César Luis Menotti, known as el flaco ("the skinny guy") (born November 5, 1938 in Rosario) is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player. November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rosario is the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the third most populous in the country, after Córdoba and Buenos Aires. ... Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ...

Early Days

Menotti grew up in the Fisherton district of Rosario, and played for local clubs before a scout for Rosario Central picked him up. He played in the youth divisions while attending high school (he graduated as a chemical technician) and was signed by Central. During his professional career, he played for Central and for the Argentine national football team, with a brief stint in Pelé's FC Santos and a few other clubs. A midfielder, he was recognized as an elegant yet sometimes ineffective player. Club Atlético Rosario Central is a football club in Rosario, Argentina. ... First International Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901) Largest win Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942) Worst defeat Czechoslovakia 6 - 1 Argentina (Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958) Uruguay 5 - 0 Argentina (Guayaquil, Ecuador; 16 December 1959) Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5... Pelé with Bill Clinton Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940), nicknamed Pelé, is a former Brazilian football player and thought by many to be the finest player of all time. ... Santos Futebol Clube is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... In association football (soccer), a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. ...

After retiring from play, he became friends with coach Miguel Gitano Juárez, with whom he traveled to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Fascinated by the Brazilian style of play led by his pal Pelé, he decided to become a coach himself. The 1970 Football World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. ...

His first significant success was achieving the 1973 Metropolitano title with Huracán, with a legendary attacking lineup: René Houseman, Miguel Brindisi, Roque Avallay, Carlos Babington, and Omar Larrosa, backed up by veteran midfielder Alfio Basile and left-back Jorge Carrascosa, known as el lobo ("the wolf"), who was the team captain. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Primera División (first division) is the top category of Argentine football (soccer), and its organized by the Argentine Football Association. ... The Club Atlético Huracán is a professional soccer team from Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... Alfio Rubén Basile (born November 1, 1943 in Bahía Blanca), also know as El Coco, is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player. ...

After the fiasco of the 1974 World Cup, the Argentine Football Association top brass decided to offer Menotti the position of national coach. The political connections of Huracán strongman David Bracuto and union leader Paulino Niembro were critical in closing the deal. The 1974 Football World Cup was held in West Germany. ... The Argentine Football Association (AFA) (Spanish: Asociación del Fútbol Argentino) is the governing body of football in Argentina. ...

National Coach

Preparations for the 1978 World Cup

Menotti was faced with an enormous challenge: Argentina had zero World Cup wins against Brazil's three, and was poised to host the 1978 World Cup. For many fans, it was "now or never". The political climate was deteriorating rapidly: in March 1976, a military coup was to depose President Isabel Martínez de Perón and install a fiercely repressive regime. The 1978 Football World Cup was held in Argentina. ... María Estela Martínez de Perón (born on February 4, 1931, in La Rioja, Argentina) better known as Isabel Martínez de Perón would become the third wife of Argentine President Juan Perón and serve as President of Argentina in her own right from July 1... Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (Spanish, National Reorganization Process, often simply Proceso) was the name used by its leaders for the right-wing military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983 (which in Argentina it simply known as the military junta, even though several of them existed throughout its...

After a series of incidents in which Boca Juniors and River Plate denied their players to the national team in 1975, Menotti devised a scratch made up mostly from players out of Santa Fé and Córdoba provinces. Many players in that team made up the backbone of Menotti's team all the way to the 1982 World Cup: full-back Galván, midfielders Ardiles, Gallego and Kempes, and centre-forward Luque. Other players from that team remained on the team with varying fortunes: goalkeeper Hugo Gatti, the Killer brothers, Oviedo, and Daniel Valencia. Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine football club. ... Club Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is a football team of Argentina, founded in 1901. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Santa Fe is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. ... Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the centre of the country. ... The 1982 Football World Cup was held in Spain. ... Osvaldo César (Ossie) Ardiles (born August 3, 1952 in Córdoba, Argentina) is a football coach and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentinian national team. ... Mario Alberto Kempes (born July 15, 1954) was an Argentine football player. ...

Menotti acknowledged the talent of Houseman and the rise of defensive powerhouse Daniel Passarella, even though both played in teams from Buenos Aires. Another source of top talent was the national team that won the 1975 Toulon youth championship, which included Boca's Alberto Tarantini and Jorge Valdano, who was traded to Spanish side Alavés at a young age. Daniel Alberto Passarella (born May 25, 1953 in Chacabuco, Buenos Aires Province) is a former Argentine football defence player, and the former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. ... Jorge Alberto Valdano (born October 4, 1955 in Las Parejas, Santa Fe Province) is a former Argentine football player and, for many, a reference in World Football, sometimes called The Philosopher of Football. ...

