Osvaldo Zubeldía
Encyclopedia
Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía, was a football
player and an influential Argentine
coach.
, Boca Juniors
, Atlanta
and Banfield
and the Argentina national football team
. He was known as an intelligent player who was always well positioned on the field. His legacy, however, would come from his career as a manager.
between 1961 and 1963, he led the team to two respectable finishes in the league. He then had an unsuccessful stint on the managing team of the Argentina national team
in 1965.
His managerial career took off with Estudiantes de La Plata
. Hired in 1965 to help stave off relegation, he combined many prospects from Estudiantes' la tercera que mata ("the killer juveniles") with a small number of outside talent, and built one of the most successful teams in the history of Argentine football.
The first championship of the so-called "Golden Era" came in 1967, when Estudiantes became the first "small" team to win an Argentine championship. The team came back from three goals down to beat Platense
in the semifinal 4-3, then took the crown with a convincing 3-0 victory over Racing Club
.
Estudiantes then took second place in the Nacional championship, qualifying for the 1968 Libertadores Cup, which Estudiantes won after defeating Brazil
ian side Palmeiras.
In that year's Intercontinental Cup, Estudiantes defeated Bobby Charlton
's Manchester United
1-0 in Buenos Aires
, and achieved a 1-1 tie at Old Trafford
on October 16, 1968. The Intercontinental title remains the highest achievement in Estudiantes' history.
The team would go on to win the Libertadores Cup twice more, in 1969 against Nacional
from Uruguay
and in 1970 against Peñarol
also from Uruguay.
Estudiantes lost their Intercontinental Cup finals to A.C. Milan
and Feyenoord, respectively, but they did win the less prestigious Copa Interamericana
in 1969.
titles with Atlético Nacional
in 1976 and 1981.
On January 17, 1982 Zubeldía died of a heart attack in Medellín
, Colombia
at the age of 54, while at the racetrack.
, who went on to become one of the most successful coaches in Argentine history. Bilardo dedicated to his mentor both the 1982 Metropolitano title won by Estudiantes and the 1986 FIFA World Cup
title won by Argentina.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and an influential 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...
coach.
Playing career
Zubeldía had a respectable playing career with Vélez SársfieldClub Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
, Boca Juniors
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....
, Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta is an Argentine sports club from Buenos Aires. Nicknamed Los Bohemios , its football team won the 2010/11 Primera B Metropolitana championship and promoted to the Primera B Nacional for the 2011/12 season.-History:The club was founded on October the 12th, 1904 in Buenos...
and Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Banfield, part of Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province. Founded on 21 January 1896 by residents of the town of British origin , its main activity is football...
and the Argentina national football team
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...
. He was known as an intelligent player who was always well positioned on the field. His legacy, however, would come from his career as a manager.
Early managerial career
His managing career started at AtlantaClub Atlético Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta is an Argentine sports club from Buenos Aires. Nicknamed Los Bohemios , its football team won the 2010/11 Primera B Metropolitana championship and promoted to the Primera B Nacional for the 2011/12 season.-History:The club was founded on October the 12th, 1904 in Buenos...
between 1961 and 1963, he led the team to two respectable finishes in the league. He then had an unsuccessful stint on the managing team of the Argentina national team
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...
in 1965.
Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
. Hired in 1965 to help stave off relegation, he combined many prospects from Estudiantes' la tercera que mata ("the killer juveniles") with a small number of outside talent, and built one of the most successful teams in the history of Argentine football.
The first championship of the so-called "Golden Era" came in 1967, when Estudiantes became the first "small" team to win an Argentine championship. The team came back from three goals down to beat Platense
Club Atlético Platense
Club Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Vicente López, in the north side of Greater Buenos Aires. The club nickname is Calamar after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink"....
in the semifinal 4-3, then took the crown with a convincing 3-0 victory over Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
.
Estudiantes then took second place in the Nacional championship, qualifying for the 1968 Libertadores Cup, which Estudiantes won after defeating 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...
ian side Palmeiras.
In that year's Intercontinental Cup, Estudiantes defeated Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
's Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
1-0 in Buenos Aires
Buenos 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...
, and achieved a 1-1 tie at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
on October 16, 1968. The Intercontinental title remains the highest achievement in Estudiantes' history.
The team would go on to win the Libertadores Cup twice more, in 1969 against Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
from Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and in 1970 against Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
also from Uruguay.
Estudiantes lost their Intercontinental Cup finals to A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and Feyenoord, respectively, but they did win the less prestigious Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
in 1969.
1974-1982
In 1974, Zubeldía coached the San Lorenzo de Almagro team that won the Nacional title. He also won two Colombian LeagueFútbol Profesional Colombiano
The Categoría Primera A is the professional football league of Colombia. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. Eighteen clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor,...
titles with Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
in 1976 and 1981.
On January 17, 1982 Zubeldía died of a heart attack in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
at the age of 54, while at the racetrack.
Tactics
Zubeldía was a harbinger of tactical changes; he was the first manager to thoroughly research rival team's tactics and playing style. Pre-planned plays off free kicks and tactical fouls to stop rival advances were highly criticized at the time, but have since been adopted by virtually every team in the world. So are other practices, like the offside trap (having the defense step forward in sync to force opposing players into an offside position) and using screens at corner shots.Legacy
Zubeldía's legacy was carried to fruition by the key tactical player of his Estudiantes, Carlos BilardoCarlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
, who went on to become one of the most successful coaches in Argentine history. Bilardo dedicated to his mentor both the 1982 Metropolitano title won by Estudiantes and the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
title won by Argentina.