Daniel Passarella
Encyclopedia
Daniel Alberto Passarella (born 25 May 1953 in Chacabuco
, Buenos Aires province
) is a former Argentine
football centre back and former manager of the Argentine
and Uruguayan
national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup. He is the current President of River Plate
after winning the elections by a very close margin in December 2009.
of Junin
, Buenos Aires province. From there he joined River Plate
, then Fiorentina
of Italy and briefly, Internazionale. After his successful spell in the Serie A
, he returned to River Plate, where he played until his retirement.
He was called "El Gran Capitán" (the Great Captain, nickname of Argentine Independence heroe José de San Martín
) or "El Kaiser" (an allusion to Franz Beckenbauer
) because of his leadership ability, his passion, and his organisational prowess on the field. He was a defender who often joined the attack, and helped generate and finish offensive plays. At some point, he became football's top scoring defender, with 134 goals in 451 matches (that record was since broken by Dutch
defender Ronald Koeman
).
His aerial game was effective both defensively and in attack. He scored frequent headers in spite of his average height (1.73 m). He was a quality free kick and penalty shooter. He was also noted for using his elbows against rivals whilst managing to avoid the referee's gaze.
, he eventually captained the side during the 1978 World Cup held in Argentina. He was the first Argentine player to hold the World Cup, as it was handed to him first when Argentina won the final. During the qualifying rounds of the 1986 World Cup, Passarella contributed to the goal which ensured Argentina's qualification in the final minutes of their match against Peru
by allowing team-mate Ricardo Gareca
to score.
A bout of enterocolitis
meant that he missed the 1986 World Cup in Mexico
. He was replaced in the first team by defender José Luis Brown. Passarella had a fractious relationship with star player Diego Maradona
and coach Carlos Bilardo
during the tournament; he later claimed Bilardo and Maradona made sure that he was sidelined. Even so, by being a part of the squad, he became the only player to feature in both Argentina's World Cup-winning teams.
Appointed as coach of the Argentine national team to replace Alfio Basile
, Passarella was coach during the qualification games for the 1998 World Cup and during the competition itself, which was held in France
. Passarella held to close friend Américo Gallego
as assistant coach. Argentina's performances never reached the expected heights, and the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals after a last minute 2–1 defeat to the Netherlands
. After the elimination, Passarella left the post and was replaced by Marcelo Bielsa
.
Passarella then became coach of Uruguay
, but he left the post during the qualifying games for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, after having problems summoning players from Uruguayan sides.
After that episode, Passarella had a brief and unsuccessful period as coach of Parma
in Italy in 2001.
In 2003, he won the Mexican football league title with the team CF Monterrey. In March 2004, he was named by Pelé
as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers
. He was then hired as coach of Corinthians
in Brazil
, but was fired after a few months after a spell of bad results.
Some character issues associated with the "Kaiser" have irked the Argentine press and fans over the years. Some examples include:
On 9 January 2006, he was appointed River Plate coach again after 12 years to occupy the vacancy left by Reinaldo Merlo's sudden departure. On 15 November 2007, he resigned as coach after River was beaten by penalties by Arsenal de Sarandí
in the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana 2007
.
|1974
||rowspan="8"|River Plate
||rowspan="8"|Primera División
||22||5||||||||||||||||
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|1975
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|1976
||35||24||||||||||||||||
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|1977
||40||13||||||||||||||||
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|1978||19||4||||||||||||||||
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|1979
||38||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|1980
||41||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1981
||42||14||||||||||||||||
|-
|1982–83
||rowspan="4"|Fiorentina
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
||27||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1983–84
||27||7||||||||||||||||
|-
|1984–85
||26||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1985–86
||29||11||||||||||||||||
|-
|1986–87
||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||23||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1987–88
||21||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|1988–89
||River Plate
||Primera División
||32||9||||||||||||||||
298||99||||||||||||||||
153||35||||||||||||||||
451||134||||||||||||||||
– 1975 Metropolitano and Nacional, 1977 Metropolitano, 1979 Metropolitano and Nacional, 1981 Nacional
1978 World Cup
1986 World Cup
Chacabuco, Buenos Aires
Chacabuco is a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Chacabuco Partido and has a population of 34,958 inhabitants...
, 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...
) is a former Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football centre back and former manager of the Argentine
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and Uruguayan
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup. He is the current President of River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
after winning the elections by a very close margin in December 2009.
