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Matías Almeyda
Almeyda foto .jpg
Almeyda in 2016
Personal information
Full name Matías Jesús Almeyda
Date of birth (1973-12-21) 21 December 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Azul, Argentina
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Sevilla (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1996 River Plate 68 (3)
1996–1997 Sevilla 28 (0)
1997–2000 Lazio 63 (2)
2000–2002 Parma 34 (0)
2002–2004 Inter Milan 47 (1)
2004–2005 Brescia 5 (0)
2005 Quilmes 10 (0)
2007 Lyn 2 (0)
2009 Fénix 4 (0)
2009–2011 River Plate 64 (0)
Total 324 (6)
International career
1992 Argentina U20 1 (0)
1995–1996 Argentina U23 13 (0)
1996–2003 Argentina 40 (1)
Managerial career
2011–2012 River Plate
2013–2015 Banfield
2015–2018 C.D. Guadalajara
2018–2022 San Jose Earthquakes
2022–2025 AEK Athens
2025– Sevilla
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
Olympic Games
Silver 1996 Atlanta Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Matías Jesús Almeyda, born on December 21, 1973, is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Spanish club Sevilla.

People called him El Pelado, which means "the bald one," even though he often had long hair. He played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense. He spent most of his playing career with River Plate in Argentina and with four different teams in Italy.

Almeyda also played for the Argentine national team in two World Cups. After he stopped playing in 2011, he became a manager. He coached teams like River Plate, Banfield, Guadalajara, San Jose Earthquakes, and AEK Athens. In 2023, he led AEK Athens to win both the Greek league and cup. He left AEK Athens in May 2025 and became the coach of Sevilla in June 2025.

Matías Almeyda's Playing Career

Club Football Journey

Matías Almeyda was born in Azul, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He began his professional football career at River Plate, a very strong team in Argentina. He first played as a backup, then became a regular starter. He helped River Plate win the Primera División title in 1996. That same year, his team also won the Copa Libertadores, a major South American club competition.

Soon after, Almeyda moved to Sevilla in Spain. He played regularly in his first season there. However, Sevilla was relegated from La Liga, Spain's top league, that year.

Playing in Italy's Serie A

Almeyda then spent eight years playing in Italy's Serie A, which is a top football league. He played for Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan. He spent three seasons with Lazio in Rome. Fans really liked him, especially after he scored an amazing goal from far away against Parma. That goal was his only one in the 1999–2000 season, when Lazio won both the league and the Coppa Italia, Italy's main cup.

He was also named the best player in the league in 1998–99. Almeyda also helped Lazio win the last ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. He often played in midfield with his fellow Argentine, Juan Sebastián Verón. Almeyda was known for his strength, while Verón was known for his creative passes.

In 2002, Almeyda moved to Inter Milan. He played there for two years. In 2004, he joined Brescia on a free transfer. The next year, after Brescia was relegated, he went back to Argentina. He played for Quilmes and then announced his retirement from football.

Later Playing Years

After taking a break from football, Almeyda played in a "Showball" tour with famous players like Diego Maradona. In 2007, he joined Lyn, a team in Norway. He played only a few games before retiring again.

In 2009, at almost 36 years old, Almeyda signed with a smaller team called Fénix in Argentina's fourth division. He was sent off (given a red card) in two games during his short time there.

Later in 2009, Almeyda returned to his first club, River Plate. He played alongside former teammates Marcelo Gallardo and Ariel Ortega. In June 2011, River Plate was relegated to the second division for the first time in their history. Almeyda then retired from playing football for good and became the team's manager the next month.

International Football for Argentina

Almeyda played 40 games for the Argentine national team over seven years. His first game was in April 1996 against Bolivia. Soon after, he helped the Olympic team win a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

He was chosen for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He started in all five games as Argentina reached the quarter-finals.

Later, when Marcelo Bielsa became Argentina's manager, Almeyda played less often. However, he was still selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He played in the 1–1 draw against Sweden in the group stage.

