 1996. River Plate beat América de Cali 2–1 in the final. Gallardo came off the bench in the second half of both matches. A few months later, River Plate lost the Intercontinental Cup 0–1 to Juventus in Tokyo.
European teams noticed Gallardo in the late 1990s. He signed with Monaco in France's Ligue 1. This ended his first time playing for River Plate after the 1998–99 season. He had played 109 league games for the club and scored 17 goals.
Time in Monaco
Gallardo signed a five-year contract with Monaco in 1999. He made his European debut on the first day of the 1999–2000 season. It was a 2–2 tie against Saint-Étienne. He scored his first goal for the team on September 12 in a 1–2 loss to Rennes.
Even with an ankle injury before the season, Gallardo quickly got used to French football. He played well with Ludovic Giuly in midfield and helped attackers Marco Simone and David Trezeguet. AS Monaco won the Première Division. Gallardo was chosen as the French League Footballer of the Year, scoring eight goals in 28 matches.
Coach Didier Deschamps sometimes kept him on the bench during the 2000–01 season. Their relationship was difficult until Gallardo left the club at the end of the 2003–04 season. He scored 23 goals in 126 matches over four years with Monaco. He also won the Coupe de la Ligue in his last season there.
Return to River Plate
Gallardo came back to River Plate in 2004 and became the team captain. The team won the Torneo de Clausura soon after he returned. This was his last championship win as a River Plate player. Gallardo scored an important goal in a 1–1 home tie against Atlético de Rafaela. This win helped River Plate secure the championship over their rivals, Boca Juniors.
In 2004, River Plate lost to Boca Juniors in the semifinals of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The series was tied 2–2, but Boca Juniors won in a penalty shootout. This meant River Plate was out of the tournament.
Playing for Paris Saint-Germain
River Plate was having some problems, and Gallardo had received many red cards since his return. He started looking at offers to go back to the French league. He chose Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
PSG had a tough season, almost getting moved down to the second division. They were also knocked out of the UEFA Cup. After one season with PSG, where he scored two goals in 13 matches, Gallardo ended his contract. He decided to move to Major League Soccer in the United States.
Playing in the United States with D.C. United
On January 29, 2008, Gallardo joined D.C. United. He was the highest-paid player in D.C. United's history at that time. Gallardo scored his first league goal for United on April 5, 2008, against Toronto FC.
He had surgery for a sports hernia in July, which kept him out for most of the 2008 season. He scored four goals in 15 matches. In February 2009, he left D.C. United and returned to River Plate for the third time.
Playing for Nacional de Montevideo
In 2010, after a final short time playing for River Plate, Gallardo signed with Nacional de Montevideo in the Uruguayan league. He played in only 13 matches because of injuries. However, he was respected for his strong personality and dedication.
On June 12, 2011, Gallardo played his final match. He came on in the second half for a 1–0 victory against Defensor Sporting. This win helped Nacional secure the 2011–12 Uruguayan championship. A few days later, he retired as a player and was hired to manage Nacional. This was his first job as a coach.
International Career for Argentina
Gallardo was considered for the Argentina national under-20 football team. However, he could not play in the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship because the Argentina national team coach wanted him on his senior squad. Gallardo started playing for the senior team at age 18 in 1994. He debuted in a 3–0 friendly win against Chile in Santiago.
The next year, he won his first international championship, a gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games. He was a key player and scored one of the winning goals in the final penalty shootout against Mexico. Argentina then finished second in the 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 1996 Summer Olympics. Even though they lost the Olympic final to Nigeria, Gallardo later said he valued that silver medal. He was also part of the Argentina squad for the 1995 and 1997 Copa América. In both tournaments, Argentina reached the quarter-finals, which was seen as a disappointment by the local media.
Gallardo had several injuries before the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Despite this, he played in the group stage matches against Jamaica and Croatia. He also played in the win against England in the round of 16. Argentina lost to Holland in the quarter-finals.
