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Luis Francisco Zubeldía (born 13 January 1981) is an Argentine
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
and former player. A former
midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
, Zubeldía's career was mainly associated to
Club Atlético Lanús Club Atlético Lanús () is an Argentina, Argentine sports club based in Lanús, a city of the Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1915, the club's main sports are association football, football and basketball. In both sports, Lanús plays in Arge ...
, where he played as a senior and managed the club in two different spells. He was known for being the youngest person to be in charge of an Argentine first division team.


Playing career


Club

Born in Santa Rosa,
La Pampa La Pampa () is a sparsely populated province of Argentina, located in the Pampas in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise San Luis, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza. History In ...
, Zubeldía started playing with hometown side General Belgrano, before being spotted by José Pékerman and being taken on a trial period for the Argentine youth sides. After attracting the interest of several clubs, he chose to join
Lanús Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, metropolitan area. The List of cities in Argentina, city has a populati ...
, as according to himself, "his school was near the club". Zubeldía made his first team debut for Lanús on 30 October 1998, in a 2–2 home draw against Independiente. He made 57 appearances, scoring 3 goals. In 2004, he retired from football at 23 years of age due to a
osteochondritis dissecans Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD or OD) is a joint disorder primarily of the subchondral bone in which cracks form in the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. OCD usually causes pain during and after sports. In later stages o ...
of his knee.


International

Zubeldía represented
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
at under-17 and under-20 levels. He played for the former in the
1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship The 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the seventh edition of the tournament, was held in the cities of Cairo, Ismailia, Alexandria, and Port Said in Egypt from 4 to 21 September 1997. Players born after 1 January 1980 could participate in this t ...
, and the latter in the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the
2001 South American U-20 Championship The 2001 South American U-20 Championship (Sudamericana sub-20) was a football competition contested by all ten U-20 national football teams of CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in Ecuador between 12 January and 4 February 2003, it was the 20th tim ...
.


Managing career


Lanús

After retiring, Zubeldía joined the staff of
Ramón Cabrero Ramón Cabrero Muñíz (Santander, Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria 7 November 1947 – 1 November 2017) was a Spanish - Argentina, Argentine football (soccer), footballer. He was the manager of Atlético Nacional in Colombia until April 5, 2010. ...
at his main club Lanús, as an assistant. In June 2008, he was announced as manager of the club in the place of Cabrero; at the age of 27, making him the youngest coach in the history of the
Argentine Primera División The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...
. After leading the team to fourth place in the 2008 Apertura Tournament and qualifying to the
2009 Copa Libertadores The 2009 Copa Libertadores de América (officially the 2009 Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons) was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament. The ...
, Lanús' Zubeldía ended the 2009 Clausura Tournament in third place. Under his technical leadership, Lanus finished the 2008–09 season with a total of 75 points, the best record in club's history so far. On 15 November 2010, Zubeldía resigned and was replaced by
Gabriel Schürrer Gabriel Francisco Schürrer Peralta (born in Rafaela16 August 1971) is an Argentine professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player. He spent the better part of his career in Spain, appearin ...
.


Barcelona SC

On 24 June 2011, Zubeldía moved abroad and took over Ecuadorian club
Barcelona SC Barcelona Sporting Club (), internationally known as Barcelona de Guayaquil, is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of fo ...
, signing an 18-month contract. On 8 April 2012, after a 1–1 tie against
LDU Quito Liga Deportiva Universitaria () is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their home games at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgad ...
, the president of Barcelona, Antonio Noboa, entered the dressing rooms, having a strong discussion with the young coach. Zubeldía then gave a press conference in the following day announcing his resignation from Barcelona, which stated: Zubeldía's replacement was his compatriot
Gustavo Costas Gustavo Adolfo Costas Makeira (born 28 February 1963) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He is the current head coach of Primera División club Racing Club. Costas' career is mainly linked to Rac ...
, which led Barcelona to the 2012 Serie A title after 15 years. Zubeldía was recognized for his role in putting together the team that won the championship.


Racing Club

On 15 April 2012, Zubeldía returned to his home country after being appointed manager of Racing Club, replacing
Alfio Basile Alfio "Coco" Basile (born 1 November 1943) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He played for Racing Club de Avellaneda and Huracán before becoming a manager. He coached many teams during his career, being most notable Racing Cl ...
. He led the club to the 2012 Copa Argentina Final, losing 2–1 to
Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
. Zubeldía provided the first team debuts of several youth players which would later establish themselves as regular starters, such as Ricardo Centurión,
Rodrigo De Paul Rodrigo Javier De Paul (; born 24 May 1994) is an Argentine professional football player who plays primarily as a central midfielder for club Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national team. Club career Racing Club Born in Sarandí, Greater ...
, Luis Fariña and
Luciano Vietto Luciano Darío Vietto (; born 5 December 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Racing Club. Club career Early career Vietto was born in the small town of Balnearia in the Province of Córdoba. He joined hi ...
. He led the club to a fifth place in the 2012 Torneo Inicial, and to a sixth position in the 2013 Torneo Final. On 25 August 2013, Zubeldía was sacked from Racing, after a poor start of the 2013–14 campaign.


