José María Minella

Minella 1933 Gimnasia y Esgrima

José María Minella ( born June 8, 1909 in Mar del Plata, † August 13 1981 in Buenos Aires ) was an Argentine football player and later coach, who celebrated many successes with River Plate and was also active in the national team of his native country.

Built on the occasion of taking place in Argentina Football World Cup 1978 Stadium in Mar del Plata, the Estadio José María Minella with a capacity of today 35 354 spectators, was named in honor of probably the best footballer, the Mar del Plata had ever known, in his own lifetime provided by José María Minella with its name.

• 3.1 As a player
• 3.2 As a coach

Playing career

Club career

José María Minella, born on June 8, 1909 in Mar del Plata, began playing football at Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata in the eponymous capital of the province of Buenos Aires. For Gimnasia y Esgrima he played, among others, the first season of the Argentine Primera División, the twelfth place in 1931 was occupied. Then Minella acted three more seasons in the midfield Gimnasia y Esgrima, the best finish was a fourth place in 1933. Season 1935 wrote to José María Minella a contract with bonarenser top club CA River Plate. The present record holder, he remained faithful in the next seven years and came at this time to 157 games in league play, where he scored five goals. Thrice won José María Minella with River Plate, where he played among others with Argentine football greats of the era such as Ángel Labruna, Juan Carlos Muñoz, Adolfo Pedernera or Carlos Peucelle, the Argentine championship. In the 1936 season the championship was won for the first time, in the final defeated River Plate CA San Lorenzo de Almagro 4-2. The following year, but gained a first rank six points ahead of CA Independiente to defend the title. In the following years it was not until 1941 before for Minella and River Plate again jumped out a title. In the said year, it was first in La Liga, four points ahead of San Lorenzo de Almagro.

José María Minella was not until 1942 for CA River Plate on the ball before he left the club and CA Peñarol of Uruguay's capital Montevideo joined. After a year at today's Uruguayan giants Minella changed again the employer and still played briefly for CD Green Cross in the Chilean capital Santiago. In 1944, José María Minella ended his active career at the age of 35 years.

National

Between 1933 and 1941 it brought José María Minella to 24 international matches in the Argentine national soccer team. With it, he twice won the Copa America, at that time still under the name Campeonato Sudamericano known. In the tournament on home soil in 1937 was the first time Minella victorious in the South American Championship. In the tournament, which was held exclusively at the Estadio Gasómetro, the home stadium of San Lorenzo de Almagro, the Argentine team won the final 2-0 after extra time against Brazil. In the next Copa America, in Chile in 1941, Minella won for the second time this item. This time the Gauchos reached a first place after all the game day of the group stage with two points ahead of Uruguay, where they won every game.

Coaching career

After the end of his active career as a football player was José María Minella coach. In 1945 he took over as coach of his old club River Plate and held it held the next fifteen years. During this time, River Plate had one of its most successful periods ever in the club's history. With the legendary Maquina ( to German machine ) matches, such as Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno Fernández, Adolfo Pedernera, Ángel Labruna and Félix Loustau River dominated the Argentine football of his time and won 1945-1957 seven times the Argentine championship, in this time was only thirteen times to award the championship. With the practice of coach José María Minella 2-3 5 system with the storm series Muñoz, Moreno, Pedernera Labruna and Loustau River Plate also provided usually the best offensive of the Argentine Primera División. However, over the years the players of the Maquina were all older and so the dominance of River Plate tended initially to an end. After the departure of Ángel Labruna 1959, the last player of the Maquina was no longer under contract with River and José María Minellas time as River Plate coach ended in that year.

Four years later, José María Minella returned to the dugout River Plate after Néstor Rossi was released. However Minellas renewed commitment lasted only for a short time, he was only a short time replaced it again. In 1964 Minella the Office of the Argentine national team and had this initially until 1965 and then again in 1968 for a short time before he was once manager of Minella replaced by Renato Cesarini, for its part, also been very successful with River Plate and more than twenty-five years ago, . Then José María Minella took no further coaching job.

Achievements

As a player

• Argentine Championship: 3x (1936, 1937, 1941)

• Copa América: 2x (1937, 1941)

• Copa Ibarguren: 2x (1937, 1941)

• Copa de Oro: 1x (1936 )

• Copa Adrían Escobar: 1x (1941 )

As a coach

• Argentine Championship: 7x (1945, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957)