After a great performance in the World Cup qualifiers, Argentina was one of the favorites for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. However, they were eliminated in the group stage for the first time ever. Gallardo was part of the team but stayed on the bench for the tournament. He later said that not being able to play at his best because of injuries was "the worst thing that can happen to a footballer." During his international career, Gallardo played 44 matches and scored 13 goals.
Managing Career
Coaching Nacional
In 2010, before he stopped playing, Gallardo got his coaching certificate. Days after he retired from playing for Nacional de Montevideo, he accepted their offer to become their coach. Nacional won the 2010–11 Uruguayan Primera División season championship. Gallardo then led them to defend their championship the next season, becoming the 2011–2012 champions. Gallardo later said that managing Nacional was like an "accelerated course" because he was coaching players he had just played alongside.
Coaching River Plate
First Years: 2014–2015
On June 6, 2014, Marcelo Gallardo became the new manager of River Plate. He brought some of his assistants from Nacional with him. Some key players left the club, but others who had been less active returned. River Plate only bought two new players: Leonardo Pisculichi and goalkeeper Julio Chiarini.
The Argentine press praised Gallardo's coaching style. On November 9, River Plate tied its all-time record of 32 undefeated games. They lost three days later to Estudiantes de La Plata. River Plate was leading the Torneo de Transición until they reached the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, where they would play against their rival, Boca Juniors.
River Plate beat Boca Juniors with a single goal from Leonardo Pisculichi in the second game. In the 2014 Copa Sudamericana Finals, Pisculichi scored again to draw 1–1 against Atlético Nacional in the away game. Defenders Gabriel Mercado and Germán Pezzella scored in the second game, giving River Plate a 2–0 win. This was River Plate's first international title since 1997. Gallardo became the first River Plate player to win an international title as both a player and a coach.
In early 2015, Gallardo's River Plate played in the 2015 Recopa Sudamericana. They won 1–0 at home in the first game and 1–0 in the second, with both goals scored by Carlos Sánchez.
After a difficult group stage, River Plate advanced to the 2015 Copa Libertadores Round of 16. They were the lowest-ranked team in the group stage and faced Boca Juniors, who were the best. River won the first game at home 1–0. In the second game, River Plate's players were attacked by Boca Juniors fans. The match was stopped, and CONMEBOL later disqualified Boca Juniors. River Plate moved on to the quarter-finals.
The team reached the Libertadores final and played against Mexico's Tigres. The first game was a 0–0 draw. In the second game, River won 3–0 with goals by Lucas Alario, Carlos Sánchez, and Ramiro Funes Mori. This was their first Libertadores championship in nine years. The next day, Gallardo's team traveled to Osaka for the 2015 Suruga Bank Championship. River Plate won that match 3–0, which was their fourth international title under Gallardo.
River Plate played in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year. They struggled to beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1–0 in the semi-finals. They played poorly in the final, losing 3–0 to European champions Barcelona. Gallardo was named the fifth-best football coach worldwide in 2015.
Later Years: 2016–2022
River Plate was eliminated from the 2016 Copa Libertadores in the round of 16. However, River Plate won the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana against Independiente Santa Fe, winning 2–1 at home after a 0–0 draw in the first game. This gave them another international title.
In December 2016, Gallardo led River to win the 2015–16 Copa Argentina. This was his first domestic cup as a manager. River Plate then qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores and the 2016 Supercopa Argentina. They lost the Supercopa Argentina 3–0 to Lanús.
River Plate reached the semi-finals of the 2017 Copa Libertadores against Club Atlético Lanús. After winning the first game 1–0, they lost the second game 4–2. River Plate lost the semi-finals 4–3 overall. Days later, they beat Atlético Tucumán in the 2016–17 Copa Argentina final, winning their second straight Copa Argentina. This allowed River Plate to play in the 2017 Supercopa Argentina against Boca Juniors, which they won 2–0 on March 14, 2018.
