Horacio Raúl "Pepa" Baldessari (born 21 November 1958 in
Córdoba) is a former
Argentine
Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
football
striker who played professionally in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru during the late 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. He also managed some clubs after his retirement, but currently works as a football analyst.
Club career
He began his career in 1975 with modest club
Sportivo Belgrano, but joined
Belgrano de Córdoba
Belgrano may refer to:
People
* Joaquín Belgrano (1773–1848), an Argentine patriot
* José Denis Belgrano (1844–1917), Spanish painter
* Joseph Belgrano (1762–1823), Argentine military officer and politician, brother of Manuel
* Manuel Bel ...
the following season. In 1978, he went abroad to play for Bolivian side
Blooming. Years later he would also play for
Oriente Petrolero,
Bolívar and
Destroyers. During his spell in the
Bolivian league, he scored a total of 161 goals, placing his name eight in the list of all-time topscorers. Even though Baldessari became a naturalized Bolivian, he was never considered as an option for the
national team. In 1988, he returned to Argentina and played for his beloved
Belgrano de Córdoba
Belgrano may refer to:
People
* Joaquín Belgrano (1773–1848), an Argentine patriot
* José Denis Belgrano (1844–1917), Spanish painter
* Joseph Belgrano (1762–1823), Argentine military officer and politician, brother of Manuel
* Manuel Bel ...
once again. By 1990, he transferred to Peruvian side
Deportivo Municipal before signing with popular team
Sporting Cristal the following year. At first he was heavily questioned by club fans and the media about his age; nonetheless, ''La Pepa'' proved them wrong and finished the season as the topscorer that year with 25 goals, and consequently helped Cristal win the 1991 Peruvian title. Baldessari always admitted having spent the best years of his career playing for the ''cerveceros'' because he received so many affections that made him feel like at home. After his retirement in 1993, Baldessari settled in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, and became a football analyst for several television and radio networks.
Club titles
Honours
References
Dos viejos conocidos y queridosat
echalaca.combr>
Raúl Horacio Baldessari: "La Pepa" remueve el pasadoat
ldeber.com.bobr>
Bolivian league topscorersat RSSSF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldessari, Horacio
1958 births
Living people
Footballers from Córdoba Province, Argentina
Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent
Men's association football forwards
Argentine men's footballers
Bolivian Primera División players
Peruvian Primera División players
Club Atlético Belgrano footballers
Racing de Córdoba footballers
Club Blooming players
Oriente Petrolero players
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Peru
Club Bolívar players
Club Destroyers players
Sporting Cristal footballers
Argentine expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Bolivia
Expatriate men's footballers in Peru
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Bolivia
Juan Aurich managers
León de Huánuco managers
Deportivo Municipal managers
Argentine football managers
Carlos A. Mannucci managers
20th-century Argentine sportsmen