“The skinny one” died. A month ago he was suffering from severe anemia and he died on May 5. He first world champion coach with the national team in 1978 He was an exponent of a style of play based on possession and concern for an attractive “aesthetic” as opposed to the mere result or winning “in any way.”
As a player he debuted in 1960 in Central Rosary with only six games in Reserve and played there for four years until he moved to Racing in 1964 and Mouth in 1965. Then, in 1967 he emigrated to the United States to play for The New York Generals, and in 1968 he traveled to Brazil to play with the Saints of Pelé and he was São Paulo champion that year. He was there two years and in 1970, he moved to Juventus de São Paulo where he retired.
Until the day of his death, He was the director of National Teams of the Argentine Football Association.
Menottism vs Bilardism
He had great significance as technical director generating the “Menottist” school. After becoming champion with Huracán, he was appointed coach of the national team that would finally crown its first world championship in 1978. In addition, he coached Barcelona, River Plate, Boca Juniors, Atlético Madrid, Sampdoria, Independiente, among other teams.
The “menottista” style proposed a collective game based on possession of the ball and “good treatment” of it.. Subsequently, the opposing school emerged that had the second world champion coach with Argentina as its standard bearer, Carlos Salvador Bilardo. In this case, tactics and obtaining the result were above the forms or aesthetics to achieve it.
Both coaches were protagonists of eternal debates between those who leaned towards one position or another. At the same time, the technical directors who were emerging identified with some of those two schools and, therefore, the discussion transcended them.
The skinny guy leaves not only a World Cup in the national showcase but also a eternal debate which will continue as long as the ball keeps rolling.
#Argentina