River Plate started 2018 with some losses in the Primera División. However, they played very well in the 2018 Copa Libertadores. They reached the finals against Boca Juniors. This was the first time two Argentine teams played each other in a Libertadores final. The first game was a 2–2 draw. The second game was played in Spain because River Plate fans had attacked Boca Juniors players. River won that game 3–1 in extra time. Even though Gallardo was suspended and missed the finals, his coaching was key to the victory. This win is considered one of the most important in Argentine football history. The press praised his coaching, calling him one of the best River Plate managers ever.
After winning the 2019 Recopa Sudamericana, Gallardo became the most successful River Plate coach in history with ten titles. He is the most successful coach at the international level for the club, with seven international titles. These include two Copa Libertadores (2015 and 2018), the 2014 Copa Sudamericana, three Recopa Sudamericanas (2015, 2016, and 2019), and the 2015 Suruga Bank Championship. He is considered the greatest coach in River Plate history. Gallardo was named the best football coach in the Americas in 2019.
In the early 2020s, Brazilian teams became very strong in international tournaments. This was due to their competitive local league and better economic situation. Even though Gallardo was great at building strong teams, River Plate's performance against Brazilian teams was affected by Argentina's economic challenges. After losing to Atlético Mineiro in the 2021 Copa Libertadores quarter-finals, Gallardo focused on the Argentine league. The team won the championship, and Gallardo tied Ángel Labruna's record of 22 titles as both a player and a coach for River Plate. He decided to sign for one more year before announcing in late 2022 that he would not continue with the team and would take a short break from coaching.
Coaching Al-Ittihad
On November 18, 2023, Gallardo became the manager of Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He signed a contract for one and a half years.
After a big 5–0 loss to Al-Ettifaq at home, Al-Ittihad lost their chance to qualify for the next 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite. Because of this and other poor results, Gallardo was let go on May 13, 2024. However, he continued to manage the last three games of the season before leaving on July 2, 2024.
Return to River Plate
On August 5, 2024, River Plate announced that Gallardo was their new head coach again. He replaced Martín Demichelis. In his first season back, River Plate finished fifth in the Argentine league. They won the Superclásico 1-0 and reached the semifinals of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. They lost 3-0 overall to Atlético Mineiro. In his second year back, River Plate was eliminated by Platense in the quarter-finals of the Torneo Apertura after a penalty shootout. They were also eliminated from the Club World Cup in the group stage after their last match against Inter Milan.
Playing Style
Throughout his career, Gallardo played as a central or attacking midfielder. He was a playmaker. He was a very skilled and smart player, known for his vision, technique, and dribbling. He was great at beating opponents one-on-one and was best known for his passes that cut through defenses. Gallardo was also good at taking direct free kicks and delivering the ball from corners and other set pieces. His playing style was sometimes compared to Diego Maradona when he was younger.
Personal Life
Gallardo has four sons with his high-school sweetheart, Geraldine La Rosa. One of his sons, Nahuel Gallardo, is also a River Plate footballer. Another son, Matías Gallardo, plays for Atlanta United 2. When he was young, Marcelo Gallardo wasn't very interested in football and preferred flying kites. He said he was a San Lorenzo fan before joining River Plate, influenced by his mother's family.
