Daniel Passarella

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Lore & Background

Passarella's career began at Sarmiento of Junín in 1971 before he moved to River Plate in 1973. Known for his aggressive style and aerial dominance despite standing only 1.73 m tall, he became a goal threat on indirect set-pieces, frequently scoring decisive headers. His leadership was legendary; during the 1978 World Cup, he was the first Argentine player to lift the trophy after Argentina's final victory. However, his relationship with coach Carlos Bilardo and captain Diego Maradona soured ahead of the 1986 tournament in Mexico. Suffering from enterocolitis, Passarella missed the entire event and never regained his spot, despite being part of the winning squad. His fierce competitiveness was noted by Dutch star Ruud Gullit, who described him as 'so intensely vicious, a real Argentinian killer'.

In Their Own Story

In the summer of 1982, following strong performances at the World Cup, Passarella joined Italian side Fiorentina, where he scored 11 goals in the 1985–86 season—a record for a defender at the time. He later moved to Internazionale, ending his Serie A career in 1988 before returning to River Plate until retirement. On the international stage, his contribution during the 1986 World Cup qualifiers was pivotal; he allowed teammate Ricardo Gareca to score in the final minutes against Peru, securing Argentina's qualification. Yet, illness and internal conflicts prevented him from playing a single minute in Mexico. His disciplinary stance as national team coach later caused controversy; he banned long hair, earrings, and homosexuals, leading to the exclusion of stars like Fernando Redondo and Claudio Caniggia during the 1998 World Cup campaign.

Reader's Guide

Passarella's impact extended beyond playing into management and administration. As a manager, he guided River Plate to three national championships (1989–90, 1991, 1993) and later coached Argentina during the 1998 World Cup. He also managed Uruguay, becoming its first foreign coach, though he left during the 2002 qualification process. His tenure as president of River Plate (elected December 2009) saw the club relegated for the first time in 110 years in 2011 amid fraud allegations. In recognition of his legacy, Pelé named him one of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004, and he was ranked 56th on FourFourTwo's list of the 100 all-time greatest players in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Passarella is the only Argentine player to be part of two FIFA World Cup-winning squads (1978 and 1986).
• Despite his height of just 1.73 m, he was an aerial threat who scored many goals with headers.
• He missed the entire 1986 World Cup due to enterocolitis and never regained his place in the team.
• His record as football's highest-scoring defender (134 goals) was eventually broken by Ronald Koeman.
• As Argentina coach, he famously banned long hair, earrings, and homosexuals from the national team.