José María Minella

José María Minella

180px Minella playing for River Plate in 1941.
Personal information
Date of birth	August 9, 1909
Place of birth	Mar del Plata, Argentina
Date of death	August 13, 1981
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Independiente (Mar del Plata)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1928-1934	Gimnasia La Plata
1935-1942	River Plate
1942-1943	Peñarol
1944	Green Cross
International career
1933-1941	Argentina	24	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José María Minella (Mar del Plata, 1909 - 1981) was a former Argentine footballer and manager. He played for and managed the Argentina national team.

Club career

Minella started playing at local club Independiente de Mar del Plata. On 23 August 1925, he was part of the local league team that achieved a 1-0 win over a team made of the battleship HMS Repulse´s crewmembers during the Prince of Wales visit to Argentina. In 1928 he was signed by Gimnasia La Plata who won the amateur Argentine championship in 1929. He played in the team nicknamed El Expreso (The express) that nearly won the championship in 1933.

In 1935 he moved to River Plate where he was part of three championship winning teams in 1936, 1937 and 1941.

Towards the end of his playing career he played in Uruguay with Peñarol and in Chile with Green Cross.

International career

Minella made his international debut in 1933, he played three times in the Copa América, in 1935, 1937 and 1941. Argentina won the 1937 and 1941 editions. He played a total of 24 games for his country netting one goal.

Managerial career

Minella took over as manager of River Plate in 1945, he led the team through one of the most successful eras in their history. Between 1952 and 1957 they won five championships in six years, including the club's first treble in the professional era (1955, 1956 & 1957). He also won the Copa Aldao in 1947.

Minella has a spell as manager of the Argentina national team between 1964 and 1965, he returned as caretaker manager for one game in 1968. As national coach, he won the Taça das Nações played in Brazil in 1964.

Legacy

In preparation for the 1978 FIFA World Cup a football stadium was built in Mar del Plata and named Estadio José María Minella after his death in 1981 to honour Mar del Plata's most significant football talent.

Titles

As a player

Club Titles

Season	Team	Title
1929	Gimnasia La Plata	Argentine championship
1936	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1937	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1937	River Plate	Copa Aldao
1941	River Plate	Primera División Argentina

National team titles

Season	Team	Title
1937	Argentina	Copa América
1941	Argentina	Copa América

Club titles

Season	Team	Title
1945	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1947	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1947	River Plate	Copa Aldao
1952	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1952	River Plate	Copa Ibarguren
1953	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1955	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1956	River Plate	Primera División Argentina
1957	River Plate	Primera División Argentina