Creator of immortal phrases for world football such as “win whatever” or “the rival, step on it”, and with a charisma that led him to win three consecutive Libertadores and reach two World Cup finals with Argentina -one title, Mexico 1986- , Carlos Salvador Bilardo turns 85 this Thursday.
Bilardo also has a close relationship with Colombian soccer, with a very successful stint at Deportivo Cali, between 1977 and 1978. That was the first Colombian team to reach a Copa Libertadores final, which they lost against Boca Juniors. He also had a step, that dull one, for the Colombian National Team, in the qualifier for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
The ‘Narigón’ will celebrate his birthday in his apartment in Buenos Aires, where he spends much of the time after being diagnosed with Hakim-Adams syndrome, a neurodegenerative disease that he has suffered since 2018 and for which he must be under constant care.
Away from the media spotlight, Bilardo is still fondly remembered by soccer fans and former players: as an example, This Tuesday, a group of world champions from the year 86 (Oscar Ruggeri, Jorge Burruchaga, Oscar Garré, Sergio Batista and Ricardo Giusti) visited the former coach to show their affection.
“With the ’86 Band’ visiting our ‘Master Carlos’. Happy to see him so well!” Ruggeri asserted, today a sports commentator, on his official Instagram account, in which he published two images of the former soccer players with whoever was their coach.
In statements to La Cielo radio, Garré assured that it was “an exciting meeting”, while he sent a message of calm about Bilardo’s state of health.
“It was an exciting match, it is a great joy. We chatted and told anecdotes, we had a great time, we were happy to see him well,” said the ‘Wizard’, who played four games under Bilardo in the Cup on Wednesday. of the World of 1986.
“We assimilate Carlos’ advice, we continue to see each other. They are legacies that remain, ways of life (…). That the people of La Plata remain calm, that Bilardo is fine,” he added.
The story of the successful career of Carlos Bilardo
Born on March 16, 1938 in Buenos Aires, Bilardo made his debut as a soccer player at San Lorenzo de Almagro in 1958 and hung up his boots in 1970, after passing through the ranks of Deportivo Español (1961-1965) and Estudiantes de La Plata (1965- 1970).
In ‘Pincha’ he participated in his most glorious stage: he won three consecutive Copa Libertadores (1968, 1969 and 1970), as well as an Intercontinental Cup, an Inter-American Cup and a Metropolitan Championship.
Such is the footprint of the ‘Doctor’ that the rojiblanco stadium houses a statue in which he appears represented in a suit and with an outstretched arm, giving orders in the band.
All in all, the figure of Bilardo is mostly known internationally for his time as a coach, in which he went down in history for winning the second Albiceleste World Cup, a championship that included Diego Armando Maradona as a leading figure. stellar.
That success was about to be repeated four years later, at Italy 1990, when Argentina lost 1-0 in the final to West Germany.
Known for a tactical pragmatism that created a school (“bilardismo”), ‘Narigón’ enjoyed unparalleled charisma on and off the pitch, giving away unforgettable moments for football in his country.
Perhaps one of his most iconic anecdotes occurred in 2002, in a match between Estudiantes de La Plata (whom he was coaching at the time) and River Plate, where he starred in a curious toast on the substitute bench.
“It doesn’t have an alcoholic drink, it has ‘gatorei’ (Gatorade, the brand of drinks),” Bilardo told a journalist, despite toasting with what, at first glance, looked like a bottle of sparkling wine.
Doc Bilardo. Soccer Show. February 22, 2004. “The Gatorei Experiment.” Academy Award Winner. No more words, Your Honor 🍾pic.twitter.com/rM9Kk1AKfs
— VarskySports (@VarskySports) February 22, 2022
Those hilarious moments coexisted with others of true football wisdom: obsessive and meticulous to satiety, Bilardo defended the importance of winning at all costs, regardless of the “how”, something that confronted him with his predecessor in office, César Luis Menotti, winner of the 1978 World Cup and militant of the offensive game.
“Are there people more results-oriented than me in the world? There aren’t any. I’ve been saying that the only thing that matters is the result,” said ‘Narigón’ on one occasion.
Regardless of his football ideas, Bilardo was always a lover of the Argentine team, which he watched emotionally and from a distance, from the sofa in his apartment, lift its third World Cup in Qatar 2022.
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