Oscar Ruggeri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri (born January 26, 1962 in Corral de Bustos, Argentina) is a former football player. Nicknamed "El Cabezon" ("The Big-Headed One"), Ruggeri is one of the most successful defenders ever to come out of Argentina.

Ruggeri started his career at Boca Juniors, playing with Diego Maradona, with whom he won a league title in 1981. In 1985 he moved to rivals River Plate, where he won the Libertadores Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and another league title in 1986. In 1988 he left for Europe where he played for Spanish clubs Logroñes and Real Madrid, where he won yet another league championship. He also played for Vélez Sársfield, Ancona in Italy, América in Mexico, San Lorenzo and Lanús, where he ended his career.

During his career he represented his country in three World Cups, captaining Argentina in the final two games of the 1994 competition, after Diego Maradona was expelled from the tournament. Ruggeri was also a key piece in the Argentina teams that won the trophy in 1986 and lost the final to West-Germany in 1990. After losing to Romania in the 1994 tournament, Ruggeri retired from international football having played 97 international games, an Argentine record until it was surpassed by Diego Simeone.

After retirement he coached the following teams:

• CA San Lorenzo de Almagro (Argentina) (1998~2001)
• Chivas de Guadalajara (Mexico) (2001~2002)
• Tecos (Mexico) (2003)
• Independiente (Argentina) (2003)
• Elche CF (Spain) (2003~2004)
• Club América (Mexico) (2004)
• CA San Lorenzo de Almagro (Argentina) (2006)

[edit] Club history

Season	Club	Games	Goals
1980	Boca Juniors	21	2
1981	Boca Juniors	31	1
1982	Boca Juniors	43	3
1983	Boca Juniors	19	1
1984	Boca Juniors	28	1
1985	Boca Juniors	13	1
1985~86	River Plate	35	1
1986~87	River Plate	18	1
1987~88	River Plate	28	2
1988~89	Logroñes	34	1
1989~90	Real Madrid	31	2
1990~91	Vélez Sársfield	31	1
1991~92	Vélez Sársfield	24	4
1992	Ancona	7	1
1992~93	América	27	4
1994	San Lorenzo	22	1
1995	San Lorenzo	35	3
1996	San Lorenzo	27	5
1997	San Lorenzo	17	1
1997	Lanús	13	2

[edit] Titles (as player)

• World Cup 1986, with Argentina
• 2 Copas América 1991 and 1993, with Argentina
• Copa Libertadores de América 1986, with River Plate
• Intercontinental Cup 1986 with River Plate
• Spanish Liga 1990, with Real Madrid
• 3 Argentine leagues 1981 Metropolitano with Boca Juniors; 1985/86 with River Plate; 1995 Clausura with San Lorenzo

Preceded by Raúl Vicente Amarilla

South American Footballer of the Year 1991

Succeeded by Raí

[edit] External links

• Ruggeri's Player statistics
• sports Illustrated on Ruggeri
• Argentine Football Association (AFA)

	Argentina squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup
1 Goycochea | 2 Vázquez | 3 Chamot | 4 Sensini | 5 Redondo | 6 Ruggeri | 7 Caniggia | 8 Basualdo | 9 Batistuta | 10 Maradona | 11 Medina Bello | 12 Islas | 13 Cáceres | 14 Simeone | 15 Borelli | 16 Díaz | 17 Ortega | 18 Pérez | 19 Balbo | 20 Rodríguez | 21 Mancuso | 22 Scoponi | Coach: Basile

	Argentina squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup Runners-up
1 Pumpido (Comizzo) | 2 Batista | 3 Balbo | 4 Basualdo | 5 Bauza | 6 Calderón | 7 Burruchaga | 8 Caniggia | 9 Dezotti | 10 Maradona | 11 Fabbri | 12 Goycochea | 13 Lorenzo | 14 Giusti | 15 Monzón | 16 Olarticoechea | 17 Sensini | 18 Serrizuela | 19 Ruggeri | 20 Simón | 21 Troglio | 22 Cancelarich | Coach: Bilardo

	Argentina squad - 1986 FIFA World Cup Champions (2nd Title)
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