Matías Almeyda's Managerial Career

Coaching River Plate

Almeyda managed River Plate for 18 months. He led them to win the Primera B Nacional (second division) and helped them get promoted back to the top division at the end of the 2011–12 season. He left the club in November 2012.

Leading Banfield to Success

In April 2013, Almeyda became the manager of Banfield, another team in Argentina's second division. During his time there, he also helped them win the league title in 2013–14 and get promoted.

Guadalajara's Triumphs in Mexico

On September 15, 2015, Almeyda was named manager of Guadalajara in Mexico's Liga MX. He said he wanted to "awaken the giant," meaning he wanted to make the team great again. He won his first four matches, including a big game against rivals Club América.

On November 4, 2015, Almeyda's team won the Copa MX after nine years without a title. They beat Club León 1–0. In July 2016, they won their second trophy in less than a year, the 2016 Supercopa MX, by beating C.D. Veracruz 2–0. This win qualified them for the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2012, but they did not play due to scheduling issues.

On April 19, 2017, Almeyda led Chivas (Guadalajara's nickname) to their fourth Copa MX title. They won in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw against Monarcas Morelia. On May 28, 2017, Guadalajara won their 12th league title by beating Tigres UANL 4–3 overall. This made them the first team in Mexican history to win "the double" (league and cup) twice in one season.

Almeyda also won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League with the club in 2018. This meant they qualified for the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. However, he left the club on June 11, 2018, because of disagreements with an executive.

Coaching San Jose Earthquakes

On October 8, 2018, Almeyda became the new head coach of Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes in the United States. He started with the 2019 season. His team earned 44 points but just missed out on the playoffs.

In the next season, Almeyda's team reached the playoffs. They faced Sporting Kansas City in the first round but lost after a penalty shootout. On April 18, 2022, Almeyda and the San Jose Earthquakes decided to part ways.

Success with AEK Athens

On May 20, 2022, Almeyda signed a two-year contract with Super League Greece club AEK Athens. On January 10, 2023, the club extended his contract until 2028.

In his first season, Almeyda led AEK Athens to win both the Super League Greece and the Greek Cup. This was their first "double" (winning both the league and cup) since 1978. The next year, AEK reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa League after three years away. On May 13, 2025, AEK and Almeyda decided to go their separate ways.

New Role at Sevilla

On June 16, 2025, the Spanish club Sevilla announced that Matías Almeyda was their new head coach.

Matías Almeyda's Playing Style

Almeyda was a strong and energetic player, even though he was not very tall. He was excellent in a midfield holding role. This means he played in front of the defense to protect his team's goal. He was known for his stamina, understanding of the game, quick reactions, and hard work. He was good at pressing opponents and stopping their attacks.

Even though he was known for his tough tackles, he also had good foot skills and could pass the ball well. This allowed him to start attacks after winning the ball back. He was also a strong leader on the field. People often compared him to Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids. Almeyda was nicknamed el tractorito, which means "the little tractor," because of his strong tackling and ability to cover a lot of ground during games.

Matías Almeyda's Coaching Style

Almeyda's coaching ideas are greatly influenced by Marcelo Bielsa, who was his former manager. He focuses on high-intensity pressing, which means his teams try to win the ball back quickly. He also likes attacking football and having players mark their opponents closely.

Almeyda also uses ideas from the "Bushido Code" in his coaching. This is a Japanese samurai code of conduct. It teaches important values like being fair, brave, kind, respectful, honest, and loyal. It also emphasizes self-control.

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

River Plate

Lazio

Parma

Argentina National Team

Individual Awards

  • Guerin d'Oro (Best Player in Serie A): 1998–99

As a Manager

River Plate

  • Primera Nacional: 2011–12

Banfield

  • Primera Nacional: 2013–14

Guadalajara

AEK Athens

Individual Manager Awards

  • Primera Nacional Manager of the Year: 2011–12, 2013–14
  • Liga MX Best XI Manager: Clausura 2017
  • Liga MX Manager of the Season: 2016–17
  • CONCACAF Men's Football Coach of the Year: 2018
  • Super League Greece Manager of the Season: 2022–23

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Matías Almeyda para niños

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