Antonio Alegre
Encyclopedia
Antonio Alegre was a notable Argentine football official. He was president of Boca Juniors
from 1985 to 1995, and was widely credited with the football club's financial turnaround.
to Lebanese Argentine
immigrants, he was affiliated to Boca Juniors since his youth. He worked as a construction
laborer, and eventually became a prosperous businessman as the proprietor of the Alegre Pavement Company. Fond of ping pong, his affable manner helped earn him the friendship of numerous important figures in Argentine politics, including UCR
leader (and future President) Raúl Alfonsín
, Peronist lawmaker Antonio Cafiero
, and numerous members of the CGT
trade union. Appointed director of the Buenos Aires Province
bureau of the National Nutrional Plan by the newly-elected President Alfonsín, Alegre was encouraged to run for the post of President of Boca Juniors by influential friends, and in 1984, became a candidate to succeed Federico Pollack, whom Alfonsín had appointed federal receiver
.
Elected, and inaugurated on January 6, 1985, he took office in a moment of crisis. Accompanied by his friend and running mate, Credico-op Bank
director Carlos Heller
, Alegre inherited a financially insolvent football club and a stadium unable to meet municipal safety requirements. The iconic La Bombonera
stadium had been repeatedly closed for structural failures, and lawsuits against Boca Juniors were filed almost weekly.
Consequently, Boca, the winners of the Copa Intercontinental and the Copa Libertadores de América
in 1977-78, had by 1984, been relegated to 16th place over the 19 First Division
teams at the time. Alegre settled 153 lawsuits early in his tenure by mortgaging his business assets for US$250,000, and by lending Boca Juniors US$800,000. These and other measures enabled him to recover the club's finances, and refurbish the dilapidated La Bombonera stadium. Announcing the sale of land acquired earlier by the team in the waterfront Puerto Madero
district, the move was opposed by Boca's former president, Alberto Armando
. The land was promptly sold for US$21 million, however, and Armando's challenge to Alegre for the presidency of the team in 1986 was turned back.
The club's improved finances led to its revival, and Boca emerged victorious in a number of coveted tournaments in subsequent years, including the 1989 Supercopa Sudamericana
, the 1990 Recopa Sudamericana
, the Campeonato de Apertura
and Copa Master de Supercopa of 1992, and the Copa de Oro Nicolás Leoz
in 1993. The team invested increasingly large sums to acquire players who could strengthen the team, of whom few would remain, however; among his best investments was that of Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya
, who would play for Boca in 396 games, and was instrumental in number of the team's titles in that era. Alegre also stepped up efforts to acquire players from lower divisions, and among these a number became important contributors. These included Diego Latorre
, Walter Pico and Rodolfo Arruabarrena
.
Alegre and Heller defeated a challenge from Mauricio Macri
in 1992, though ultimately, Macri prevailed in elections held on December 3, 1995, and the Alegre-Heller administration departed. The tresurer during their last term, Pedro Pompilio, was elected president of the team following Macri's election as Mayor of Buenos Aires in 2007, and both the late Pedro Pompilio and his successor, Jorge Amor Ameal
, who was also part of the Alegre's management board, continued Alegre's policy of acquiring players from less prominent teams.
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
from 1985 to 1995, and was widely credited with the football club's financial turnaround.
Biography
Born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to Lebanese Argentine
Arab Argentine
An Arab Argentine is an Argentine citizen or resident alien whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity, originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria but also there are some individuals from the...
immigrants, he was affiliated to Boca Juniors since his youth. He worked as a construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
laborer, and eventually became a prosperous businessman as the proprietor of the Alegre Pavement Company. Fond of ping pong, his affable manner helped earn him the friendship of numerous important figures in Argentine politics, including UCR
UCR
UCR may refer to:* University of California, Riverside* Unified Cornish Revised, a variety of the Cornish language* Uniform Crime Reports* Under color removal* University of Costa Rica* Unión Cívica Radical, an Argentine political party...
leader (and future President) Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
, Peronist lawmaker Antonio Cafiero
Antonio Cafiero
Antonio Francisco Cafiero is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician.-Biography:Cafiero was born in Buenos Aires. He joined Catholic Action in 1938, and enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, becoming President of the Students' Association...
, and numerous members of the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
trade union. Appointed director of the Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
bureau of the National Nutrional Plan by the newly-elected President Alfonsín, Alegre was encouraged to run for the post of President of Boca Juniors by influential friends, and in 1984, became a candidate to succeed Federico Pollack, whom Alfonsín had appointed federal receiver
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
.
