Helenio Herrera

Lore & Background

Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to immigrant parents from Spain. In 1920, his family left Argentina for Casablanca, in what was then French Morocco. In Casablanca, Herrera started his career as a footballer. Playing as a central defender, in 1932 he earned a transfer from RC Casablanca to CASG in Paris. Before World War II, he played for Stade Français, FCO Charleville (where he was called up for the France national team twice), and Excelsior Roubaix. During the war, he played for Red Star Paris, Stade Français, EF Paris-Capitale and Puteaux, where he started his managing career in 1944 as a player-manager, before retiring from playing in 1945. He did not win any notable silverware as a player.

Reader's Guide

Herrera's managerial career began at Puteaux. He then rejoined Stade Français, moved to Spain with Real Valladolid, Atlético Madrid (winning La Liga in 1950 and 1951), Málaga, Deportivo de La Coruña and Sevilla, then to Portugal with Belenenses. He managed Barcelona, winning various titles including La Liga twice. He left Barcelona in 1960 and signed with Inter Milan, winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups. He also coached Spain (1959–1962) and Italy (1966–67). He later managed Roma, returning to Inter for 1973–74, then Rimini, and finally Barcelona in 1980 and 1981.

Did You Know?

• Herrera pioneered the use of psychological motivating skills, with phrases like 'he who doesn't give it all, gives nothing'.
• He introduced the ritiro, a pre-match remote country hotel retreat starting on Thursday for a Sunday game.
• His Inter side used a 5–3–2 formation and a modified Catenaccio system with attacking full-backs.
• He was the first manager to collect credit for his teams' performances, becoming a superstar in football.