In the run-up to the 1978 World Cup, Menotti came under fire for favoring allegedly inferior players (e.g. improvised right-back Olguín over Vicente Pernía, and Valencia over Alonso and Bochini). He also switched from goalkeeper Hugo Gatti to Ubaldo Fillol, who was less of a field player but gave more security under the goalposts. Menotti did draft Alonso—reluctantly, reputedly after suggestions from Admiral Lacoste, the navy officer who was CEO of the World Cup organization committee. Vicente Alberto Pernía (born April 25, 1949 in Tandil, Buenos Aires Province), known as El Tano (the Neapolitan), is a former Argentine professional football (soccer) player. ... Norberto Osvaldo Alonso (January 4, 1953 — ), known as El Beto, is a former Argentine football player, who was with Club Atlético River Plate for most of his career, and is arguably one of River Plates top players ever. ... Ricardo Enrique Bochini (born January 25, 1954 in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province) was an Argentine professional football player. ...

The 25-player team that trained for the 1978 World Cup needed trimming to the FIFA-regulated 22 names, so Menotti had to eject three players before the tournament. Those were Bravo, Bottaniz and a 17-year-old prospect named Diego Armando Maradona. Maradona and the World Cup trophy Diego Armando Maradona (El Diego) (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. ...

1978 World Cup

Menotti's initial team was Fillol; Olguín, Galvan, Passarella, Tarantini; Ardiles, Gallego, Valencia; Houseman, Luque, Kempes. This team defeated Hungary and France without convincing critics, and then lost to Italy. Having achieved the second place in the qualifying round, Argentina was to play the second round in Rosario. Leopoldo Luque was recognized as the best player in the first round, but an arm injury and the death of his brother in a car accident took the edge off his game. Menotti benched Valencia and Houseman, moved Kempes to the midfield, and promoted Daniel Bertoni and Oscar Ortiz as the wings. Daniel Alberto Passarella (born May 25, 1953 in Chacabuco, Buenos Aires Province) is a former Argentine football defence player, and the former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. ... Osvaldo César (Ossie) Ardiles (born August 3, 1952 in Córdoba, Argentina) is a football coach and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentinian national team. ... Mario Alberto Kempes (born July 15, 1954) was an Argentine football player. ... Rosario is the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the third most populous in the country, after Córdoba and Buenos Aires. ...

A convincing 2-0 victory over Poland in the second round was followed by a 0-0 draw against Brazil. The last day was scheduled so that Argentina would play Peru already knowing the result of the Brazil-Poland match. Since Brazil won 3-1, Argentina needed a four-goal spread to reach the final.

The match against Peru ended with a 6-0 Argentine victory. Allegations of bribery were made ever since, and some involved (both Peruvian and Argentine) have pointed out that Argentine officials did apply pressure on the Peruvians to give up the match.

The final against the Netherlands was arguably Argentina's best match in the competition. After dominating for most of the match (Kempes scored for 1-0 in the first half), Argentina retreated to defense and let the Dutch stage a comeback. A goal by Nanninga put the match 1-1; in the final minute of regulation time, the orange team was denied their first world cup by the width of a goalpost.

In additional time, Kempes and Bertoni scored for Argentina, who thus joined the exclusive club of football world champions. Argentines celebrated in the street, the military junta drew a political dividend, and Menotti became man of the hour.

Between 1978 and 1982

In the final months of 1978, when Menotti's contract was due to expire, he played a game of brinkmanship with the Argentine Football Association, which ultimately agreed to his demanding terms, both financially and professionally. Menotti's team included assistant coaches Rogelio Poncini and Roberto Marcos Saporiti, as well as fitness trainer Ricardo Pizarotti and physician Ruben Oliva. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) (Spanish: Asociación del Fútbol Argentino) is the governing body of football in Argentina. ...

In 1979, Menotti flew to Japan to oversee the Saporiti-trained under-20 team that won the Youth World Championship. This title was the first ever for Maradona wearing the national colors. The Football World Youth Championship is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ...

On that year, Argentina and the Netherlands played a FIFA exhibition match in Zurich, which Argentina won on penalties. Location within Switzerland   Zürich[?] (German pronunciation IPA: ; usually spelled Zurich in English) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and capital of the canton of Zürich. ...

In 1980, the team played in the Mundialito in Uruguay, failing to reach the final.

During the build-up to the 1982 World Cup, Menotti maintained the same defensive line as in 1978, but modified the attacking lineup to include new players, notably Maradona, Barbas, Ramon Diaz, and Jorge Valdano. The 1982 Football World Cup was held in Spain. ... Jorge Alberto Valdano (born October 4, 1955 in Las Parejas, Santa Fe Province) is a former Argentine football player and, for many, a reference in World Football, sometimes called The Philosopher of Football. ...

When it became clear that Argentina would play the inaugural match against Belgium, Menotti went on record extolling the virtues of the rival, and the head game of its centre-forward Jan Ceulemans. Many felt Menotti was worrying too much about the rival. Jan Ceulemans (born February 28, 1957 in Lier, Belgium) was a Belgian football player, and became the nations most capped player with his 96 caps. ...

In the final weeks before the competition, the country was absorbed by the Malvinas/Falklands War. Argentina capitulated on the very day the World Cup competition was to start. The Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas), was a war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands (also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, between March and June of 1982. ...

World Cup 1982

The gloomy atmosphere in Argentina was only made worse by the defeat to Belgium in the opening match. The team started with Fillol; Olguin, Galvan, Passarella, Tarantini; Ardiles, Gallego, Maradona; Bertoni, Diaz, and Kempes.

