Agustín Balbuena
Encyclopedia
Agustín Alberto Balbuena (born September 1, 1945 in Santa Fe
) is a retired Argentine
football striker who won four Copa Libertadores and the Copa Intercontinental with Club Atlético Independiente
.
Balbuena started his professional playing career in 1964 with home town club Colón de Santa Fe
, after a spell with Racing Club
he played for Rosario Central
where he was a losing finalist in the 1970 Nacional.
In 1971 Balbuena joined Club Atlético Independiente
where he became an important player in the most successful period in the history of the club. He was part of the team that won the 1971 Metropolitano to qualify for the Copa Libertadores. Independiente won the competition on four consecutive occasions, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. He scored the winning gaol in the Copa Intercontinental in 1973 against Juventus F.C.
.
Balbuena was included in the Argentina
squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
, he played for the national team on 8 occasions.
Later in his career he played for Bucaramanga
of Colombia
and CD FAS of El Salvador
.
Santa Fe, Argentina
Santa Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the...
) is a retired Argentine
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...
football striker who won four Copa Libertadores and the Copa Intercontinental with Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
.
Balbuena started his professional playing career in 1964 with home town club Colón de Santa Fe
Colón de Santa Fe
Club Atlético Colón, commonly referred to as Colón de Santa Fe, is a football team from Santa Fe, Argentina. As of Primera División Argentina 1946 the football squad plays in the highest division of Argentine football, and has done so continuously since 1995-96...
, after a spell with Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
he played for Rosario Central
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
where he was a losing finalist in the 1970 Nacional.
In 1971 Balbuena joined Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
where he became an important player in the most successful period in the history of the club. He was part of the team that won the 1971 Metropolitano to qualify for the Copa Libertadores. Independiente won the competition on four consecutive occasions, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. He scored the winning gaol in the Copa Intercontinental in 1973 against Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
.
Balbuena was included in the 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...
squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
, he played for the national team on 8 occasions.
Later in his career he played for Bucaramanga
Atlético Bucaramanga
Club Atlético Bucaramanga Corporacion Deportiva, known simply as Atlético Bucaramanga, is a Colombian football club based in the city of Bucaramanga. The club was founded in 1949...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and CD FAS of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
Titles
- Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
(1): 1971 Metropolitano - Copa Libertadores (4): 1972Copa Libertadores 1972The 1972 Copa Libertadores was the 13th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's the annual club tournament. Independiente of Argentina defeated Universitario de Deportes of Peru in the finals, and became the second team in the tournament's history to win three title...
, 1973Copa Libertadores 1973Copa Libertadores 1973 was won by defending champions Independiente of Argentina after defeating Colo Colo of Chile in a third decisive game. The third match which ended 2-1 in extra time was necessary after the previous two leg matches ended in draws....
, 1974, 1975Copa Libertadores 1975The Copa Libertadores 1975 was an association football competition contested between the top clubs of the CONMEBOL federation. Independiente won the competition defeating Unión Española 2–0 in a play off after the original two legs finished 2–2 on points.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group... - Copa Intercontinental (1): 19731973 Intercontinental CupThe 1973 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on November 28, 1973 between Juventus, runners-up of the 1972-73 European Cup, and Independiente, winner of the 1973 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome...
- Copa InteramericanaCopa 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...
(3): 1972, 1973, 1974