Mauricio Pellegrino
Encyclopedia
Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino (born October 5, 1971 in Leones, Córdoba) is a former Argentine
footballer, who played as a central defender, and who also spent time as a coach.
during a large portion of the 90's, as the Buenos Aires
-based lived its golden era, winning four league titles and the 1994 Intercontinental
and Libertadores Cups.
In 1998–99, he had his first abroad experience, joining Louis van Gaal
's FC Barcelona
; he made his Spanish first division
debut on September 12, in a 1–0 win against CF Extremadura
, and would be fairly used during the campaign, which ended with league conquest.
side, Valencia CF
, partnering countryman Roberto Ayala
in the heart of the back-four, while helping the Che to two league titles during his tenure, with the addition of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.
His main dark spot occurred during the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League
final
, as he missed the decisive penalty shootout attempt against FC Bayern Munich
(1–1 after 120 minutes) - he also played in the previous season's decisive match
, which also ended in defeat, against Real Madrid
(0–3). Overall though, in his six years at Valencia, he was a very important first-team member, and amassed nearly 200 official appearances for the club.
, Pellegrino joined former Valencia boss Rafael Benítez
at Liverpool
on a free transfer, signing a six-month contract. This move made him the first Argentine player in the history of the club. He played 12 times for the Reds in the Premier League - 13 overall - but his performances were not enough to secure a longer contract, and he was released by the club at the end of the season. After being released, he returned to Spain, having an unassuming stint with Deportivo Alavés
(13 matches, first division relegation).
.
In December 2010, as Benítez was fired from his post, Pellegrino was also dismissed.
s for Argentina
, all during 1997. He was picked for the squad at that year's Copa América
.
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...
footballer, who played as a central defender, and who also spent time as a coach.
Early career
Pellegrino played for Club Atlético Vélez SarsfieldClub 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...
during a large portion of the 90's, as the 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...
-based lived its golden era, winning four league titles and the 1994 Intercontinental
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
and Libertadores Cups.
In 1998–99, he had his first abroad experience, joining Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
's FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
; he made his Spanish first division
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut on September 12, in a 1–0 win against CF Extremadura
CF Extremadura
Club de Fútbol Extremadura was a Spanish football team based in Almendralejo, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1924, it played two seasons in La Liga, and held home games at Estadio Francisco de la Hera, with a capacity of 11,580 seats.-History:Extremadura was founded in 1924,...
, and would be fairly used during the campaign, which ended with league conquest.
Valencia
Pellegrino had his best years with another SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
side, Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, partnering countryman Roberto Ayala
Roberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
in the heart of the back-four, while helping the Che to two league titles during his tenure, with the addition of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.
His main dark spot occurred during the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final
2001 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2001 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at San Siro in Milan, Italy, on 23 May 2001, to decide the winner of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. The match pitted Bayern Munich against Valencia. The match finished in a 1–1 draw, but Bayern clinched their fourth...
, as he missed the decisive penalty shootout attempt against FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
(1–1 after 120 minutes) - he also played in the previous season's decisive match
2000 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2000 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2000. The match pitted Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Valencia...
, which also ended in defeat, against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
(0–3). Overall though, in his six years at Valencia, he was a very important first-team member, and amassed nearly 200 official appearances for the club.
Liverpool
In January 2005, after having been frozen out by Claudio RanieriClaudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
, Pellegrino joined former Valencia boss Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on a free transfer, signing a six-month contract. This move made him the first Argentine player in the history of the club. He played 12 times for the Reds in the Premier League - 13 overall - but his performances were not enough to secure a longer contract, and he was released by the club at the end of the season. After being released, he returned to Spain, having an unassuming stint with Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
(13 matches, first division relegation).
Coaching
After retiring in June 2006, Pellegrino stayed connected with Valencia, coaching its Cadete-B (which is their youth team); after a short stint there he decided to return to Liverpool, who still had Benítez in charge, on June 30, 2008, as first-team coach, a position he remained in until the summer of 2010, as the pair moved to F.C. Internazionale MilanoF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
.
In December 2010, as Benítez was fired from his post, Pellegrino was also dismissed.
International career
Pellegrino gained three capCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
s for Argentina
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...
, all during 1997. He was picked for the squad at that year's Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
.
Honours
- VélezClub Atlético Vélez SársfieldClub 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...
:- Argentine League: ClausuraApertura and ClausuraThe Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
1993, 1996, 1998; Apertura 1995 - Libertadores Cup: 1994
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 19941994 Intercontinental CupThe 1994 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on December 1, 1994 between A.C. Milan, winners of the 1993-94 European Cup, and Vélez Sársfield, winners of the 1994 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo... - Interamerican CupCopa InteramericanaCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
: 1995 - South American SupercupSupercopa SudamericanaThe Supercopa Sudamericana , also known as the Supercopa Libertadores João Havelange, Supercopa Libertadores, Supercopa João Havelange or simply Supercopa, was a football club competition contested annually by the past winners of the Copa Libertadores...
: 1996 - South American Winners' CupRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 1997
- Argentine League: Clausura
- BarcelonaFC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
:- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 1998–99
- Spanish League
- ValenciaValencia CFValencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
:- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2001–02, 2003–04 - Spanish SupercupSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1999 - UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 20042004 UEFA Super CupThe 2004 UEFA Super Cup was a UEFA-sponsored association football match between Porto of Portugal and Valencia of Spain, held on 27 August 2004 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. The match was the 29th annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup...
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: Runner-up 1999–2000, 2000–01
- Spanish League