Mauricio Pellegrino

Mauricio Pellegrino

Pellegrino as Valencia manager in 2012
Personal information
Full name Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna
Date of birth (1971-10-05) 5 October 1971
Place of birth Leones, Argentina
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Southampton (manager)
Youth career
1982–1987 CA Sarmiento
1987–1990 Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1999 Vélez Sarsfield 186 (11)
1998–1999 → Barcelona (loan) 23 (0)
1999–2005 Valencia 140 (5)
2005 Liverpool 12 (0)
2005–2006 Alavés 13 (0)
Total 374 (16)
National team
1993 Argentina U20 2 (0)
1997 Argentina 3 (0)
Teams managed
2012 Valencia
2013–2015 Estudiantes
2015–2016 Independiente
2016–2017 Alavés
2017– Southampton
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna (born 5 October 1971) is a retired Argentinian footballer who played as a central defender, and the current manager of English club Southampton.

After nearly one decade with Vélez Sarsfield, he spent the vast majority of his remaining career in Spain, amassing La Liga totals of 176 games and five goals over the course of eight seasons for three clubs, notably Valencia with which he won three titles (he won nine while in Argentina). He also had a six-month stint with Liverpool.

Pellegrino appeared with Argentina at the 1997 Copa América. After retiring, he embarked on a managerial career.

Playing career

Club

Early years

Born in Leones, Córdoba, Pellegrino played for Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield during a large portion of the 90's, as the Buenos Aires-based club experienced its golden age, winning four Primeira División championships and the 1994 Intercontinental and Libertadores Cups.

He had his first experience abroad in 1998–99, joining Louis van Gaal's FC Barcelona on loan.[1] He made his La Liga debut on 12 September 1998 in a 1–0 home win against CF Extremadura,[2] and would be used regularly during the campaign, which ended with league conquest.[3]

Valencia

Pellegrino had his best years with another Spanish side, Valencia CF, partnering countryman Roberto Ayala in the heart of the back-four while helping them to two league titles during his tenure,[4] with the addition of the 2003–04 edition of the UEFA Cup.[5]

Arguably his worst moment occurred during the 2000–01 final of the UEFA Champions League as he missed the last penalty shootout attempt against FC Bayern Munich (1–1 after 120 minutes)[6]– he also played in the previous season's decisive match, which also ended in defeat, against Real Madrid (0–3).[7] Overall though, in his six years at the Mestalla Stadium, he was a very important defensive unit, and amassed 213 official appearances for the Che.

Liverpool / Retirement

In early January 2005, after having been frozen out by Claudio Ranieri,[8] Pellegrino joined former Valencia boss Rafael Benítez at Liverpool on a free transfer, signing a six-month contract[9]– this move made him the first Argentine player in the history of the club. He played 12 times for the Reds in the Premier League – 13 overall – but his performances were not enough to secure a longer contract, and he was released by the club at the end of the season.

Afterwards, Pellegrino returned to Spain, having an unassuming stint with Deportivo Alavés (less than half of the matches played, first division relegation).[10]

International

Pellegrino earned three caps for Argentina, all during 1997. He was picked for the squad at that year's Copa América and made his debut in the continental tournament against Ecuador in the group stage.[11]

Coaching career

Pellegrino as a coach of Southampton in 2017.

After retiring in June 2006, Pellegrino stayed connected with Valencia, coaching its Cadete-B (youth team). Two years later he decided to return to Liverpool, who still had Benítez in charge, as first-team coach,[12] a position in which he remained until the middle of 2010 as the pair moved to Inter Milan.[13]

In December 2010, as Benítez resigned from his post, Pellegrino was also dismissed.[14] On 7 May 2012 he was appointed at former club Valencia, signing for two years as a replacement for Unai Emery who left at the end of the season.[15]

On 1 December 2012, following a 2–5 home loss against Real Sociedad which left the side in 12th place, Pellegrino was relieved of his duties.[16] He subsequently returned to his country, signing with Estudiantes de La Plata.

