Mauricio Pellegrino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mauricio Pellegrino

Pellegrino with Universidad de Chile in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna
Date of birth	(1971-10-05) 5 October 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Leones [es], Argentina
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Lanús (manager)
Youth career
1982–1987	CA Sarmiento
1987–1990	Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1999	Vélez Sarsfield	186	(11)
1998–1999	→ Barcelona (loan)	23	(0)
1999–2005	Valencia	140	(5)
2005	Liverpool	12	(0)
2005–2006	Alavés	13	(0)
Total		374	(16)
International career
1993	Argentina U20	3	(0)
1997	Argentina
Managerial career
2012	Valencia
2013–2015	Estudiantes
2015–2016	Independiente
2016–2017	Alavés
2017–2018	Southampton
2018–2019	Leganés
2020–2022	Vélez Sarsfield
2023	Universidad de Chile
2024	Cádiz
2025–	Lanús
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna, born on October 5, 1971, is a famous Argentine football player and coach. He used to play as a strong defender, known as a centre-back, and now he is a football manager for Lanús.

Pellegrino played for almost ten years with Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. After that, he spent most of his playing career in Spain. There, he played 176 games and scored five goals in La Liga for three different clubs. He was especially successful with Valencia, where he won three important titles. He won nine titles in total during his time playing in Argentina. He also played for Liverpool for six months. In 1997, he played for the Argentine national team in the 1997 Copa América.

After he stopped playing, Pellegrino became a football manager. He coached Vélez Sarsfield for two years and led Alavés to the Copa del Rey final in 2017. He also managed Southampton in the Premier League for eight months.

Mauricio Pellegrino's Football Journey

Playing as a Defender

Early Career in Argentina

Mauricio Pellegrino was born in Leones, Córdoba, Argentina. He played for Vélez Sarsfield for many years in the 1990s. This was a very successful time for the club, as they won four Primeira División championships. They also won the Intercontinental Cup and the Copa Libertadores in 1994. Because he was tall and thin, people called him El Flaco, which means "The Lanky One".

Playing in Spain: Barcelona

In the 1998–99 season, Pellegrino went to Spain for the first time. He joined Barcelona on a loan. He played his first game in La Liga on September 12, 1998. Barcelona won that game 1–0 against Extremadura. He played regularly that season, and Barcelona won the league title.

Success with Valencia

Pellegrino had his best years playing for another Spanish team, Valencia. He was a key defender, often playing alongside his countryman Roberto Ayala. Together, they helped Valencia win two league titles. They also won the UEFA Cup in the 2003–04 season. Since Pellegrino had an Italian passport, he didn't count as a non-European Union player for the team.

One tough moment for Pellegrino was in the 2001 UEFA Champions League final. His team lost to Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout, and he missed the last penalty. He also played in the final the season before, where Valencia lost 3–0 to Real Madrid. Despite these losses, he was a very important defender for Valencia. He played 213 official games for the club over six years.

Time at Liverpool and Retirement

In January 2005, Pellegrino joined Liverpool on a free transfer. He signed a six-month contract. This move made him the first Argentine player ever to play for Liverpool. He played 12 games for Liverpool in the Premier League. However, his time there was short, and he left the club at the end of the season. He could not play in the Champions League that season because he had already played for Valencia in the competition. Liverpool went on to win the Champions League final that year.

After leaving Liverpool, Pellegrino returned to Spain. He played for Alavés for a short time. He played in fewer than half of their games, and the team was relegated from the top division in the 2005–06 season.

Playing for Argentina

Pellegrino played three games for the Argentine national team in 1997. He was part of the squad for the 1997 Copa América tournament. He made his debut in that tournament against Ecuador during the group stage.

Becoming a Coach

Starting His Coaching Journey

After he stopped playing football in June 2006, Pellegrino stayed involved with Valencia. He coached their youth team, called Cadete B. Two years later, he went back to Liverpool to work as a first-team coach. He worked with Rafael Benítez, who had been his manager at Valencia and Liverpool. In 2010, Pellegrino and Benítez moved to Inter Milan, but they left the club in December of that year.

Coaching Valencia

Pellegrino as manager of Valencia

On May 7, 2012, Mauricio Pellegrino became the manager of Valencia. He signed a two-year contract, taking over from Unai Emery. His first game as a manager was a 1–1 draw against Real Madrid on August 19. However, on December 1, 2012, he was removed from his job after Valencia lost 5–2 at home to Real Sociedad. The team was in 12th place at that time.

Coaching in Argentina

Pellegrino then returned to Argentina. He signed with Estudiantes in April 2013. He coached them until April 14, 2015, when he was let go by the club's president, Juan Sebastián Verón. In June 2015, Pellegrino was appointed manager of Independiente, another team in the same league.

Return to Spain: Alavés

Pellegrino went back to Alavés on June 26, 2016. He became the new manager after the club had just been promoted to the top league. In his first season, he led the team to the Copa del Rey final for the very first time. They beat Celta 1–0 over two games to reach the final. In the final match, played in Madrid, they lost 3–1 to Barcelona.

Southampton and Leganés

Pellegrino as Southampton manager in 2017

On June 23, 2017, Pellegrino was named the coach of Southampton in England. He signed a three-year contract. However, he was dismissed on March 12, 2018. The team was in danger of being relegated after winning only one of their last 17 matches.

Pellegrino returned to the Spanish top league on June 2, 2018. He signed a one-year deal with Leganés. In his first season, he helped the club finish in 13th place, which was their best-ever finish with a record number of points. Because of this success, his contract was extended until 2021. In October 2019, he left the club by agreement, as the team was at the bottom of the league standings.

Back to Vélez Sarsfield

On April 16, 2020, Pellegrino took over as manager of Vélez Sarsfield, replacing Gabriel Heinze. He signed a contract until June 2021, which was later extended for another year. In his first year, his team reached the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. They were knocked out by fellow Argentine team Lanús, losing 4–0 over two games. In the league, they finished second to River Plate in the 2021 season. Pellegrino resigned on March 23, 2022, after a difficult start to the Copa de la Liga Profesional.

Universidad de Chile and Cádiz

On November 29, 2022, Pellegrino became the manager of Club Universidad de Chile for the 2023 season. He left after the team finished ninth, just two points away from qualifying for international tournaments. On January 24, 2024, Pellegrino returned to Spain to manage Cádiz in the top league. He left on May 28, 2024, after the team was relegated to a lower division.

Current Role at Lanús

On December 14, 2024, Mauricio Pellegrino became the new head coach of Lanús.

Family Life

Mauricio Pellegrino's son, Mateo, and his brother, Maximiliano, also played football professionally. Mateo even made his first professional appearance for Vélez Sarsfield while his father was the manager.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

Vélez Sarsfield

• Argentine Primera División: 1993 Clausura, 1995 Apertura, 1996 Clausura, 1998 Clausura
• Copa Libertadores: 1994
• Intercontinental Cup: 1994
• Supercopa Sudamericana: 1996
• Copa Interamericana: 1994
• Recopa Sudamericana: 1997

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1998–99

Valencia

• La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04
• UEFA Cup: 2003–04
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000, 2000–01

Liverpool

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2004–05

As a Manager

Alavés

• Copa del Rey runner-up: 2016–17

See also

In Spanish: Mauricio Pellegrino para niños