Santiago Solari facts for kids
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Solari in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 October 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Left midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Newell's Old Boys | ||
| 1995–1996 | Renato Cesarini | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1998 | River Plate | 67 | (13) |
| 1999–2000 | Atlético Madrid | 46 | (7) |
| 2000–2005 | Real Madrid | 131 | (10) |
| 2005–2008 | Inter Milan | 39 | (4) |
| 2008–2009 | San Lorenzo | 26 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | Atlante | 33 | (5) |
| 2010–2011 | Peñarol | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 351 | (43) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2004 | Argentina | 11 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2016 | Real Madrid (youth) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Real Madrid B | ||
| 2018 | Real Madrid (interim) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Real Madrid | ||
| 2020–2022 | América | ||
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Santiago Hernán Solari Poggio (born 7 October 1976) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He played as a left midfielder.
He spent most of his 16-year career playing in Spain. He played for Real Madrid and also for Inter Milan in Italy. Solari won 13 major titles with these two famous teams.
After retiring as a player, Solari started coaching in 2013. He worked with Real Madrid for several years in different coaching roles.
Contents
Playing Career
Club Teams
Early Career and River Plate
Santiago Solari was born in Rosario, Argentina. He played youth football for Newell's Old Boys and Renato Cesarini. Before that, he studied in the United States at Richard Stockton College.
He joined River Plate in Argentina in 1996. He made his first team debut on 12 May. In his first full season, he played 24 league games. He helped River Plate win two league tournaments, the Apertura and Clausura.
Atlético Madrid Days
In 1999, Solari moved to Spain. He signed with Atlético Madrid. His first game in La Liga was on 7 February, a 2–1 loss against Salamanca.
The 1999–2000 season was his best with Atlético. He scored six goals in 34 matches. However, the team was relegated from the top division that year.
Time at Real Madrid
After Atlético Madrid was relegated, Solari moved to their city rivals, Real Madrid. Real Madrid paid a large fee to sign him.
His first season with Real Madrid was not his best. But he soon became a regular player, often coming on as a substitute. In the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final, he played the whole game. He was part of the play that led to Zinedine Zidane's amazing goal. Real Madrid won the game 2–1.
The 2003–04 season was Solari's best with Real Madrid. He scored five goals in 34 games. During his five years there, he also played 49 matches in the Champions League. He scored seven goals in those games.
Inter Milan and Later Years
In 2005, Solari signed a three-year contract with Inter Milan in Italy. He didn't play every game but was part of the team. He won three Serie A titles in a row with Inter Milan. One of these titles, in 2006, was awarded due to a big scandal in Italian football.
In 2008, Solari's contract with Inter ended. He then joined San Lorenzo in Argentina. The next year, he moved to Mexico to play for Atlante. He joined them for free.
In 2010, Solari, at 34, signed with Peñarol in Uruguay. He played for only a couple of months before retiring from playing.
International Career
Solari played eleven games for the Argentina national football team. He played for Argentina over five years. However, he was not chosen for any major international tournaments.
Coaching Career
Real Madrid Coaching
Solari started his coaching career in 2013. He first coached Real Madrid's youth teams. In 2016, he became the coach of Real Madrid's reserve team. This team plays in Spain's third division.
On 29 October 2018, Solari became the temporary manager of Real Madrid's first team. This happened after the previous manager was fired. He became the official coach 14 days later. This was because Spanish rules don't allow a temporary coach for more than two weeks.
During his time as manager, he won the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. This made Real Madrid win the competition three times in a row. Solari was fired on 11 March 2019. This happened after Real Madrid was knocked out of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League by Ajax.
Club América Coaching
On 29 December 2020, Solari became the new manager of Club América in Mexico. He signed a two-year contract. He couldn't be on the sideline for the first game because his work permit wasn't ready.
He made his Liga MX debut the next week, losing 1–0 to Monterrey. He got his first win on 26 January against Juárez. He led the team to finish second in the league table. However, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
In the Apertura 2021 tournament, América started very well. They won four games and drew one out of five matches. Solari led them to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League in October. They lost 1–0 to Monterrey. The team finished first in the Apertura regular season. But they were again knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Solari was fired on 2 March 2022. This was after a series of poor results.
Style of Play
Santiago Solari was a fast and flexible player. He was left-footed and played as a winger. He was known for his excellent dribbling skills. He was also a good passer and could shoot accurately with both feet.
Broadcasting Work
Since 2010, Solari has worked as a football expert for ESPN. He shares his opinions and analysis on games.
Personal Life
Santiago Solari's nickname is Indiecito. This means Little Indian in Spanish. He comes from a family of sportspeople. His uncle Jorge, his father Eduardo, and two of his brothers, Esteban and David, were also footballers. His younger sister, Liz, is an actress. His family has Spanish and Italian roots.
His uncle Jorge played for several clubs, including River Plate. His cousin Natalia married Fernando Redondo, who also played for Real Madrid. Most of his family members who played football also played for Argentina.
Honours
Player
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 1996 Apertura, 1997 Clausura, 1997 Apertura
- Supercopa Libertadores: 1997
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01, 2002–03
- Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
- Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- Coppa Italia: 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006
Manager
Real Madrid
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2018
América
- CONCACAF Champions League runner-up: 2021
Images for kids
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Solari playing in the 2014 Match Against Poverty
See also
In Spanish: Santiago Solari para niños
