Ricardo Gareca
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Alberto Gareca, nicknamed el Tigre (in English: "the Tiger"), (born 10 February 1958) is an Argentine
football manager
and former player. He currently manages Vélez Sársfield
in the Argentine Primera División.
During his playing career, Gareca played for four of the most important teams in Argentina (Boca Juniors
, River Plate
, Vélez Sársfield
and Independiente
). He also had a successful experience in Colombia
with América de Cali
, winning two league titles and being runner-up of three Copa Libertadores.
Since 1996, Gareca works as a manager. He has won one league title in Peru
(with Universitario de Deportes
) and two in Argentina (with Vélez Sársfield); as well as a second division championship and a Copa CONMEBOL
with Talleres de Córdoba
.
, he only played 16 games in his first three years with the club. In 1981 he was loaned out to Sarmiento
for the 1981 Metropolitano
, but he returned to Boca for the Nacional
where he played alongside Diego Maradona
with a contribution of 8 goals.
In 1985 Gareca earned the eternal hatred of many Boca fans by transferring directly to their fiercest rivals River Plate
along Oscar Ruggeri
. Unlike Ruggeri his time with River was limited, he joined América de Cali
in Colombia
later in 1985. Gareca won two league titles
with América, in 1985 and 1986. He also had the misfortune of being on the losing side of the Copa Libertadores final three times in succession (1985, 1986 & 1987).
In 1989 Gareca returned to Argentina where he played with Vélez Sársfield
until 1992. In 1993 he joined Independiente
for the last few years of his career, making him one of a select band of players to have played for the four most successful teams in Argentine football.
in 1996. In 1997 he left the club to take over at Independiente
but results were not forthcoming and he returned to Talleres later that year. Gareca led Talleres to the Argentine 2nd division championship in 1997-1998, which earned them promotion to the Argentine Primera. In 1999 he led them to their first major title the Copa CONMEBOL
, making them the first team from outside the Buenos Aires and Santa Fe provinces to win an international competition. In 2000 Gareca joined Colón de Santa Fe
but soon returned to Talleres for a 3rd spell with the club.
In 2002 El Tigre took over at Quilmes
in the 2nd division, and then in 2003 he became manager of Argentinos Juniors
. Having led Argentinos to the brink of promotion, the club faced a playoff against Gareca's former team Quilmes, which they lost, missing out on promotion.
Gareca then teamed up with former team-mate Oscar Ruggeri
in 2004 to work as his field assistant at Elche
in Spain
. In 2005 he became manager of his former club América de Cali
followed by a spell in charge of Independiente Santa Fe
in Colombia.
In 2006 he returned for a fourth spell with Talleres but couldn't prevent them from struggling in the Argentine 2nd division. In October 2007 he became the manager of Peru
vian Universitario
, and in July 2008 he led the team to the Torneo Apertura title.
He returned to Argentina in 2009 to become manager of Vélez Sársfield
. In his first championship season with the club, he led them to the Clausura championship. Vélez lost only one of their 19 games throughout the championship. The 2010-11 season
was a very successful one, as Gareca led Vélez to a runner-up finish in the Apertura, making a 43-points campaign (3 more than in their championship winning campaign of 2009), and to another championship in the Clausura.
América de Cali
Independiente
Talleres
Universitario de Deportes
Vélez Sársfield
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 manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
and former player. He currently manages Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
in the Argentine Primera División.
During his playing career, Gareca played for four of the most important teams in Argentina (Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
and 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....
). He also had a successful experience in 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...
with América de Cali
América de Cali
Corporación Deportiva América, commonly known as América de Cali or simply América is a Colombian football club based in Cali. They currently play in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight professional league in the country....
, winning two league titles and being runner-up of three Copa Libertadores.
Since 1996, Gareca works as a manager. He has won one league title in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
(with Universitario de Deportes
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
) and two in Argentina (with Vélez Sársfield); as well as a second division championship and a Copa CONMEBOL
Copa CONMEBOL
The Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
with Talleres de Córdoba
Talleres de Córdoba
Club Atlético Talleres is a sports club from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, mostly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the regionalised third division, the Torneo Argentino A...
.
Club
Gareca started his professional career in 1978 with Boca JuniorsBoca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, he only played 16 games in his first three years with the club. In 1981 he was loaned out to Sarmiento
Club Atlético Sarmiento
Club Atlético Sarmiento is a sports club from the city of Junín in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The football currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, which is the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
for the 1981 Metropolitano
Metropolitano championship
The Metropolitano championship was an Argentine football tournament that existed between 1967 and 1984. The Metropolitano formed one half of the Argentine 1st division taking place in the first half of the year, the Nacional took place in the 2nd half of the year. This arrangement lasted until 1982...
, but he returned to Boca for the Nacional
Nacional championship
The Nacional championship was an Argentine football tournament that existed between 1967 and 1985. The Nacional formed one half of the Argentine 1st division taking place in the second half of the year, the Metropolitano took place in the first half of the year. This arrangement lasted until 1982...
where he played alongside Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
with a contribution of 8 goals.
In 1985 Gareca earned the eternal hatred of many Boca fans by transferring directly to their fiercest rivals River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
along Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri is a former footballer. Nicknamed "El Cabezón" , Ruggeri is one of the most successful defenders ever to come out of Argentina....