Club playing career
Passarella started his career at SarmientoClub Atlético Sarmiento
Club Atlético Sarmiento is a sports club from the city of Junín in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The football currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, which is the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
of Junin
Junín, Buenos Aires
Junín is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and capital of the municipality of Junín. It has a population of 82,427 and is situated 260 km west of Buenos Aires.-History:...
, Buenos Aires province. From there he joined River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, then Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
of Italy and briefly, Internazionale. After his successful spell in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, he returned to River Plate, where he played until his retirement.
He was called "El Gran Capitán" (the Great Captain, nickname of Argentine Independence heroe José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
) or "El Kaiser" (an allusion to Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
) because of his leadership ability, his passion, and his organisational prowess on the field. He was a defender who often joined the attack, and helped generate and finish offensive plays. At some point, he became football's top scoring defender, with 134 goals in 451 matches (that record was since broken by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
defender Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman...
).
His aerial game was effective both defensively and in attack. He scored frequent headers in spite of his average height (1.73 m). He was a quality free kick and penalty shooter. He was also noted for using his elbows against rivals whilst managing to avoid the referee's gaze.
National team playing career
One of the pillars of the Argentine national teamArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, he eventually captained the side during the 1978 World Cup held in Argentina. He was the first Argentine player to hold the World Cup, as it was handed to him first when Argentina won the final. During the qualifying rounds of the 1986 World Cup, Passarella contributed to the goal which ensured Argentina's qualification in the final minutes of their match against Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
by allowing team-mate Ricardo Gareca
Ricardo Gareca
Ricardo Alberto Gareca, nicknamed el Tigre , is an Argentine football manager and former player. He currently manages Vélez Sársfield in the Argentine Primera División....
to score.
A bout of enterocolitis
Enterocolitis
Enterocolitis is an inflammation of the colon and small intestine. However, most conditions are categorized as one or the other of the following:* Enteritis is the inflammation of the small intestine...
meant that he missed the 1986 World Cup in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He was replaced in the first team by defender José Luis Brown. Passarella had a fractious relationship with star player Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
and coach Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
during the tournament; he later claimed Bilardo and Maradona made sure that he was sidelined. Even so, by being a part of the squad, he became the only player to feature in both Argentina's World Cup-winning teams.
Coaching career
After his playing days were over, he became the coach of River Plate, where he won several national titles.Appointed as coach of the Argentine national team to replace Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
, Passarella was coach during the qualification games for the 1998 World Cup and during the competition itself, which was held in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Passarella held to close friend Américo Gallego
Américo Gallego
Américo Rubén "El Tolo" Gallego is an Argentine football coach and former player, he played 73 times for the Argentina national team during his playing career.-Playing career:...
as assistant coach. Argentina's performances never reached the expected heights, and the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals after a last minute 2–1 defeat to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. After the elimination, Passarella left the post and was replaced by Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine association football coach and former defender, born in Rosario, Santa Fe...
.
Passarella then became coach of Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, but he left the post during the qualifying games for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, after having problems summoning players from Uruguayan sides.
After that episode, Passarella had a brief and unsuccessful period as coach of Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
in Italy in 2001.
In 2003, he won the Mexican football league title with the team CF Monterrey. In March 2004, he was named by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
. He was then hired as coach of Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but was fired after a few months after a spell of bad results.
Some character issues associated with the "Kaiser" have irked the Argentine press and fans over the years. Some examples include:
- When coaching the Argentine national team, Passarella made it known that he would not tolerate long hair and earrings. This provided a soap-opera-like quality to his (otherwise acceptable) relationship with stars like Gabriel BatistutaGabriel BatistutaGabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
and Juan Sebastián VerónJuan Sebastián VerónJuan Sebastián Verón is an Argentinian professional football player who is the current captain and midfielder for Estudiantes de La Plata in the Argentine Primera División....
.
On 9 January 2006, he was appointed River Plate coach again after 12 years to occupy the vacancy left by Reinaldo Merlo's sudden departure. On 15 November 2007, he resigned as coach after River was beaten by penalties by Arsenal de Sarandí
Arsenal de Sarandí
Arsenal Fútbol Club, usually referred as Arsenal de Sarandí, is a football club from the Sarandí neighbourhood in the city of Avellaneda, Argentina, which was founded in 1957 by the Grondona brothers. Arsenal currently plays in the top tier of Argentine football, the Primera División Argentina....
in the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana 2007
Copa Sudamericana 2007
The 2007 edition of the Copa Sudamericana was played by 34 teams; 30 teams from the CONMEBOL and 4 teams from the CONCACAF. CONMEBOL organized the tournament and invited three North American clubs which were the best three of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2007; the fourth North American club was the...