Elected, and inaugurated on January 6, 1985, he took office in a moment of crisis. Accompanied by his friend and running mate, Credico-op Bank
Credico-op Bank
Banco Credicoop is the largest cooperatively-owned bank in Argentina.-Overview:Banco Credicoop was established in 1979 through the merger of 44 Argentine credit unions. This was motivated largely by the adverse effect Economy Minister José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz's Financial Entities Law of 1977...
director Carlos Heller
Carlos Heller
Carlos Heller is an Argentine executive, cooperative banking leader, and politician.-The cooperative movement:Carlos Heller was born in rural Villa Dominguez , in 1940, to a Jewish family. The Hellers relocated to Buenos Aires in 1950, and Carlos completed his secondary schooling in a vocational...
, Alegre inherited a financially insolvent football club and a stadium unable to meet municipal safety requirements. The iconic La Bombonera
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
stadium had been repeatedly closed for structural failures, and lawsuits against Boca Juniors were filed almost weekly.
Consequently, Boca, the winners of the Copa Intercontinental and the Copa Libertadores de América
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
in 1977-78, had by 1984, been relegated to 16th place over the 19 First Division
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
teams at the time. Alegre settled 153 lawsuits early in his tenure by mortgaging his business assets for US$250,000, and by lending Boca Juniors US$800,000. These and other measures enabled him to recover the club's finances, and refurbish the dilapidated La Bombonera stadium. Announcing the sale of land acquired earlier by the team in the waterfront Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of the Argentine capital at Buenos Aires CBD, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and representing the latest architectural trends in the city of Buenos...
district, the move was opposed by Boca's former president, Alberto Armando
Alberto Armando
Alberto Jacinto Armando was a notable Argentine football official. He was the president of Boca Juniors from 1954 to 1955, and from 1960 to 1980.-Life and career:...
. The land was promptly sold for US$21 million, however, and Armando's challenge to Alegre for the presidency of the team in 1986 was turned back.
The club's improved finances led to its revival, and Boca emerged victorious in a number of coveted tournaments in subsequent years, including the 1989 Supercopa Sudamericana
Supercopa Sudamericana
The Supercopa Sudamericana , also known as the Supercopa Libertadores João Havelange, Supercopa Libertadores, Supercopa João Havelange or simply Supercopa, was a football club competition contested annually by the past winners of the Copa Libertadores...
, the 1990 Recopa Sudamericana
Recopa Sudamericana
The Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
, the Campeonato de Apertura
Apertura and Clausura in Argentine football
The Apertura and Clausura system is the format currently used by the Primera División Argentina. It was introduced for the 1990-1991 season.-Format:...
and Copa Master de Supercopa of 1992, and the Copa de Oro Nicolás Leoz
Copa Oro
The Copa de Oro , or Copa de Oro Nicolás Leoz, was a football club competition contested annually by the winners of the Copa Libertadores de América, the Supercopa Sudamericana, the Copa CONMEBOL, and the Supercopa Masters...
in 1993. The team invested increasingly large sums to acquire players who could strengthen the team, of whom few would remain, however; among his best investments was that of Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya
Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya
Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya is a retired Colombian-Argentine footballer who played as a goalkeeper.During a professional career which spanned 25 years, he represented teams in Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, appearing for 15 different clubs, namely Boca Juniors, and...
, who would play for Boca in 396 games, and was instrumental in number of the team's titles in that era. Alegre also stepped up efforts to acquire players from lower divisions, and among these a number became important contributors. These included Diego Latorre
Diego Latorre
Diego Fernando Latorre is a former Argentine football striker.Latorre was one of the first Argentine players to be labelled as the "New Maradona". He made his professional debut for Boca Juniors on October 18, 1987 against Platense scoring his first goal at the same match. He won the 1991...
, Walter Pico and Rodolfo Arruabarrena
Rodolfo Arruabarrena
Rodolfo Martín Arruabarrena is a former Argentine football left back. His last club was Universidad Católica in the Primera División de Chile...
.
Alegre and Heller defeated a challenge from Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri is an Argentine businessman turned politician, and Head of Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Son of Francisco Macri, a businessman of Italian origin prominent in the industrial and construction sectors, he represented the City of Buenos Aires in the Lower House of...
in 1992, though ultimately, Macri prevailed in elections held on December 3, 1995, and the Alegre-Heller administration departed. The tresurer during their last term, Pedro Pompilio, was elected president of the team following Macri's election as Mayor of Buenos Aires in 2007, and both the late Pedro Pompilio and his successor, Jorge Amor Ameal
Jorge Amor Ameal
Jorge Amor Ameal , is an Argentinian businessman, and is president of Boca Juniors.He became the club's first Vice-President, following the formula in the Presidential employer Pedro Pompilio, on June 1, 2008. But he had to take the post due to Pompilio's death on the October 30 of 2008.-References:...
, who was also part of the Alegre's management board, continued Alegre's policy of acquiring players from less prominent teams.