Argentine footballer
Alberto Cesar 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
.
Career
[
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]
Born 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
,
Americo Gallego
, and others, with
Cesar 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 Cordoba
,
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
[
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]
Tarantini was married to fashion model Patricia
Pata
Villanueva. His brother
George Tarantini
is a former college soccer coach.
Honours
[
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]
Club
[
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]
Boca Juniors
River Plate
International
[
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]
Argentina Youth
Argentina
Individual
[
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]