 Zubeldía in 1968 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía | ||
| Date of birth | (1927-06-24)24 June 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Junín, Argentina | ||
| Date of death | 17 January 1982(1982-01-17) (aged 54) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1949–1955 | Vélez Sársfield | ? | (?) |
| 1956–1957 | Boca Juniors | 38 | (10) |
| 1958–1959 | Atlanta | ? | (6) |
| 1960 | Banfield | ? | (?) |
| International career | |||
| Argentina | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1961–1963 | Atlanta | ||
| 1965 | Argentina | ||
| 1965–1970 | Estudiantes de La Plata | ||
| 1974 | San Lorenzo | ||
| 1975 | Racing Club | ||
| 1976–1982 | Atlético Nacional | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 September 2007 | |||
Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía (24 June 1927 – 17 January 1982) was an Argentinefootball player and coach.
Zubeldía had a respectable playing career withVélez Sársfield,Boca Juniors,Atlanta andBanfield and theArgentina 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.
His managing career started atAtlanta 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 theArgentina national team in 1965.
His managerial career took off withEstudiantes de La Plata. He was hired by the club in 1965 to help the team 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 beatPlatense in the semifinal 4–3, then took the crown with a convincing 3–0 victory overRacing Club.
Estudiantes then took second place in theNacional championship, qualifying for the 1968Copa Libertadores, which Estudiantes won after defeatingBrazilian sidePalmeiras.
In that year'sIntercontinental Cup, Estudiantes defeatedBobby Charlton'sManchester United 1–0 inBuenos Aires, and achieved a 1–1 tie atOld Trafford on 16 October 1968. The Intercontinental title remains the highest achievement in Estudiantes' history.
The team would go on to win theCopa Libertadores twice more, in 1969 againstNacional fromUruguay and in 1970 againstPeñarol also from Uruguay.
Estudiantes lost theirIntercontinental Cup finals toA.C. Milan andFeyenoord, respectively, but they did win the less prestigiousCopa Interamericana in 1969.
In 1974, Zubeldía coached theSan Lorenzo de Almagro team that won theNacional title. He also won twoColombian League titles withAtlético Nacional in 1976 and 1981.
On 17 January 1982 Zubeldía died of aheart attack inMedellín,Colombia at the age of 54, while setting a bet on horse race.
Zubeldía's legacy was carried to fruition by the key tactical player of his Estudiantes,Carlos Bilardo, who went on to become one of the most successful coaches in Argentine history. Bilardo dedicated to his mentor both the 1982Metropolitano title won by Estudiantes and the1986 FIFA World Cup title won by Argentina.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
