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Guillermo Barros Schelotto

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo during a master lecture in 2014.
Personal information
Full name Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Date of birth (1973-05-04) 4 May 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth La Plata, Argentina
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward, attacking midfielder, winger
Youth career
–1985 For Ever La Plata[1]
1985–1991 Gimnasia La Plata
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1997 Gimnasia La Plata 184 (49)
1997–2007 Boca Juniors 300 (86)
2007–2010 Columbus Crew 102 (33)
2011 Gimnasia La Plata 20 (3)
Total 526 (145)
International career
1995–1999 Argentina 10 (0)
Managerial career
2012–2015 Lanús
2016 Palermo
2016–2018 Boca Juniors
2019–2020 LA Galaxy
2021–2023 Paraguay
Medal record
Representing  Argentina
Men's football
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡiˈʎeɾmo ˈβaros eskeˈloto]; born 4 May 1973) is an Argentine football manager and former forward who most recently was the manager of the Paraguay national team.[2]

Barros Schelotto played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División (six with Gimnasia La Plata and 10 with Boca Juniors). With these two teams, he won a total 17 official titles (one with Gimnasia and 16 with Boca). In 2007, Barros Schelotto left Boca Juniors for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, his first move outside his native country. The forward won one league championship and two Supporters' Shields with Columbus as well as two individual awards, before moving back to Gimnasia La Plata in 2011.

Playing career

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Club

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Argentina

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Born with a twin brother, Gustavo, Barros Schelotto was hence nicknamed El Mellizo ("the twin"). He started playing professionally at the end of 1991 with his hometown team Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, where he scored 45 goals in 181 matches in five seasons and in 1993 won the AFA Centenario Cup. On 14 September 1997 he transferred to Primera División Argentina powerhouse Boca Juniors, for whom he played for almost 10 years. He was considered an idol by Boca fans and in his later years at the club showed his experience whenever he stepped on the pitch. Barros Schelotto remains one of Boca's top scorers in international matches with 25 goals, with just one goal behind former teammate Martín Palermo.

In 1996, he was offered to play for River Plate, but after club icon Enzo Francescoli was not happy with the potential signing, the deal collapsed.[3] In mid-1997, Boca Juniors showed interest for him and his brother Gustavo. It was like that that Barros Schelotto twins arrived to Boca teaming up to a former rival: Martín Palermo, Gimnasia's archrival Estudiantes de La Plata former player. The three of them were repeatedly recommended to Boca by Diego Maradona, who was playing his last season for the Buenos Aires team, retiring on October the same year. Once in Boca, he made his debut as a substitute for Claudio Caniggia, scoring against Newell's Old Boys in a 2–1 victory.[3]

With Carlos Bianchi as Boca Juniors' coach, Barros Schelotto got his traditional 7 shirt and kept it until 2006–07 season. He and former rival Martin Palermo became a successful attacking duo, who highly contributed in the 1998–99 title-winning season. He missed the 2001 and 2003 clubs international achievements due to injuries. In 2003, he was a key piece in the winning Copa Libertadores side, with his peak performance at the Round of 16 match against Brazilian team Paysandú, where he scored a hat-trick and assisted Marcelo Delgado's goal. In the second half of 2003 he again suffered from injuries and could only play for 46 minutes in the Copa Intercontinental winning match against AC Milan, when he replaced Carlos Tevez. With Alfio Basile as Boca coach, his participation in the first team was gradually lowering. He even was out of some first team matches and had to play for the second team to maintain his performance level. He scored 87 goals in 302 games for Boca Juniors.

United States

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Barros Schelotto in 2007 at a Columbus Crew event

Close to the end of his contract with Boca in 2007, it was rumored that he would leave the club to join a team where he would get more playing time. On 19 April 2007 he announced he would sign a two-year contract with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.[4]

Barros Schelotto made his debut in the United States on 5 May, as a 75th-minute replacement, as the Crew lost the match against Kansas City Wizards 1–0. On 12 May 2007 he made his home debut in a game against Chivas USA. The game was tied 1–1, and Schelotto had the assist for the Crew goal. Barros Schelotto quickly became a team leader and fan favorite in Columbus, helping to turn their season around. In the 2007 season he played as an attacking midfielder and led the team with 11 assists, also adding 5 goals, in 22 games.[5]