During his playing days and early coaching years, Gallardo was called el Muñeco ("the doll"). His teammates gave him this nickname in the early 1990s because he was one of the youngest players on the team. Later, his successful time coaching River Plate earned him the nickname Napoleon from fans and the press.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 1992–93 | Argentine Primera División | 4 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1993–94 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1994–95 | 23 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 2 | — | 29 | 5 | |||||
| 1995–96 | 21 | 5 | — | — | 16 | 1 | — | 37 | 6 | |||||
| 1996–97 | 24 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 27 | 5 | |||||
| 1997–98 | 19 | 5 | — | — | 12 | 3 | — | 31 | 8 | |||||
| 1998–99 | 14 | 1 | — | — | 11 | 2 | — | 25 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 109 | 17 | 4 | 0 | — | 49 | 9 | — | 162 | 27 | ||||
| Monaco | 1999–2000 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 36 | 8 | |
| 2000–01 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 8 | ||
| 2001–02 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 5 | ||||
| 2002–03 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 103 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 127 | 23 | ||
| River Plate | 2003–04 | Argentine Primera División | 15 | 4 | — | — | 11 | 3 | — | 26 | 7 | |||
| 2004–05 | 25 | 6 | — | — | 10 | 3 | — | 35 | 9 | |||||
| 2005–06 | 23 | 11 | — | — | 11 | 3 | — | 34 | 14 | |||||
| 2006–07 | 14 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 15 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 77 | 25 | — | — | 33 | 10 | — | 110 | 35 | |||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | 9 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 31 | 2 | ||||
| D.C. United | 2008 | MLS | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | |||
| River Plate | 2008–09 | Argentine Primera División | 10 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 14 | 4 | |||
| 2009–10 | 18 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 19 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 28 | 7 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 33 | 8 | |||||
| Nacional | 2010–11 | Uruguayan Primera División | 13 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 367 | 76 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 494 | 102 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 11 | 5 | |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 44 | 13 | |
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gallardo goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 February 1995 | Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 13 May 1995 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 21 June 1995 | Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina |  Slovakia |
1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 4–0 | |||||
| 6 | 14 June 1997 | Estadio Félix Capriles, Cochabamba, Bolivia |  Chile |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1997 Copa América |
| 7 | 17 June 1997 | Estadio Félix Capriles, Cochabamba, Bolivia |  Paraguay |
1–1 | 1–1 | 1997 Copa América |
| 8 | 21 June 1997 | Estadio Olímpico Patria, Sucre, Bolivia |  Peru |
1–2 | 1–2 | 1997 Copa América |
| 9 | 6 July 1997 | Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay | Paraguay |
1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 10 September 1997 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | Chile |
1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 8 October 2000 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 28 March 2001 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Venezuela |
4–0 | 5–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 5 September 2001 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Brazil |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Nacional | |
29 June 2011 | 19 June 2012 | 39 | 23 | 7 | 9 | 74 | 41 | +33 | 58.97 |
| River Plate |  |
30 May 2014 | 13 November 2022 | 424 | 228 | 111 | 85 | 755 | 366 | +389 | 53.77 |
| Al-Ittihad |  |
18 November 2023 | 2 July 2024 | 33 | 15 | 4 | 14 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 45.45 |
| River Plate | |
5 August 2024 | present | 56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 80 | 39 | +41 | 46.43 |
| Total | 552 | 292 | 146 | 114 | 965 | 505 | +460 | 52.90 | |||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 1993 Apertura, 1994 Apertura, 1996 Apertura, 1997 Apertura, 1997 Clausura, 2004 Clausura
- Copa Libertadores: 1996
- Supercopa Libertadores: 1997
Monaco
- French Division 1: 1999–2000
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
- Trophée des Champions: 2000
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2007–08
D.C. United
- U.S. Open Cup: 2008
Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2010–11
Argentina National Team
- Olympic Silver Medal: 1996
- Pan American Games: 1995 Mar del Plata (Gold Medal)
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 1995
Individual Awards (Player)
- French Division 1 Player of the year: 2000
- South American Team of the Year: 1997, 1998
As a Manager
Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2011–12
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2021
- Copa Argentina: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
- Supercopa Argentina: 2017, 2019
- Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional: 2021
- Copa Libertadores: 2015, 2018; runner-up: 2019
- Copa Sudamericana: 2014
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2015, 2016, 2019
- Suruga Bank Championship: 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2015
Individual Awards (Manager)
- South American Coach of the Year: 2018, 2019, 2020
- Copa Libertadores Manager of the Year: 2015, 2018
- Copa Sudamericana Manager of the Year: 2014
- Recopa Sudamericana Manager of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2019
See also
In Spanish: Marcelo Gallardo para niños
