Full Name
Daniel Alberto Passarella
Position
Centre Back
Born
25 May 1953
Country
Argentina
Clubs
Sarmiento (Argentina)
River Plate (Argentina)
Fiorentina (Italy)
Inter Milan (Italy)
River Plate (Argentina)
Professional Career
1971-1989
International Caps/Goals
70 caps/22 goals
Honours
6 Argentine league title (River Plate)
1978/1986 FIFA World Cup (Argentina)
Daniel Passarella was the only Argentine player to have won two World Cups, in 1978 and 1986 respectively. A born leader on the field, Passarella was a tough tackler who could also score goals at the opponents’ ends. His goalscoring record for a defender was incredible; his 134 goals in 451 competitive matches was once a record in football.
For Argentina, Passarella played in three World Cups from 1978 to 1986, lifting the coveted trophy as the captain in the first one. After his outstanding performances in his second World Cup, Passarella had a taste of overseas football at Serie A’s Fiorentina. His experience in the 1986 World Cup was a turbulent one, even though he won the trophy the second time. A series of conflicts with his teammates, especially star player Diego Maradona, saw his first team chances diminished. Passarella eventually retired from the national team after the World Cup.
Passarella had a successful career with River Plate. As a player, he won six league titles with the club. After he hanged up his boots in 1989, he was appointed as River Plate’s manager, where he won a further three titles in the early nineties.