Juan José Pizzuti Explained

Juan José Pizzuti
Fullname:Juan José Pizzuti
Birth Date:1927 5, df=y
Birth Place:Buenos Aires, Argentina
Death Place:Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position:Striker
Youthyears1:1941–1947
Youthclubs1:Banfield
Years1:1947–1950
Years2:1951
Years3:1952–1954
Years4:1955
Years5:1956–1962
Years6:1962–1963
Clubs1:Banfield
Clubs2:River Plate
Clubs3:Racing Club
Clubs4:Boca Juniors
Clubs5:Racing Club
Clubs6:Boca Juniors
Caps1:77
Caps2:30
Caps3:213 (total)
Caps4:20
Caps5:(see above)
Caps6:9
Goals1:47
Goals2:7
Goals3:118
Goals4:9
Goals6:2
Totalcaps:349
Totalgoals:183
Nationalyears1:1951–1959
Nationalteam1:Argentina
Nationalcaps1:12
Nationalgoals1:4
Manageryears1:1964–1965
Managerclubs1:Chacarita Juniors
Manageryears2:1965–1969
Managerclubs2:Racing Club
Manageryears3:1970–1972
Managerclubs3:Argentina
Manageryears4:1973
Managerclubs4:Colón
Manageryears5:1974
Managerclubs5:Racing Club
Manageryears6:1975–1976
Managerclubs6:Independiente Medellín
Manageryears7:1983
Managerclubs7:Racing Club
Manageryears8:1993
Managerclubs8:Racing Club

Juan José Pizzuti (9 May 1927 – 24 January 2020[1]) was an Argentine football player and manager. A striker, he enjoyed his most notable successes as player and manager with Racing Club de Avellaneda.

Pizzuti was born in the Barracas neighbourhood of Buenos Aires and joined the Banfield youth team at the age of 14.

Playing career

Pizzuti made his breakthrough into the Banfield first team in 1947 at the age of 19. He became the top scorer in the Argentine league in 1949, this brought him to the attention of several major clubs and he eventually signed for River Plate in 1951.

In 1952, after only one season with River, Pizzuti left to join Racing Club de Avellaneda, he became the topscorer in the Argentine league for a second time in 1953.

In 1955 Pizzuti joined Boca Juniors, making him one of a select band of players to have played for both River Plate and Boca Juniors, he only played 20 games that season and returned to Racing Club in 1956.

Pizzuti was part of a championship winning team for the first time in 1958, and Racing won the title again in 1961. Pizzuti then returned to Boca Juniors where he won his third and last league title as a player in 1962. He retired as a player in 1963, by the end of his career he had scored a total of 182 goals in 349 games, to make him one of the top 20 all time goalscorers in the Argentine league.

International career

Pizzuti played for Argentina between 1951 and 1959, he was part of the squad for the South American Championship in 1959 where he scored three goals to help them to win the title.[2]

Titles as a player

Racing

Boca Juniors

Argentina

Managerial career

Pizzuti took over as the manager of Racing Club in 1965, he led them to the Argentine league championship in 1966 and then saw his team defeat Nacional of Uruguay in the 1967 Copa Libertadores. Racing Club then added to their international success by defeating Celtic F.C. of Scotland to win the Copa Intercontinental and become the first Argentine team to become club champions of the world. Pizzuti left Racing Club in 1969 after four years and four months in charge, which still stands as the longest managerial reign at the club.[3]

Pizzuti was manager of the Argentina national team between 1970 and 1972, taking the team to fourth place at the Brazilian Independence Cup. The third place decider there, which Argentina lost 2–4 to Yugoslavia, was his last match at the helm of the national side. He had spells as manager of Nueva Chicago in Argentina and Independiente Medellín in Colombia amongst other positions.

Titles as a manager

Racing

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Buenos Aires Times | Racing legend Juan José Pizzuti dies aged 92.
  2. https://www.rsssf.org/tables/59-1safull.html RSSSF South American Championship 1959
  3. http://www.clarin.com/diario/2001/01/03/d-05303.htm Clarin article