Osvaldo Ardiles Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Osvaldo Ardiles

Ardiles with Tottenham Hotspur in 1981

Personal information

Full name

Osvaldo César Ardiles

Date of birth

3 August 1952 (age 72)

Place of birth

Córdoba, Argentina

Height

1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

Position(s)

Central midfielder

Youth career

Instituto

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1973

Instituto

(3)

1974

Belgrano

(2)

1975–1978

Huracán

109

(11)

1978–1988

Tottenham Hotspur

238

(16)

1982–1983

→ Paris Saint-Germain (loan)

(1)

1985

→ St George Budapest (loan)

(0)

1988

Blackburn Rovers

(0)

1988–1989

Queens Park Rangers

(0)

1989

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

(1)

1989–1991

Swindon Town

(0)

Total

412

(34)

International career

1975–1982

Argentina

(8)

Managerial career

1989–1991

1991–1992

1992–1993

1993–1994

1995

1996–1998

1999

2000–2001

2001

Al-Ittihad

2002–2003

Racing Club

2003–2005

Tokyo Verdy

2006

Beitar Jerusalem

2007

Huracán

2008

Cerro Porteño

2012

Machida Zelvia

Medal record

Men's football

Representing Argentina
FIFA World Cup
Winner	1978 Argentina

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Osvaldo César Ardiles (born 3 August 1952), known as Ossie Ardiles, is a famous Argentine football player and manager. He was also a pundit, which means he shared his expert opinions on football.

Ossie was a very competitive and skilled midfielder. He became a fan favorite in England, especially when he played for Tottenham Hotspur. He won the 1978 FIFA World Cup with the Argentina national team.

After he stopped playing, Ardiles became a manager. He coached several teams in England, including Swindon Town and Newcastle United. He later returned to manage Tottenham. He even tried a unique tactic with five forwards, which was very unusual for English football at the time!

Ossie has coached teams in many countries, like Mexico, Japan, and his home country, Argentina. Today, he is a football expert for RTÉ Sport in Ireland.

Ossie's Playing Career
- Winning the FA Cup
- Playing for Paris Saint-Germain
International Football for Argentina
Ossie's Management Career
Media and Film Appearances
Ossie's Personal Life
Images for kids
Honours and Achievements
- As a Player
- As a Manager
See also

Ossie's Playing Career

Ossie Ardiles was born in Córdoba. He started playing football at a young age for Instituto de Córdoba. When he was a boy, he played football in the streets. His brother gave him the nickname Pitón (python) because of his amazing dribbling skills. He was so good that he stopped studying law to become a professional footballer.

He also played for Club Atlético Belgrano and Huracán in Argentina. After the 1978 World Cup, he moved to England. He joined Tottenham Hotspur and played there for ten seasons.

Winning the FA Cup

Ossie helped Tottenham win the FA Cup in 1981. This is a very important football competition in England. He even helped create a popular song called "Ossie's Dream" with the pop duo Chas & Dave and his teammates.

He was also part of another FA Cup win the next year. However, he did not play in the final because he had to join Argentina's team for the 1982 World Cup.

Playing for Paris Saint-Germain

After the 1982 World Cup, Ossie went to play for Paris Saint-Germain in France for one season. He then returned to Tottenham. He helped the club win the UEFA Cup in 1984. This was another big European competition.

Ossie left Tottenham in 1988. He then played for Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, and Swindon Town. In 2008, Ossie Ardiles and his friend Ricardo Villa were honored. They were added to the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.

International Football for Argentina

Ossie Ardiles joined the Argentina senior team in 1975. He was a key player in the team that won the 1978 FIFA World Cup! This was a huge achievement for Argentina.

At the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Ossie wore the number 1 shirt. This was unusual because goalkeepers usually wear number 1. But Argentina's team at the time numbered players alphabetically by their last name. The only exception was Diego Maradona, who got to wear his favorite number 10.

Ossie's Management Career

Ardiles in 2006

In July 1989, Ossie Ardiles started his career as a football manager. He took charge of Swindon Town. He changed their playing style to a more attacking "Samba style." He also used a special "diamond formation" with different types of midfielders.

Swindon Town's Journey

Ten months after joining, Ardiles led Swindon to their highest league position ever. They finished fourth in the second division. They even won a play-off final to get promoted to the top league for the first time! However, the promotion was taken away due to some payment issues.

The next season was tough for Swindon. Ardiles had to sell players. He then moved to Newcastle United as their new manager. He was the first foreign manager for the club. But his time there was short, and he left after 12 months.

Managing West Brom and Tottenham

In 1992, Ardiles became the manager of West Bromwich Albion. He led them to victory in the Division Two playoff final in 1993. This meant they were promoted!

Soon after, he returned to manage his old club, Tottenham. However, his time as manager was not as successful as his playing days. Tottenham finished 15th in the Premier League. Even with new star players like Jürgen Klinsmann, Ardiles was sacked in October 1994.

Coaching Around the World

Ardiles continued his coaching journey in many different countries. He coached J. League Division 1 teams like Yokohama F. Marinos and Tokyo Verdy in Japan. With Tokyo Verdy, he won the 2004 Emperor's Cup.

He also coached Beitar Jerusalem in Israel and Club Atlético Huracán in Argentina. In 2008, he managed Cerro Porteño in Paraguay. His last known coaching role was with FC Machida Zelvia in Japan in 2012.

Media and Film Appearances

Ossie Ardiles has also worked in the media. He was a football expert for RTÉ Sport during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

He also appeared in the 1981 World War II film Escape to Victory. In the movie, he played a character named Carlos Rey.

Ossie's Personal Life

Ossie Ardiles married Silvia Navarro in December 1973. His son, Pablo, also played and managed football for Hertford Town.

In 2014, Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa were in a car accident in the Falkland Islands. This happened while they were filming a documentary. Ossie had some minor injuries and needed stitches.