Argentina went on to defeat Hungary and El Salvador, and was poised to meet Italy and Brazil in Group 3 of the second round.

Argentina dominated Italy in the first half, but the Italians, with Paolo Rossi in top form, scored and ultimately won the match. The game against Brazil was a debacle: Argentina never found its rhythm, Maradona was sent off, and the team lost 3-1 and was eliminated from the competition. Paolo Rossi (born September 23, 1956 in Santa Lucia, near Prato) was an Italian football (soccer) player. ...

In the 1982 World Cup, Menotti deployed the same defenders as in 1978; they were vulnerable and slow, especially the Olguín-Galván tandem on the right. In the offensive positions, Maradona and Valdano played together with players resisted by many, notably Juan Barbas and an out-of-shape Mario Kempes.

Following that performance, it was obvious that it was time for a replacement. The names of Carlos Griguol, Omar Pastoriza, and Carlos Bilardo were floated; Bilardo was finally selected by the Association. The performance of Estudiantes in the 1982 Metropolitano tournament was the determining factor in the decision. Carlos Salvador Bilardo (born March 16, 1939 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine football (soccer) player and coach (and a physician by training) who achieved worldwide renown as a player with Estudiantes de La Plata and as coach of the 1986 World Cup champion team. ... Estudiantes de La Plata is a sports club in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, with a history of achievement in professional football. ...

Later Career

Following the 1982 World Cup, Menotti was hired by FC Barcelona to coach the team, which had added Maradona to its roster. But Maradona was injured by Andoni Goikoetxea and then was sick with hepatitis, and Barcelona did not obtain the league title. Following a meager harvest which included only one Copa del Rey, Menotti and Barcelona parted ways in 1984. FC Barcelona is a polideportivo in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, British and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper. ... Andoni Goikoetxea Olaskoaga, known as Goikoetxea, Goiko, or more commonly, The Butcher of Bilbao (born May 23, 1956 in Alonsotegui, Vizcaya) was a Spanish football player, a defender for Athletic Bilbao from 1974 to 1987. ... The Copa del Rey is an annual cup competition for Spanish football teams. ...

Ever since, Menotti has alternated between coaching jobs and teaching and lecturing stints. During the 1980s, he held the post of coach at both Boca Juniors and River Plate, and achieved second place with both. On both occasions, his main tactical contribution was making defenders play the achique ("shrinking"), his version of the off-side trap. Through all those years, Menotti stuck to zone defense—in a world of man-to-man ("marking") defense. Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine football club. ... Club Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is a football team of Argentina, founded in 1901. ...

In the 1990s and 2000s, Menotti staged a series of comebacks with mixed results. His best harvest in Argentina was second place with Independiente in 1996; that team would achieve the 1997 championship, after Menotti left in mid-season for what would be a brief stint with Italian side Sampdoria. In 2003 he led Rosario Central to an impressive start, but the inexperienced team snapped under pressure. In 2005, Menotti once again coached Independiente, which did not pose a challenge to the title; he quit in mid-season amid fan resistance and politic infighting. Club Atlético Independiente de Avellaneda is an Argentinian football club. ... Categories: Football (soccer) stubs | Italian football clubs ...

Personality, Controversy, and Influence

Menotti always displayed a rebellious streak and cultivated an image of coolness. He wore long hair into his fifties, wore casually, and used to drop references to cultural icons in his conversation, from writer Ernesto Sabato to singer Joan Manuel Serrat. He was opinionated on politics, projecting a left-wing image that contrasted with his holding a very visible post during the military regime. Ernesto Sabato (born 1911 ) is an Argentine writer (of Italian and ethnic Arbëresh/Albanian descent). ... Joan Manuel Serrat Joan Manuel Serrat Teresa (born December 27, 1943 in Barcelona) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. ...

In 1982, a Spanish magazine published an interview in which Menotti sounded extremely critical of the military process. In a public relations coup, then-President Leopoldo Galtieri visited the training camp and hugged Menotti in front of the cameras. Public relations is, simply-stated, the art and science of building relationships between an organization and its key audiences. ... Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli (July 15, 1926 - January 12, 2003) was an Argentinian general and dictator. ...

In the years 1983-1986, Menotti was an outspoken critic of his successor as national coach, Carlos Bilardo, and many in the media (especially Buenos Aires daily Clarín) fanned the flames of controversy, even though Bilardo himself did not return fire. Many of the arguments used were irrelevant to the matter at hand (e.g. the musical tastes of each) or proved wrong by the passage of time. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Clarín is a major newspaper in Argentina, founded by Roberto Noble on August 28, 1945. ...

Among the football figures who claim to be Menotti's followers, a special place is held by Jorge Valdano, who was coach of Real Madrid in 1994-1995 and then its general manager during the glory days of 1998-2002. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club ranked as The 20th Centurys Best Club by FIFA. The team plays in an all-white kit, which is the origin of their nickname Los merengues (the whites). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Summary
• Biography (Spanish)
• Achievements (Spanish)
• ESPN Profiles (Spanish)
• Full Spanish language electronic text of "El DT del Proceso", a book strongly critical of Menotti's ethics and his links to the military regime