Barros Schelotto had a strong MLS season in 2008, being chosen Player of the week four times, Player of the month once, and recording 19 assists and 7 goals during the regular season. He was awarded the Major League Soccer MVP on 20 November 2008.[6] Barros Schelotto capped off his 2008 MLS campaign with an MVP performance in the 2008 MLS Cup which Columbus won 3–1 against New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center on 23 November 2008, behind Barros Schelotto's 3 assists.[7] For his performance in the 2008 MLS season in which he displayed his leadership, vision, passing, scoring and positioning; Barros Schelotto was named Sports Illustrated Latino's Sportsman of the Year[8] He became the Crew's first ever Designated Player on 2 December 2008.[9]

“The world seemingly slows down for him and he sees the ball that nobody was looking for. In tight spaces, people tend to rush, but Guillermo slowed down. Everything became clearer for him, whereas for everyone else it would become more hectic. That’s the difference between superstars and the rest of us.”

—Alejandro Moreno, Columbus Crew teammate[10]

During the 2009 season, Barros Schelotto transitioned to a more advanced role as a second striker—scoring 12 goals while assisting just three times in 24 games.[11]

On 16 November 2010, Barros Schelotto's option was not picked up by the team, along with several other veterans of the club, effectively ending his career in Columbus.[12] Barros Schelotto elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft and became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft, while leaving Columbus as a club legend.[13][14]

Return to Argentina

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Barros Schelotto playing for Gimnasia y Esgrima in 2011

Barros Schelotto had decided to retire but on 13 January 2011, he went back on that decision and decided to see out his career with his childhood club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. He returned 14 years after leaving the club in 1997 to join Boca Juniors. Barros Schelotto declined to accept a wage from the club and as such he was contracted unpaid, "ad honorem".

Barros Schelotto's spell at the club lasted 6 months. In that time he played 17 matches, primarily as a winger, and scored 3 goals. His last goal came against Boca Juniors, this was not only his last goal for Gimnasia but also his 110th goal in the Primera Division. As a result of his contributions to the club and his playing abilities, Barros Schelotto is revered by the fans as an idol.[15]

International

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Barros Schelotto obtained ten senior caps for the Argentina national football team between 1995 and 1999, and also won the gold medal in the under-23 Panamerican Games in 1995.

Coaching career

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Following his retirement in 2011, he and fellow Argentine, Gino Padula, established SP Soccer Academy in Westerville, Ohio.[16]

Lanús

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In July 2012, Barros Schelotto took his first job as a manager, taking charge of Club Atlético Lanús replacing former manager Gabriel Schürrer.[17]

Palermo

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On 11 January 2016, Barros Schelotto was named as new coach of Italian side Palermo after his contract with Lanús had ended.[18] Due to bureaucratic issues related to his appointment as head coach, however, Palermo was forced a few days later to hire Giovanni Tedesco, who already had the required coaching badges, as new "official" head coach, with Schelotto working alongside him and sitting on the bench during league games as "team manager".[19] On 10 February 2016, Palermo confirmed Schelotto's resignation from his role at the club after UEFA refused to hand him a coaching badge.[20]

Boca Juniors

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On 1 March 2016, Barros Schelotto signed with his former club Boca Juniors.

With Barros Schelotto at the helm, Boca reached the semifinals of the 2016 Copa Libertadores, and won the 2016–17 Argentine Primera División despite many issues, including club legend Carlos Tevez's exit with a multi-million-dollar deal to Shanghai Shenhua. Barros Schelotto's Boca also won the 2017–18 Argentine Primera División.

Despite the back-to-back league titles, the club lost the 2018 Copa Libertadores finals against rivals River Plate, and a few days later Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici decided not to renovate his contract for 2019.[21]

LA Galaxy

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On 2 January 2019, MLS side LA Galaxy named Barros Schelotto as their new head coach.[22] On 29 October 2020, Barros Schelotto was relieved of his duties as head coach.[23]

Paraguay national team

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On 20 October 2021, Paraguayan Football Association named Barros Schelotto as their new manager of the Paraguay national football team.[24] On 16 September 2023, Barros Schelotto was relieved of his duties as manager, four days after a 1–0 loss in a South America's World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela.[25]

Personal life

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Barros Schelotto's twin brother, Gustavo, was a teammate of his at Gimnasia La Plata, and also briefly at Boca Juniors. Since 2012, they work together with Guillermo as head coach and Gustavo as assistant coach. Barros Schelotto and his wife, Matilde, have three young sons, Máximo, Nicolás, and Santiago.[26] His nephews Juan, Salvador, and Tomás Cataldi and Bautista Barros Schelotto are footballers. His father, Hugo Barros Schelotto, was one of Gimnasia y Esgrima's presidents in the 1980s.[27][28][29]

