Juan Antonio Pizzi
Juan Antonio Pizzi (1987 )
Juan Antonio Pizzi Torroja ( born June 7, 1968 in Santa Fe, Argentina ) is a former Argentine- Spanish footballer and current coach.
- 2.1 As a player
- 2.2 As a coach
Career
Playing career
Pizzi started his career in 1988 at CA Rosario Central, after one year, he joined the Mexican club Deportivo Toluca. Another year later, he went to Europe to CD Tenerife. In this club he was very successful with 30 hits in 68 games and helped the team so as to qualification for the UEFA Cup in 1993/94. Consequently, he went in 1993 to the Spanish top club Valencia CF, which he could make no permanent impression in a season, however, so he already came back after a year to CD Tenerife. He was top scorer with 31 goals in 41 games in the 1995/96 season.
In 1996, he joined FC Barcelona. During his two-year stay, he could not really prevail against Ronaldo, Sonny Anderson and Luis Enrique and only scored 11 league goals, although Barça winning the championship (1998), the Spanish Cup (1997, 1998) and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1997 very was successful.
In 1998 he went back to his home to CA River Plate. After he was still playing until 2002 for FC Porto, Villarreal and twice for CA Rosario Central, he ended his playing career.
Between 1994 and 1998 he played 22 games for the Spanish national team and took their part in the Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.
Coaching career
2005 Juan Antonio Pizzi started his coaching career with Colón de Santa Fe. There, however, he was released after three defeats in the first three games quickly. From 2009 to 2010 he coached the Chilean club Santiago Morning, then he was coach of CD Universidad Católica. He continued the work of his predecessor Marco Antonio Figueroa and won at the end of 2010 the championship. With the club still managed Pizzi, among others, also the advance to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores in 2011, after the Brazilian representative Gremio beat it surprising in the round of sixteen teams. One lap later, the From then came against CA Peñarol of Uruguay, the later only in the finale failed at Santos. In league play was first successfully Juan Antonio Pizzi as manager of Universidad Católica. With three points ahead of Universidad de Chile won the Torneo Apertura one in the table, but had to just admit defeat to that club in the play-offs for the championship of the Apertura. After the 1:4 defeat in the second leg, after they had not won the home game 2-0, Juan Antonio Pizzi announced his resignation as coach at Universidad Católica and was replaced by Mario Lepe.
A little later, Juan Antonio Pizzi took over as coach at his hometown club Rosario Central. This was now, crashed into the second Argentine league, the Primera B Nacional. With San Lorenzo in 2013, he won the Apertura. End of December 2013 he replaced Miroslav Đukić as coach of Spanish side Valencia.
Achievements
As a player
- Spanish Champion: 1998
- Spanish Cup Winners: 1996/97, 1997/98
- Spanish Super Cup Winners: 1996
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1996/97
- UEFA Super Cup: 1997
- Participation in a World Cup 1998 ( 1 Application )
- Participation in a European Championship: 1996 (2 inserts)
- Scorer in the Primera División: 1995/96
As a coach
- Chilean Champion: 2010