Alberto César Tarantini (born 3 December 1955) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a defender. He won the 1978 FIFA World Cup with the Argentina national football team. He played as a defensive left back early in his career, and later as a wing back.
 Tarantini with the Argentina national team, 1982 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alberto César Tarantini | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1955 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ezeiza, Argentina | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left back, Centre back | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1973–1977 | Boca Juniors | 179 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1978–1979 | Birmingham City | 23 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1979 | Talleres de Córdoba | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1980–1983 | River Plate | 107 | (4) | |||||||||||
| 1983–1984 | Bastia | 29 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | Toulouse | 130 | (8) | |||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | St. Gallen | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1974–1982 | Argentina | 61 | (1) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Career
editBorn at Ezeiza, Tarantini rose through the Boca Juniors youth divisions in the early 1970s, and was noted for his afro hairdo and his large front teeth, which earned him the nickname conejo ("rabbit").
In 1977 with Boca Juniors he won his first international club football competition and one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in Latin American football – Copa Libertadores, when after the goalless draw Boca defeated Cruzeiro 5–4 on penalties. The match was held at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay on 14 September 1977.[1]
Tarantini was part of the Argentina under-23 team that won the 1975 Toulon Tournament, together with Jorge Valdano, Américo Gallego, and others, with César Menotti as coach. He became the left-back of the Argentina national football team after Jorge Carrascosa left the team (the book El DT del Proceso by Gasparini and Ponsico[2] claims that the wolf Carrascosa declined to play for the dictatorship). He was also, at 22, the youngest player of that team.
A few months before the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he had a contractual dispute with Boca that left him clubless, as Boca management pressured all Argentine clubs into denying him a new contract. After his performances during the World Cup (he scored a goal in the 6–0 victory against Peru, and played in the final against The Netherlands) he was signed by Birmingham City for £295,000. His spell in England was overshadowed by poor discipline, with Tarantini flattening Manchester United defender Brian Greenhoff, and ending his 23-game spell in Birmingham by wading into the crowd to punch a heckler.
After his return to Argentina he played for Talleres de Córdoba, River Plate, and European teams SC Bastia, Toulouse and FC St. Gallen.
In 1982 Tarantini was voted into the Top Ten of the South America Player of the Year awards.
Tarantini also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup for Argentina, retiring from the national team immediately thereafter.
Personal life
editTarantini was married to fashion model Patricia Pata Villanueva. His brother George Tarantini was a former college soccer coach.
Honours
editClub
editBoca Juniors
River Plate
International
editArgentina Youth
- Toulon Tournament: 1975
Argentina
Individual
edit- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1978
- AFA Team of All Time (published 2015)[6]
- World Soccer World XI: 1978
- IFFHS Argentina All Times Dream Team (Team B): 2021[7]
References
edit- ^ "Boca Juniors 0–0 Cruzeiro – aet 5–4 pen". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Prepared and maintained by John Beuker and Pablo Ciullini for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
Copa Libertadores de América 1977
- ^ (in Spanish) El DT del Proceso
- ^ "Boca Juniors 1–0 River Plate". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Prepared and maintained by Pablo Ciullini and Osvaldo José Gorgazzi for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
Campeonato Nacional 1976 (National Championship)
- ^ "River Plate won the Metropolitano (20th title)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Prepared and maintained by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 31 December 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
Campeonato Metropolitano 1980 (1980 Argentine Primera División)
- ^ "Ferro Carril Oeste (BA) 0–1 River Plate. Champion: Club Atlético River Plate". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Prepared and maintained by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 15 October 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
Campeonato Nacional 1981 (1981 Argentine Primera División)
- ^ "La Selección de Todos los Tiempos" [The Team of All Time] (in Spanish). Argentine Football Association. 4 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "IFFHS ALL TIME ARGENTINA MEN'S DREAM TEAM". 26 August 2021.
External links
edit- Alberto Tarantini – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Alberto Tarantini at National-Football-Teams.com
- Tarantini at Sporting Heroes
- "Futbol Factory profile" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- Top Ten South America Player of the Year 1982