.
Career statistics
|-|1974
Primera División Argentina 1974
-Group A:-Group B:2nd place playoff*Boca Juniors 2-0 Ferro Carril Oeste-Final Tournament:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Final Tournament:...
||rowspan="8"|River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
||rowspan="8"|Primera División
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...
||22||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1975
Primera División Argentina 1975
-Metropolitano Championship:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Final Tournament:...
||29||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|1976
Primera División Argentina 1976
-Group A:-Group B:-Championship Group:-Relegation Group:-Group A:1st place Playoff*Boca Juniors 2-1 Quilmes-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:1st place Playoff*Talleres de Córdoba 3-1 Newell's Old Boys-Quarterfinals:*Boca Juniors 2-1 Banfield...
||35||24||||||||||||||||
|-
|1977
Primera División Argentina 1977
-Metropolitano Championship:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Semifinals:-Final:Independiente won on goals away rule...
||40||13||||||||||||||||
|-
|1978||19||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1979
Primera División Argentina 1979
-Group A:2nd place playoff*Vélez Sársfield 4-0 Argentinos Juniors-Group B:-Semifinals:-Final:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Final:River Plate won on goal away rule-See also:...
||38||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|1980
Primera División Argentina 1980
-Metropolitano Championship:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Finals:...
||41||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1981
Primera División Argentina 1981
-Metropolitano Championship:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:River Plate advanced on away goals rule-Final:...
||42||14||||||||||||||||
|-
|1982–83
Serie A 1982-83
The 1982/1983 Serie A season was won by A.S. Roma.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||rowspan="4"|Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||27||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1983–84
Serie A 1983-84
The 1983/1984 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C. It was a tight championship, won only on the last day of the season.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...
||27||7||||||||||||||||
|-
|1984–85
Serie A 1984-85
The 1984/1985 Serie A season heralded Hellas Verona's first and so far only Scudetto. Unusually, none of the big three of Juventus, AC Milan or Inter managed to finish in the top two...
||26||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1985–86
Serie A 1985-86
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||29||11||||||||||||||||
|-
|1986–87
Serie A 1986-87
The 1986/1987 Serie A season ended with S.S.C. Napoli doing the "domestic double", winning their first Scudetto and third Coppa Italia, spurred on by their talismanic captain Diego Maradona....
||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||23||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1987–88
Serie A 1987-88
The 1987/1988 Serie A season marked A.C. Milan's first Scudetto under the Silvio Berlusconi era and their first since the 1978/1979 season. S.S.C. Napoli, with a team including Diego Maradona, Ciro Ferrara and Careca were pre-season favourites. The championship went down to the last day of the...
||21||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|1988–89
Primera División Argentina 1988-89
-Overview:1988-1989 in Argentine football saw Independiente win the Argentine championship.-League standings:*Independiente qualify for Copa Libertadores 1990 as Argentine Champions.-Top scorers:-Relegation:-Liguilla Pre-Libertadores:...
||River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
||Primera División
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...
||32||9||||||||||||||||
298||99||||||||||||||||
153||35||||||||||||||||
451||134||||||||||||||||
As Player
Primera División ArgentinaPrimera 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...
– 1975 Metropolitano and Nacional, 1977 Metropolitano, 1979 Metropolitano and Nacional, 1981 Nacional
1978 World Cup
1986 World Cup
As Manager
- Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe 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...
– 1989–901989-90 in Argentine football-League table:-Liguilla Pre-Libertadores:Semi-finalsFinal-Relegation:-Relegation playoff:*Chaco For Ever 5-0 Racing de Córdoba-Argentine clubs in international competitions:-References:* by Pablo Ciullini at rsssf....
, Apertura 19911991-92 in Argentine footballThe 1991-1992 season in Argentina saw River Plate win the Apertura championship and Newell's Old Boys win the Clausura championship. In the international competitions Newell's were runners up in the Copa Libertadores and River Plate were runners up in the Supercopa Sudamericana.-Torneo Apertura...
, Apertura 19931993-94 in Argentine football1993-1994 in Argentine football saw River Plate win the Apertura championship and Independiente win the Clausura. Vélez Sársfield won their first international title, the Copa Libertadores 1994 and Gimnasia de La Plata won a special one-off Copa Centenario which was played to mark the centenary of... - Primera División de MéxicoPrimera División de MéxicoThe Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
(closing stage) – 2003