Marcelo Trobbiani

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Marcelo Antonio Trobbiani (b. February 17, 1955 in Casilda, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and a former player.

An attacking midfielder, Trobbiani was one of the promising young stars to rise in the Boca Juniors team of the mid-1970s. He debuted with the national team when Omar Sivori drafted him for the "phantom squad" that had to play Bolivia for a ticket to the 1974 World Cup. Following the exit of Reinaldo Merlo, he wore the national colors—before Boca's then coach Rogelio Domínguez was aware of his existence.

Sometimes criticized for hogging the ball, to the point that fans called him calesita (merry-go-round), Trobbiani was excluded from the plans of Boca coach Juan Carlos Lorenzo; Trobbiani was sold to Spain together with fellow prospect Enzo Ferrero in 1976. Boca bought many players in the local market and started a major winning streak.

While playing for Spanish sides Elche and Real Zaragoza Trobbiani learned some European discipline. When he returned to play for Boca in 1981 alongside Diego Maradona, fans saw a much improved player.

In mid-1982, Trobbiani was transferred to Estudiantes de La Plata. Coach Carlos Bilardo made Trobbiani play as a deep lying centre-forward linking the strong midfield (Russo, Ponce and Sabella) to strikers Trama and Gottardi. The team won two back-to-back championships.

Before the World Cup in Mexico, Trobbiani was playing for Millonarios in Bogotá, When Bilardo drafted the team for the 1986 World Cup, Trobbiani was in the list of 22, but it was clear that he would mainly be used for tactical practice games. He worked tirelessly during the month-long stay in Mexico, and was rewarded with exactly two minutes of play, he came on in the 88th minute of the final match. His only touch of the ball was a back-heel pass.

This two minutes of football equalled the world record for the shortest world cup career set by Tunisia's Khemais Labidi in 1978.

Before retirement, Trobbiani showed his class at Chilean side Cobreloa, Ecuadorian side Barcelona SC and back in Argentina with Talleres de Córdoba

Trobbiani went on to coach several teams in South America, with little success so far. The last one was Universitario de Deportes from Peru, where he was sacked at the end of 2004.

	Argentina Squad - 1986 FIFA World Cup
1 Almirón | 2 Batista | 3 Bochini | 4 Borghi | 5 Brown | 6 Passarella | 7 Burruchaga | 8 Clausen | 9 Cuciuffo | 10 Maradona | 11 Valdano | 12 Enrique | 13 Garré | 14 Giusti | 15 Islas | 16 Olarticoechea | 17 Pasculli | 18 Pumpido | 19 Ruggeri | 20 Tapia | 21 Trobbiani | 22 Zelada | Coach Bilardo