. Unlike Ruggeri his time with River was limited, he joined América de Cali
América de Cali
Corporación Deportiva América, commonly known as América de Cali or simply América is a Colombian football club based in Cali. They currently play in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight professional league in the country....
in 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...
later in 1985. Gareca won two league titles
Fútbol Profesional Colombiano
The Categoría Primera A is the professional football league of Colombia. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. Eighteen clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor,...
with América, in 1985 and 1986. He also had the misfortune of being on the losing side of the Copa Libertadores final three times in succession (1985, 1986 & 1987).
In 1989 Gareca returned to Argentina where he played with Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
until 1992. In 1993 he joined 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....
for the last few years of his career, making him one of a select band of players to have played for the four most successful teams in Argentine football.
National team
Gareca made his debut for the Argentina national team in 1981 against Poland. He went on to win 20 caps for his country, scoring 5 goals.Coaching career
Gareca started his managerial career with TalleresTalleres de Córdoba
Club Atlético Talleres is a sports club from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, mostly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the regionalised third division, the Torneo Argentino A...
in 1996. In 1997 he left the club to take over at 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....
but results were not forthcoming and he returned to Talleres later that year. Gareca led Talleres to the Argentine 2nd division championship in 1997-1998, which earned them promotion to the Argentine Primera. In 1999 he led them to their first major title the Copa CONMEBOL
Copa CONMEBOL
The Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
, making them the first team from outside the Buenos Aires and Santa Fe provinces to win an international competition. In 2000 Gareca joined 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...
but soon returned to Talleres for a 3rd spell with the club.
In 2002 El Tigre took over at Quilmes
Quilmes Atlético Club
Quilmes Atlético Club is a sports clubs of Argentina, based on the Partido de Quilmes, Buenos Aires Province. Quilmes is one of the oldest clubs of Argentina, having been founded in 1887. Its football squad currently plays in the Primera B Nacional Division....
in the 2nd division, and then in 2003 he became manager of Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
. Having led Argentinos to the brink of promotion, the club faced a playoff against Gareca's former team Quilmes, which they lost, missing out on promotion.
Gareca then teamed up with former team-mate Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri is a former footballer. Nicknamed "El Cabezón" , Ruggeri is one of the most successful defenders ever to come out of Argentina....
in 2004 to work as his field assistant at Elche
Elche CF
Elche Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Elche, Alicante, in the Valencian Community. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, holding home matches at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, with a capacity of 38,750 seats.-Recent seasons:-Season to...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In 2005 he became manager of his former club América de Cali
América de Cali
Corporación Deportiva América, commonly known as América de Cali or simply América is a Colombian football club based in Cali. They currently play in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight professional league in the country....
followed by a spell in charge of Independiente Santa Fe
Independiente Santa Fe
Independiente Santafe is a professional Colombian First Division football club based in Bogotá. It has won six First Division titles and two Copa Colombia titles....
in Colombia.
In 2006 he returned for a fourth spell with Talleres but couldn't prevent them from struggling in the Argentine 2nd division. In October 2007 he became the manager of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Universitario
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
, and in July 2008 he led the team to the Torneo Apertura title.
He returned to Argentina in 2009 to become manager of Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
. In his first championship season with the club, he led them to the Clausura championship. Vélez lost only one of their 19 games throughout the championship. The 2010-11 season
2010–11 Argentine Primera División season
The 2010–11 Primera División season was the eighty-second season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed in two championships —the Apertura and Clausura— over the course of the season, which started on August 6, 2010 and ended on June 30, 2011, one...
was a very successful one, as Gareca led Vélez to a runner-up finish in the Apertura, making a 43-points campaign (3 more than in their championship winning campaign of 2009), and to another championship in the Clausura.
Managerial statistics
As of 25 November 2011| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Universitario de Deportes Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of... |
|
September 2007 | December 2008 | 64 | 28 | 21 | 15 | |
| Vélez Sársfield Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system... |
|
January 2009 | Present | 142 | 77 | 34 | 31 | |
| Total | 206 | 105 | 55 | 46 | ||||
As a player
América de CaliAmérica de Cali
Corporación Deportiva América, commonly known as América de Cali or simply América is a Colombian football club based in Cali. They currently play in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight professional league in the country....
- Fútbol Profesional ColombianoFútbol Profesional ColombianoThe Categoría Primera A is the professional football league of Colombia. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. Eighteen clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor,...
(2): 1985, 1986
IndependienteClub 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....
- Argentine Primera División (1): Clausura 1994
- Supercopa SudamericanaSupercopa SudamericanaThe Supercopa Sudamericana , also known as the Supercopa Libertadores João Havelange, Supercopa Libertadores, Supercopa João Havelange or simply Supercopa, was a football club competition contested annually by the past winners of the Copa Libertadores...
(1): Supercopa 19941994 Supercopa SudamericanaThe 1994 Supercopa Sudamericana was the seventh season of the Supercopa Sudamericana, a club football tournament for past Copa Libertadores winners...
As a manager
TalleresTalleres de Córdoba
Club Atlético Talleres is a sports club from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, mostly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the regionalised third division, the Torneo Argentino A...
- Primera B Nacional (1): 1996–97
- Copa ConmebolCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
(1): 1999
Universitario de DeportesUniversitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
- Peruvian Primera División (1): 2008 Apertura
Vélez SársfieldClub Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
- Argentine Primera División (2): 2009 Clausura , 2011 Clausura2010–11 Argentine Primera División seasonThe 2010–11 Primera División season was the eighty-second season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed in two championships —the Apertura and Clausura— over the course of the season, which started on August 6, 2010 and ended on June 30, 2011, one...