Juan Carlos "Toto" Lorenzo (Spanish pronunciation: [xwaŋ ˈkaɾlos loˈɾenso]; 27 October 1922 – 14 November 2001) was an Argentine football player and coach. He became an icon for Boca Juniors fans after he coached the club to its first two Copa Libertadores titles.

Juan Carlos Lorenzo
Lorenzo circa 1987
Personal information
Full name Juan Carlos Lorenzo
Date of birth (1922-10-27)27 October 1922
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date of death 14 November 2001(2001-11-14) (aged 79)
Place of death Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position(s) Midfielder, Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1940–1945 Chacarita Juniors 79 (20)
1945–1947 Boca Juniors 25 (8)
1947–1952 Sampdoria 77 (19)
1952–1953 Nancy
1954–1957 Atlético Madrid
1957–1958 Rayo Vallecano
1958 Mallorca
Managerial career
1958–1960 Mallorca
1961–1962 San Lorenzo
1962 Argentina
1962–1964 Lazio
1964–1965 Roma
1965 San Lorenzo
1966 Argentina
1966 River Plate
1967 Mallorca
1968–1971 Lazio
1972 San Lorenzo
1973–1974 Atlético Madrid
1975–1976 Santa Fe
1976–1979 Boca Juniors
1980 Racing Club
1981 Argentinos Juniors
1981–1982 San Lorenzo
1982 Atlante
1982–1983 Vélez Sársfield
1983 Atlanta
1984 Independiente
1984–1985 Lazio
1985 San Lorenzo
1987 Boca Juniors
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

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In his teens, Lorenzo played for Chacarita Juniors, and made his professional debut in 1940. He was transferred to Boca Juniors in 1945, and after two years he joined Italian side Sampdoria team, where he remained until 1952. His next clubs would be now-defunct French club Nancy, and Atlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca, where in 1958 he was coach and player. He then retired from playing, but remained as a coach.

Lorenzo would be the coach that helped Mallorca to promote to Primera División for the first time in 1960.[1][2]

Influenced by Argentine-Italian Helenio Herrera and riding the wave of his success in Spain, Lorenzo coached Argentina's San Lorenzo in 1961, and coached the Argentina national team in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Back to Europe, he coached Lazio to Italian first division and coached AS Roma in 1964. After coaching the Argentine team again for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he would return to Mallorca, then moving on to Lazio, before winning his first Argentine title (of a total of two) with San Lorenzo in 1972.[3]

 
Lorenzo as coach of Boca Juniors in 1987, his second tenure on the club

In 1973, Lorenzo went to Atlético Madrid, who went on to win the league title and lose the 1974 UEFA Champions League final to Bayern Munich. Back in Argentina, he coached recently promoted Santa Fe in 1975.[4] The next year, he returned to Boca Juniors amid great pressure (rivals River Plate had just won back-to-back titles), and started one of the most successful periods in the history of the club. In his four-year tenure, Lorenzo and Boca took two local and three international titles, including the 1977 Intercontinental Cup (played in 1978).

Lorenzo's Boca was anchored by goalkeeper Hugo Gatti, a longtime Boca fan who fulfilled his dream of playing for Boca, and went on to become the player with most appearances in Argentine football history. In the defense, Vicente Pernía in the right and Alberto Tarantini in the left complemented centrals Francisco Sá and Roberto Mouzo. In the center field, reinforcements such as Jorge Ribolzi and Mario Zanabria played alongside veteran Boca players like Jorge Chino Benítez and Rubén Suñé. The attacking line was based on the speed of Ernesto Mastrángelo and Luis Darío Felman.[5]

After that cycle, Lorenzo coached a number of different clubs with less success, including Racing Club, Argentinos Juniors, San Lorenzo, Vélez Sársfield, Atlanta and Lazio, before returning to Boca Juniors in 1987. But his second stint with Boca was brief, and Lorenzo finally retired from coaching.[6]

Honours

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Player

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Chacarita Juniors

Boca Juniors

Nancy

Atlético Madrid

Manager

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Mallorca

Roma

River Plate

Lazio

San Lorenzo

Atlético Madrid

Boca Juniors

Atlanta

References

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  1. ^ "Entrenadores míticos: Juan Carlos 'Toto' Lorenzo" Archived 3 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine by Gonzalo Mazarrasa on Club Mallorca website
  2. ^ "Muere Lorenzo, el primer entrenador que llevó al Mallorca a Primera División", El Mundo, 15 November 2001
  3. ^ "Aquel templo del fútbol en Boedo" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, by Pedro Uzquiza, Clarín, 2 December 1999
  4. ^ "La era del 'Toto'" Archived 12 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine on Tatengues website
  5. ^ "Lorenzo's Biography Informe Xeneize". Archived from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2006.
  6. ^ "Las mil y una del Toto Lorenzo" Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Clarín, 27 October 1996