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Matías Almeyda
Almeyda foto .jpg
Almeyda in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-12-21) 21 December 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Azul, Argentina
Height 1.74 m
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club AEK Athens (manager)
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)
National team
1992 Argentina U20 1 (0)
1995–1996 Argentina U23 13 (0)
1996–2003 Argentina 40 (1)
Teams managed
2011–2012 River Plate
2013–2015 Banfield
2015–2018 Guadalajara
2018–2022 San Jose Earthquakes
2022– AEK Athens
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
Olympic Games
Silver 1996 Atlanta Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Matías Jesús Almeyda (born December 21, 1973) is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the manager for the Greek club AEK Athens.

People sometimes 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. Matías 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 has managed several teams, including River Plate, Banfield, Guadalajara, San Jose Earthquakes, and AEK Athens.

Matías Almeyda's Playing Career

Matías Almeyda started his professional football journey in Azul, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He joined River Plate, a very strong team in his home country.

Playing for Clubs

At River Plate, Matías first learned from older players. Soon, he became a regular starter. He helped River Plate win the Primera División title in 1996. They also won the Copa Libertadores that same year. This is a huge club competition in South America.

After his success in Argentina, Matías moved to Spain. He joined Sevilla for a large transfer fee. He played regularly there but unfortunately, his team was relegated from La Liga.

Next, Almeyda spent eight years playing in Italy's top league, Serie A. He played for Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan. At Lazio, he became a fan favorite. He even scored an amazing goal from far away against Parma's famous goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. With Lazio, he won the league title and the Coppa Italia in the 1999–2000 season. He also helped them win the last ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. He often played alongside his countryman Juan Sebastián Verón. Verón was creative, and Almeyda was strong in midfield.

In 2002, Matías moved to Inter Milan. Two years later, he joined Brescia. After Brescia was relegated, he returned to Argentina. He played for Quilmes and then announced his retirement.

After a break, Matías played briefly for Lyn in Norway in 2007. In 2009, he joined a smaller club in Argentina called Fénix. Later that year, he returned to his first club, River Plate. In June 2011, River Plate was relegated to the second division for the first time ever. After this, Matías Almeyda officially retired from playing football.

Playing for Argentina

Matías Almeyda played 35 games for the Argentine national team. His first game was in April 1996. 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 played in all five of Argentina's games. The team reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Matías was also selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He played in one group stage match against Sweden.

Matías Almeyda's Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Matías Almeyda quickly moved into coaching.

Managing River Plate

In July 2011, Almeyda became the manager of River Plate. His main goal was to bring the team back to the top division. He succeeded, winning the Primera B Nacional title in the 2011–12 season. This earned them promotion back to the top league. He left the club in November 2012.

Managing Banfield

In April 2013, Almeyda took over as manager of Banfield, another team in Argentina's second division. He again led his team to win the league title and get promoted to the top flight.

Managing Guadalajara

On September 15, 2015, Almeyda became the manager of Guadalajara in Mexico's Liga MX. He wanted to "awaken the giant" of Mexican football. He won his first four matches, including a big game against rivals Club América.

His team won the Copa MX in November 2015, their first title in nine years. In July 2016, they won the Supercopa MX, their second trophy in less than a year. This also qualified them for the Copa Libertadores.

In April 2017, Almeyda led Chivas (Guadalajara's nickname) to another Copa MX title. They won after a penalty shootout. In May 2017, they won their 12th league title, beating Tigres UANL. This meant they won both the league and the cup in the same season, which is called "the double."

Almeyda also won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League with Guadalajara. This allowed them to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. However, he left the club in June 2018 due to disagreements.

Managing San Jose Earthquakes

On October 8, 2018, Matías Almeyda became the new head coach for the Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes in the United States. In his first season, the team improved a lot. In the next season, his team reached the playoffs. He left the club in April 2022.

Managing AEK Athens

On May 20, 2022, Almeyda signed a contract with AEK Athens, a club in the Greek Super League. In his first season, he led AEK Athens to win the Super League Greece title. They also won the Greek Cup against PAOK. This was AEK Athens' first "double" since 1978! In January 2023, he extended his contract with AEK until 2028. The next year, he led AEK Athens to the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Matías Almeyda's Playing Style

Matías Almeyda was known as a tough and energetic player. Even though he wasn't very tall, he was very strong. He was excellent in a midfield holding role. This means he played in front of the defenders to stop opponents' attacks.

He had great stamina, knew where to be on the field, and worked very hard. He was good at pressing opponents and breaking up their plays. This helped protect his team's defense. People saw him as a strong tackler, but he also had good ball control and could pass well. This allowed him to start new attacks after winning the ball. He was also a strong leader on the field.

During his time in Italy, some compared him to the Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids. Matías felt that Davids was more focused on attacking, while he preferred to focus on defending and supporting his more creative teammates. Because of his size, tackling, and ability to cover a lot of ground, he was nicknamed el tractorito ("the little tractor") in the media.

Honours and Achievements

Matías Almeyda has won many titles as both a player and a manager.

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 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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