On July 7, 2013, he was immortalized with a statue located in the Museo de la Pasión Boquense [es], a venue that also features statues of figures such as Diego Maradona, Juan Román Riquelme, and Martín Palermo.[30]

Career statistics

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Coaching statistics

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As of match played 12 September 2023.
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Lanús Argentina 10 July 2012 10 December 2015 167 75 51 41 221 149 +72 044.91
Palermo Italy 11 January 2016 10 February 2016 4 1 2 1 7 6 +1 025.00
Boca Juniors Argentina 1 March 2016 31 December 2018 117 63 31 23 204 98 +106 053.85
LA Galaxy United States 2 January 2019 29 October 2020 62 23 8 31 97 123 −26 037.10
Paraguay Paraguay 20 October 2021 16 September 2023 17 4 4 9 12 22 −10 023.53
Total 367 166 96 105 541 398 +143 045.23

Honours

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Player

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Argentina

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Boca Juniors

Columbus Crew

Individual

Manager

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Lanús

Boca Juniors

References

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  1. ^ https://www.elgrafico.com.ar/articulo/las-cronicas-de-el-grafico/2983/2010-guillermo-100-x-100
  2. ^ "Barros Schelotto, nuevo técnico de la selección de Paraguay". Olé. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b Gallwey, Michael (18 February 2021). "Guillermo y Gustavo: Boca Juniors's eternal Barros Schelotto twins". These Football Times. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Hasta pronto (See you soon)" (in Spanish). Diario Olé. 19 April 2007. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  5. ^ Mazur, Martín (28 November 2008). "SE USA SER CAMPEON". El Gráfico (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  6. ^ Barros Schelotto es el nuevo MVP de la MLS [permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ a b Sirk, Steve (13 May 2014). "Circle of Honor 2014 candidate spotlight: Guillermo Barros Schelotto". ColumbusCrew.com. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Guillermo Barros Schelotto is SI Latino's Sportsman of the Year - 2008 Sportsman of the Year - SI.com". CNN. 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  9. ^ "Schelotto returning to Crew in 2009". SBI. 2 December 2008. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  10. ^ https://www.columbuscrew.com/news/circle-honor-2014-candidate-spotlight-guillermo-barros-schelotto
  11. ^ Mitchell, Shawn (7 May 2009). "Columbus feeling like home for Crew's Schelotto". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Crew Announces Roster Moves". MLS. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  13. ^ French, Scott (29 May 2018). "Crew SC legend Schelotto: I would love to coach in MLS in the future". mlssoccer. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  14. ^ Davis, Jason (27 November 2017). "Cup could put Higuain alongside Schelotto". ESPN.com. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  15. ^ Venancio, Rafael Duarte Oliveira (15 January 2011). "Guillermo Barros Schelotto é do Gimnasia La Plata". Futebol Portenho (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  16. ^ "Crew: Schelotto & Padula Soccer Academy". GateHouse, LLC. 16 June 2011. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Conferencia de Prensa: Presentación Guillermo Barros Schelotto" [Press Conference: Presentation (of) Guillermo Barros Schelotto] (in Spanish). Club Atlético Lanús. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  18. ^ "Guillermo y Palermo"
  19. ^ "COMUNICATO DELLA SOCIETA'" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  20. ^ "COMUNICATO DELLA SOCIETA'" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  21. ^ "Boca, Scheletto part ways after Copa Lib loss". ESPN.com. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  22. ^ "LA Galaxy name Guillermo Barros Schelotto new head coach | MLSSoccer.com". Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  23. ^ "LA Galaxy relieve Guillermo Barros Schelotto of duties as head coach". LA Galaxy. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Barros Schelotto, asumen el desafío albirrojo" (in Spanish). ABC Color. 20 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Paraguay remove Barros Schelotto after poor start to World Cup qualifiers". Reuters. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  26. ^ Columbus Crew profile Archived 28 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ "En Gimnasia se juega con el corazón". Diario Hoy. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  28. ^ "El sobrino de los mellizos continúa con la dinastía Barros Schelotto en el Lobo". 0221. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  29. ^ "Cataldi: pasado, presente y futuro albiazul". Inferiores Platenses. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  30. ^ "Boca inauguró estatua del Chapa Suñé". El Gráfico (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
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