On 14 April 2015, Pellegrino was sacked by president Juan Sebastián Verón.[17] In June, he was appointed at fellow league team Club Atlético Independiente.[18]

Pellegrino returned to Alavés on 26 June 2016, being named José Bordalás's successor as the team had just been promoted to the top flight.[19] In his first season he qualified the team for the final of the Copa del Rey for the first time ever, after a 1–0 aggregate defeat of Celta de Vigo;[20] in the decisive match, played in Madrid, they lost 1–3 to Barcelona.[21]

On 23 June 2017, Pellegrino was appointed first-team manager of Southampton on a three-year contract.[22][23]

Managerial statistics

As of 12 August 2017[24]
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Valencia[25] Spain 4 June 2012 1 December 2012 21 10 4 7 047.62
Estudiantes Argentina 5 April 2013 14 April 2015 95 39 30 26 041.05
Independiente Argentina 4 June 2015 10 May 2016 41 21 13 7 051.22
Alavés[26] Spain 26 June 2016 29 May 2017 47 18 17 12 038.30
Southampton England 23 June 2017 Present 1 0 1 0 000.00
Career total 205 88 65 52 042.93

Honours

Player

Vélez Sarsfield
Barcelona
Valencia

Manager

Alavés

References

  1. ↑ "El Barcelona ficha a Kluivert y a Pellegrino contrarreloj" [Barcelona signs Kluivert and Pellegrino in the nick of time]. El País (in Spanish). 29 August 1998. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Un Barça muy justito" [Par-for-course Barça]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 13 September 1998. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Pellegrino: "A Mourinho lo tuve como ayudante de Van Gaal, es un buen tipo"" [Pellegrino: "I had Mourinho as Van Gaal's assistant, he is a good guy"]. El Gráfico (in Spanish). 2 February 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Defensas: los muros históricos de la Liga" [Defenders: the League's historic walls] (in Spanish). Sphera Sports. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Valencia 2–0 Marseille". BBC Sport. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Bayern crowned European champions". BBC Sport. 23 May 2001. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". The Guardian. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "Ranieri se guarda la munición" [Ranieri saves ammo]. El País (in Spanish). 24 October 2004. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Liverpool seal Pellegrino signing; BBC Sport, 5 January 2005
  10. ↑ "Alaves sign defender Pellegrino". BBC Sport. 17 June 2005. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Copa América 1997". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Pellegrino returns as Reds coach". BBC Sport. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  13. ↑ "E' arrivata l'Inter di Benitez" [Benitez's Inter is here]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 20 September 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Inter Milan sack manager Rafael Benitez". BBC Sport. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  15. ↑ Valencia appoint Pellegrino; ESPN Soccernet, 7 May 2012
  16. ↑ "Pellegrino sacked by Valencia". ESPN Soccernet. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "Estudiantes sack Pellegrino after six matches without win". Daily Mail. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Pese a la resistencia de los hinchas, Mauricio Pellegrino es el nuevo DT de Independiente" [In spite of resistance from fans, Mauricio Pellegrino is new Independiente HC]. La Nación (in Spanish). 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Mauricio Pellegrino, nuevo entrenador del Deportivo Alavés" [Mauricio Pellegrino, new manager of Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "La noche más gloriosa" [The most glorious night]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Barcelona 3–1 Alavés". BBC Sport. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Saints appoint Pellegrino". Southampton F.C. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  23. ↑ "Mauricio Pellegrino: Southampton appoint former Alaves boss as manager". BBC Sport. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Mauricio Pellegrino coach profile at Soccerway
  25. ↑ "Pellegrino: Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  26. ↑ "Pellegrino: Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  27. ↑ "Supercopa Libertadores 1996". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  28. ↑ "Recopa 1996". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  29. ↑ "Diez años de la primera Liga 'en color' del Valencia" [Tenth anniversary of Valencia's first League 'in colour']. Marca (in Spanish). 5 May 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Héctor Gómez (24 November 2012). "Qué ha sido de la plantilla del doblete" [What happened to the double squad] (in Spanish). Plaza Deportiva. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.