Horacio Raúl "La Pepa" Baldessari (born 21 November 1958 in Córdoba

Córdoba, Argentina

Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...

) 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 striker

Striker

Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 who played professionally in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru during the late 1970s, 80s and early 90s. He also managed some clubs after his retirement, but currently works as a football analyst.

Club career

He began his career in 1975 with modest club Sportivo Belgrano

Sportivo Belgrano de San Francisco

Sportivo Belgrano is an Argentine football club, which home town is located in San Francisco, Córdoba Province. The team currently plays at the 3rd level of Argentine football league system, the Torneo Argentino A.-2008 incident:...

, but joined Belgrano de Córdoba the following season. In 1978 he went abroad to play for Bolivian side Blooming

Club Blooming

Club Social, Cultural y Deportivo Blooming is a Bolivian football club from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, formed on May 1, 1946. Its home colours are sky blue, white and navy. They play at the Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera . Its main rival is Oriente Petrolero, also from Santa Cruz...

. Years later he would also play for Oriente Petrolero

Oriente Petrolero

Club Deportivo Oriente Petrolero is a Bolivian football club based in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Founded on November 5, 1955 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia by workers of the Bolivian oil company . They play at the 38,000-capacity Estadio Tahuichi Aguilera. Oriente have been Bolivian champions four times, Copa...

, Bolívar

Club Bolívar

Club Bolívar, a football team from Bolivia, was founded in La Paz on April 12, 1925, with the name Atletico Bolívar Literario Musical later changed to "Club Atlético Bolívar"...

 and Destroyers

Club Destroyers

Club Destroyers is a football club from Santa Cruz, Bolivia currently playing in both the Nacional B second division and in Santa Cruz Primera A, one of the third division regional leagues....

. During his spell in the Bolivian league

Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano

-List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...

, he scored a total of 161 goals, placing his name fifth in the list of all-time topscorers. Even though Baldessari became a naturalized Bolivian, he was never considered as an option for the national team. In 1988 he returned to Argentina and played for his beloved Belgrano de Córdoba once again. By 1990, he transferred to Peruvian side Deportivo Municipal before signing with popular team Sporting Cristal

Sporting Cristal

Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...

 the following year. At first he was heavily questioned by club fans and the media about his age; nonetheless, La Pepa proved them wrong and finished the season as the topscorer that year with 25 goals, and consequently helped Cristal win the 1991 Peruvian title. Baldessari always admitted having spent the best years of his career playing for the cerveceros because he received so many affections that made him feel like at home. After his retirement in 1993, Baldessari settled in Lima

Lima

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

, and became a football analyst for several television and radio networks.

Club titles

Season	Club	Title
1983	Bolívar Club Bolívar Club Bolívar, a football team from Bolivia, was founded in La Paz on April 12, 1925, with the name Atletico Bolívar Literario Musical later changed to "Club Atlético Bolívar"...	Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...
1984	Blooming Club Blooming Club Social, Cultural y Deportivo Blooming is a Bolivian football club from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, formed on May 1, 1946. Its home colours are sky blue, white and navy. They play at the Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera . Its main rival is Oriente Petrolero, also from Santa Cruz...	Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...
1985	Bolívar Club Bolívar Club Bolívar, a football team from Bolivia, was founded in La Paz on April 12, 1925, with the name Atletico Bolívar Literario Musical later changed to "Club Atlético Bolívar"...	Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...
1991	Sporting Cristal Sporting Cristal Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...	Primera División Peruana Primera División Peruana The Peruvian Primera División is the top professional division of Peruvian football. It is known today as Torneo Descentralizado de Fútbol Profesional Peruano...

Honours

Season	Club	Title
1979	Blooming Club Blooming Club Social, Cultural y Deportivo Blooming is a Bolivian football club from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, formed on May 1, 1946. Its home colours are sky blue, white and navy. They play at the Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera . Its main rival is Oriente Petrolero, also from Santa Cruz...	Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...  topscorer: 31 goals
1982	Oriente Petrolero Oriente Petrolero Club Deportivo Oriente Petrolero is a Bolivian football club based in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Founded on November 5, 1955 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia by workers of the Bolivian oil company . They play at the 38,000-capacity Estadio Tahuichi Aguilera. Oriente have been Bolivian champions four times, Copa...	Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...  topscorer: 25 goals
1991	Sporting Cristal Sporting Cristal Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...	Primera División Peruana Primera División Peruana The Peruvian Primera División is the top professional division of Peruvian football. It is known today as Torneo Descentralizado de Fútbol Profesional Peruano... topscorer: 25 goals