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

Playing position

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)

National team

1975–1982

Argentina

(8)

Teams managed

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

Honours

Men's football

Representing Argentina
FIFA World Cup
Winner	1978 Argentina

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Osvaldo César Ardiles (born August 3, 1952), often called Ossie Ardiles, is a famous Argentine football player, coach, and TV expert.

He was a very talented midfielder. Fans in England loved him, especially when he played for Tottenham Hotspur. He won the 1978 FIFA World Cup with the Argentine national team. Because of the Falklands War in 1982, he played on loan in France for a short time.

After he stopped playing, Ossie became a football manager. He coached several teams in England, like Swindon Town and Newcastle United. Later, he became the first Argentine manager for Tottenham Hotspur. He was known for using a very attacking style of play with many forwards.

He also coached teams in many other countries, including Japan and his home country, Argentina. Today, he sometimes works as a TV expert in Ireland.

Playing Career
- Joining Tottenham Hotspur
- Playing Abroad and Return
International Career
Management Career
- Coaching Other Teams
- Coaching Abroad
Media Work
Personal Life
Honours
- Player
- Manager
Images for kids
See also

Playing Career

Ossie Ardiles was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He started playing football at a young age for Instituto de Córdoba. His brother gave him the nickname Pitón (python). This was because of his amazing, snake-like dribbling skills.

He was even named the best player in his region in 1974. He decided to stop studying law to become a professional football player. He also played for Club Atlético Belgrano and Huracán in Argentina.

Joining Tottenham Hotspur

After the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Ossie moved to England. He joined Tottenham Hotspur and played there for ten seasons. He quickly became a fan favorite.

In his third season, he helped Tottenham win the FA Cup in 1981. He even sang on a popular song called "Ossie's Dream" with the pop duo Chas & Dave and his teammates.

He was a big part of another FA Cup win the next year. However, he missed the final match. This was because he had to join the Argentine team for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Playing Abroad and Return

After the 1982 World Cup, it was hard for him to return to England. So, he played on loan for Paris Saint-Germain in France for one season.

He then came back to Tottenham. In 1984, he helped the club win the UEFA Cup. He came on as a substitute in the final game. Ossie left Spurs in 1988.

He later played for Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, and Swindon Town. In 2008, Ossie Ardiles was added to the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame. This was a special honor for him and his teammate Ricardo Villa.

International Career

Ossie Ardiles first played for the Argentine 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 World Cup, he wore the number 1 shirt. This was unusual for a midfielder. Argentina often numbered their players alphabetically. However, Diego Maradona still got to wear his favorite number 10.

Management Career

Ardiles in 2006

In July 1989, Ossie Ardiles became a football manager. His first job was with Swindon Town. He changed their playing style to a more attacking "Samba style." He used a special "diamond formation" with four midfielders.

Swindon finished fourth in their league under him. They even won a play-off final to get promoted to the top league. But the promotion was taken away because of money problems at the club.

Coaching Other Teams

After Swindon, Ardiles managed Newcastle United. He was the first foreign manager for the club. However, his time there was not very successful.

In 1992, he became the manager of West Bromwich Albion. He led them to win the Division Two play-off final in 1993. This meant they were promoted to a higher league.

Soon after, he returned to manage his old club, Tottenham Hotspur. But his time as manager was not as successful as his playing days. Tottenham finished 15th in the league. Even with new star players, he was sacked in October 1994.

Coaching Abroad

Ossie Ardiles also coached teams in many other countries. He managed Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan from 2000 to 2001. From 2003 to 2005, he coached Tokyo Verdy and won the 2004 Emperor's Cup.

He also coached in Israel for Beitar Jerusalem in 2006. He then returned to Argentina to manage Club Atlético Huracán in 2007. Later, he coached Cerro Porteño in Paraguay in 2008.

Media Work

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 acted in a movie! He played the character Carlos Rey in the 1981 World War II film Escape to Victory.

Personal Life

Ossie Ardiles married Silvia Navarro in December 1973. In 2014, Ossie and his friend Ricardo Villa were in a car crash. This happened in the Falkland Islands while they were filming a documentary. Ossie had minor injuries and needed stitches on his head.