Bilardo, successful footballer
Bilardo played in the lower categories of San Lorenzo de Almagro and debuted in the first team in 1958. In 1961 he left for Deportivo and Español and in 1965 he signed with Estudiantes de la Plata. In the pincharrata team he won a League in 1967; three Libertadores de América Cups in 1968, 1969 and 1970, the 1969 Inter-American Cup and the 1968 Intercontinental Cup.
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With Aguirre Suarez
Bilardo together with Aguirre Suárez, players of the Estudiantes de la Plata. Bilardo was a technical player and Aguirre Suárez was the boss of the punctured defense known for his toughness and dirty play.
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Player in Students
Between 1965 and 1970 he was in the pincharrata squad. Estudiantes de La Plata won 3 Copa Libertadores in a row between 1968 and 1970. In 1970 it would be Bilardo’s last active season, who would become the team’s technical assistant.
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DIARY AS
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Farewell as a student player
The year 1970 would see the last active season of Bilardo, who would go on to become the team’s technical assistant.
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Student Coach
Bilardo was coach on four different occasions for Estudiantes. In 1971 he was the caretaker in several games. Between 1973 and 1975 he again managed the club pincharrata before leaving to train in Colombia. He returned to manage it in 1982, winning the league, and left when he had the opportunity to manage the Argentine National Team. His last stage was between 2003 and 2004.
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The graphic
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Bilardo-Menotti, the eternal duel
Argentine soccer is divided between the soccer that Bilardo proposed: tactical, direct and looking for the clash to stop the playing time. Opposite, the one that Menotti liked: high possession, long attacks, slower game. In the image Bilardo with Menotti and Hugo Peña. It is the only image of the two technicians together.
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THE GRAPHIC
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Career as a technician
Once that season ended, he retired from the bench. In addition to directing Estudiantes, he directed Colombian Deportivo Cali between 1975 and 1978, then San Lorenzo de Almagro, which he left to train the Colombian National Team. After Argentina and Sevilla he directed a season at Boca Juniors in 1996.
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World Champion
Bilardo was Argentina’s coach since 1983: his goal was to win the 1986 World Cup. To achieve this, he named Maradona captain: that way he gave him stripes on the pitch. He put together a team to accompany Pelusa and make the quality of the 10 unbalance the games. And the plan worked out. In the image Maradona and Bilardo celebrate the victory against Germany in the final.
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Peter Robinson – EMPICS
PA Images via Getty Images
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World Champion
In the image Bilardo and Pedro Pasculli celebrate the victory (3-2) against Germany in the final.
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The graphic
Getty Images
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World Champion
Bilardo holds the world champion trophy he won as Argentina coach in 1986.
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Relationship with Maradona
Bilardo always had a good relationship with Diego Armando Maradona. They were the coach and the star of Argentina in the 1986 World Cup that the albiceleste team won. In the image, both enjoy the match between Real Madrid and Juventus in the group stage of the 2008 Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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ANDREA COMAS
REUTERS
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Relationship with Maradona
Bilardo always had a good relationship with Diego Armando Maradona. They were the coach and the star of Argentina in the 1986 World Cup that the albiceleste team won. In the image at Diego Maradona’s wedding with Claudia Villafane.
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Reuters
REUTERS
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With Maradona in Seville
Being a coach in Seville, the possibility of hiring Maradona was opened, who was ending his sanction for doping. Although El Pelusa did not shine like before, he always left quality details in his matches. The relationship had its moment of tension when Bilardo replaced Maradona in a match against Burgos and the latter seriously insulted him.
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The graphic
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Seen and not seen in Sevilla
In the middle of the 1992-93 season, he signed for Sevilla together with Diego Maradona, a team in which both remained for only one season. Bilardo would be urgently called once again by the Sevilla board in the 1996-97 season in order to maintain the team’s permanence in the First Division. Bilardo was in charge for only two days, spoke with the players about the team’s situation and returned to Argentina. Sevilla finished the season in 20th position and were relegated to the Second Division.
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television moment
It was on February 6, 1993 at the Riazor Stadium in a league match between Deportivo and Sevilla, the story was captured by the cameras of Canal+ and whose protagonists are the Argentine coach and a Sevilla physiotherapist, Domingo Pérez. The physio went out to attend to Maradona, who fell into a set with a Depor player, Alberto Albístegui. Seeing that Maradona was fine, Pérez checked on Albístegui and they shook hands and that’s when Bilardo’s anger began, who reproached Pérez that he should not help the rival using these words: “How are you going to attend to the other? What the fuck do I care Step on it. Step on it. On the contrary, step on it.”
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Relationship with Jorge Valdano
Bilardo greatly appreciated Jorge Valdano and was important in his team. For the 1990 World Cup Bilardo asked Valdano 6 months before to make an effort to come back from retirement. Valdano had to withdraw due to hepatitis, and he made an effort to arrive in shape for the World Cup, but a small injury meant that Bilardo did not wait for the striker any longer and did not include him in the final list, something that Valdano did not forgive because his great effort was wasted.
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His last job, manager of Argentina
In 2008 the AFA contacted Bilardo to be Manager of the National Team, a position he held until 2014. In 2010 with Maradona as coach, Argentina fell in the quarterfinals against Germany and in 2014 they reached the final with Sabella as coach, but they fell to Germany again .
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Jean Catuffe
Getty Images
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beyond football
In addition to being a footballer and coach, he graduated as a doctor from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires. There, one of his professors was Bernardo Houssay, Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1947. Throughout his career, Bilardo specialized in gynecology.
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