LDU Quito

On 26 November 2013, Zubeldía returned to Ecuador to replace
Edgardo Bauza Edgardo Bauza (born 26 January 1958) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a defender. Before taking up management, he played over 300 games for Rosario Central. He also played for Independiente in Argentina, Atlét ...
at the helm of LDU Quito. On 20 December 2014, he renewed his contract with the club for a further year. In the 2015 season, Zubeldía led LDU to the first place in the First Stage, but left on 21 December of that year after losing the finals to Emelec.


Santos Laguna

On 28 November 2015, Zubeldía was announced at
Liga MX Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
side
Santos Laguna Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., simply known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club based in Torreón, Coahuila. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1983 as Club Santos I ...
as their manager for the 2016 Clausura tournament. He reached the 2016 CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with the club, being eliminated by
Club América Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América, is a professional association football, football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
on extra time. On 15 August 2016, after only two draws in the first five matches of the Apertura tournament, Zubeldía was dismissed.


Independiente Medellín

On 14 December 2016, Zubeldía switched teams and countries again, after taking over
Independiente Medellín Deportivo Independiente Medellín, also known as Independiente Medellín or DIM, is a Colombian professional football club (association football), football club based in Medellín that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their ...
of the
Categoría Primera A The Categoría Primera A (), commonly referred to as Liga BetPlay Dimayor due to Sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by online betting company BetPlay, is a professional association football league in Colombia and the highest level of the Colombian ...
. The following 6 June, after the club's elimination in the 2017 Apertura quarterfinals, he resigned.


Deportivo Alavés

On 16 June 2017, Zubeldía moved to Europe after being appointed manager of
Deportivo Alavés Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D. (; ''Sporting Alavés''), usually known as Alavés, is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Basque ...
of the Spanish
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
, signing a one-year deal. He was relieved from his duties on 17 September, after losing the first four matches of the campaign.


Cerro Porteño

On 3 February 2018, Zebeldía replaced Leonel Álvarez at the helm of
Paraguayan Primera División The División Profesional de la Paraguayan Football Association, Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (; "Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association"), also known as the Primera División (; "first division"), or due to sponsorship ...
side
Cerro Porteño Club Cerro Porteño is a professional Paraguayan Association football, football club, based in the neighbourhood of Obrero (Asunción), Obrero in Asunción. Founded in 1912, Cerro has won 34 Paraguayan Primera División, Primera División titles ...
. On 20 August, he was sacked and subsequently replaced by Fernando Jubero.


Return to Lanús

On 31 August 2018, Lanús president Nicolás Russo announced the return of Zubeldía as manager of the club, with the official announcement occurring on 3 September. He reached the 2020 Copa Sudamericana final with the club, but lost 3–0 to
Defensa y Justicia Club Social y Deportivo Defensa y Justicia, commonly known as Defensa y Justicia, is an Argentine football club from Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, established in 1935.
. On 2 December 2021, Zubeldía confirmed that he would leave Lanús at the end of the season.


Return to LDU Quito

On 22 April 2022, LDU confirmed the return of Zubeldía as manager of the club. He won his first professional title of his career on 28 October 2023, lifting the
2023 Copa Sudamericana The 2023 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana was the 22nd edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana (also referred to as the ''Copa Sudamericana''), South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. The final was played in Maldonado, ...
after a 1–1 draw (4–3 penalty win) against
Fortaleza Fortaleza ( ; ; ) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador, Bahia, Salvador in 2022 census with a population of slightly over 2.4 mi ...
. On 17 December 2023, Zubeldía's side won the 2023 Serie A after another penalty win, now over
Independiente del Valle Club de Alto Rendimiento Especializado Independiente del Valle, known simply as Independiente del Valle, is a professional football club based in Sangolquí Ecuador that currently plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A. Founded in 1958, the club plays ...
. Despite the club's attempts for a contract renewal, LDU's president confirmed his departure on 4 January 2024.


São Paulo

On 20 April 2024, Zubeldía was announced as head coach of
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (; English: "Big Brazilian" or "Great Brazilian"), the Série A or the Brazilian Série A (to distinguish it from the I ...
side
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, signing a contract until December 2025. On 16 June of the following year, he left by mutual consent.


Personal life

Zubeldía's older brothers Gustavo and
Juan ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philip ...
are also involved in football: the former worked with him at Lanús as a fitness coach, later working under the same capacity at several clubs, and the latter was also a footballer and a midfielder, later becoming a manager.


Career statistics


Club


Managerial


Honours


Manager

LDU Quito *
Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...
:
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
Ecuadorian Serie A The Liga Pro Ecuador Serie A, simply known as the Liga Pro or the Serie A (or the Ecuadorian Serie A to distinguish it from the Italian Serie A and the Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Série A), or as Liga Pro Ecuabet for sponsorship re ...
:
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zubeldia, Luis 1981 births Living people Footballers from Santa Rosa, La Pampa Argentine people of Basque descent Argentine men's footballers Argentina men's under-20 international footballers Argentina men's youth international footballers Men's association football midfielders Argentine Primera División players Club Atlético Lanús footballers Argentine football managers Club Atlético Lanús managers Barcelona S.C. managers L.D.U. Quito managers Independiente Medellín managers Deportivo Alavés managers Cerro Porteño managers São Paulo FC managers Argentine Primera División managers Liga MX managers Categoría Primera A managers La Liga managers Paraguayan Primera División managers Argentine expatriate football managers Campeonato Brasileiro Série A managers Expatriate football managers in Spain Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain Expatriate football managers in Brazil Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Brazil Copa Sudamericana winning managers 21st-century Argentine sportsmen