Jorge Valdano

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Jorge Valdano

Valdano in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Jorge Alberto Francisco Valdano Castellanos
Date of birth	(1955-10-04) 4 October 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth	Las Parejas, Argentina
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1973–1975	Newell's Old Boys	46	(11)
1975–1979	Alavés	105	(20)
1979–1984	Real Zaragoza	143	(46)
1984–1987	Real Madrid	85	(40)
Total		379	(117)
International career
1975–1990	Argentina	23	(7)
Managerial career
1991–1992	Real Madrid (youth)
1992–1994	Tenerife
1994–1996	Real Madrid
1996–1997	Valencia
Medal record Men's football Representing  Argentina FIFA World Cup Winner 1986 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jorge Alberto Francisco Valdano Castellanos (born 4 October 1955) is an Argentine former football player, coach, and the former general manager of Real Madrid. He is currently working as a commentator for beIN Sports. Nicknamed "The Philosopher of Football",^[1] he played as a forward.

With the Argentina national team, Valdano took part at the 1975 Copa América as well as the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, the latter of which Argentina won. He had a major influence in the 1986 win, scoring four goals in the tournament, including Argentina's second goal against West Germany in the final. In total, he earned 23 caps for his nation between 1975 and 1990, scoring seven goals.

Although he initially played for Newell's Old Boys, Alavés and Real Zaragoza, his most successful period at club level was at Real Madrid, where he won La Liga twice, the Copa de la Liga and two UEFA Cups. As a manager, he coached Spanish sides Tenerife, Real Madrid and Valencia. Considered a benchmark for the way he addressed various football clubs, Valdano participated in 2013 at the World Leadership Forum and in the World Business Forum in Mexico City, where he associated the world of sports and business behind it, where he listed the 11 powers of leadership, based on his last book.

Valdano started playing when he was 16 years old for Rosario's club Newell's Old Boys, where he also started playing professionally, as well as with the Argentina national football team, in 1972.

In 1975, he was transferred to Alavés of the Spanish Segunda División, where he played until 1979. In that year, he moved to Real Zaragoza of the Primera División, and then to Real Madrid in 1984, playing with the Quinta del Buitre. He helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1985 and 1986, scoring once in the 1985 final and twice in the 1986 final.

Stricken by hepatitis, he decided to retire in 1988 and became a sports commentator.

Valdano played 23 times for the Argentina national team between 1975 and 1990, scoring seven goals, four of them in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, including one against West Germany in the final, which Argentina went on to win. Other than the 1986 triumph, he also took part in the 1975 Copa América and the 1982 World Cup, but missed most of the latter tournament after being injured in Argentina's second game, against Hungary.

Valdano began his management career as the Real Madrid youth team coach. In April 1992, just before the end of the 1991–92 season, he became head coach of Tenerife, replacing fellow Argentinian Jorge Solari.^[2] He helped Tenerife avoid relegation at the end of 1991–92, and then the following season helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup. He also twice led Tenerife to final day victories that denied his former club Real Madrid winning the La Liga title (Barcelona winning it instead on both occasions).^[3] He then returned to Real Madrid in 1994, now as a coach, and led them to the 1994–95 Liga title.

He finally coached Valencia in 1996–97 before becoming Real Madrid's sporting director until his resignation in June 2005. In June 2009, he again returned to Real Madrid as director general and presidential aide. He was sacked from the position on 25 May 2011, however, after his relationship with the coaching staff, particularly head coach José Mourinho, had deteriorated.

Valdano wrote the book Sueños de fútbol ("Dreams of football") and edited the book Cuentos de fútbol ("Football short stories") by diverse authors.

Real Madrid's former captain Raúl named his first-born son in honour of Valdano.^[4]

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valdano goal.

List of international goals scored by Jorge Valdano

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	18 July 1975	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Uruguay	–	3–2	Friendly	[7]
2				–
3	16 June 1985	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Colombia	1–0	1–0	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification	[8]
4	2 June 1986	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, Mexico	South Korea	1–0	3–1	1986 FIFA World Cup	[9]
5				3–0
6	10 June 1986	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, Mexico	Bulgaria	1–0	2–0	1986 FIFA World Cup	[10]
7	29 June 1986	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	West Germany	2–0	3–2	1986 FIFA World Cup	[11]

Newell's Old Boys

• Argentine Primera División: 1974

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1985–86, 1986–87
• Copa de la Liga: 1985
• UEFA Cup: 1984–85, 1985–86

Argentina Youth

• Toulon Tournament: 1975

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup: 1986

Awards

• Copa del Rey Top Scorer: 1981-82
• La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 1985–86

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1994–95

• Martin, Carmelo (1996). Valdano: Sueños de fútbol [Valdano: Football Dreams] (in Spanish). p. 179. ISBN 84-03-59703-7.
• Valdano, Jorge. Cuentos de fútbol [Football Tales] (in Spanish).
• Valdano, Jorge. Cuentos de fútbol II [Football Tales II] (in Spanish).
• Valdano, Jorge. Los cuadernos de Valdano [Valdano's Notebooks] (in Spanish).
• Valdano, Jorge. El miedo escénico y otras hierbas (in Spanish).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jorge Valdano.

• Jorge Valdano – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Jorge Valdano at National-Football-Teams.com
• Q & A with Valdano at BBC Sport