Marcelo Gallardo

Lore & Background

Born in Parque San Martín in the Merlo Partido in the Greater Buenos Aires area to construction worker Máximo Gallardo and nursing home employee Ana María (née Maidana), Gallardo began playing football at about age 10 in the local Once Colegiales and Nahuel clubs. After receiving offers from several First Division teams, he landed a trial at River Plate and joined as a midfielder in 1988. Gallardo made his professional debut at age 17 for the club during the 1992–93 Argentinian Torneo de Clausura in a 2–0 win against Newell's Old Boys.

The team then won the 1993–94 Torneo de Apertura. Gallardo won a series of national tournaments with the team during the next few seasons (including the 1994, 1996 and 1997 Torneo de Apertura and the 1997 Torneo de Clausura), and became a starting midfielder by 1996. He received his first international trophy (the Copa Libertadores) that year, as River Plate defeated América de Cali 2–1 in the final series. Starting both matches on the bench, Gallardo took the field in the second half.

River Plate lost the Intercontinental Cup 0–1 to Juventus at Tokyo's National Stadium several months later. Gallardo was scouted by European teams during the late 1990s and signed with France's Ligue 1 Monaco, bringing his initial spell with River Plate to an end with the 1998–99 season. He had played 109 league games with the club and scored 17 goals.

Reader's Guide

Gallardo signed a five-year contract with Monaco in 1999. He made his European debut on the opening day of the 1999–2000 season in a 2–2 tie against Saint-Étienne, and scored his first goal for the team on 12 September in a 1–2 away loss to Rennes. Despite an ankle injury before the season, Gallardo quickly adapted to French football and partnered with Ludovic Giuly in midfield and attackers Marco Simone and David Trezeguet. AS Monaco won the Première Division, and Gallardo was selected French League Footballer of the Year with eight goals in 28 matches.

Coach Didier Deschamps benched him midway through the 2000–01 season, and their relationship remained tense until Gallardo left the club at the end of the 2003–04 season with Christian Panucci and Marco Simone. He scored 23 goals in 126 matches in four years with Monaco, winning the Coupe de la Ligue during his final season. Gallardo returned to River Plate in 2004 and was named squad captain. The team won the Torneo de Clausura, his last championship win as a River Plate player, soon after his return.

Gallardo played a key scoring role in the 1–1 home tie against Atlético de Rafaela, which clinched the championship over long-standing rivals Boca Juniors. That year, the team lost to Boca Juniors in the semifinals of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The series was tied 2–2; Boca Juniors won in the penalty shootout. After a physical encounter with Raúl Alfredo Cascini in the first-leg match, both players were given the red card.

More players were involved in the fight, in which Gallardo scratched Roberto Abbondanzieri's face; it was one of his professional career's darkest moments. Amid institutional and performance problems in River Plate and a bad streak since his return to the club (including ten red cards in 256 matches), Gallardo began considering offers to return to the French league. Parisian club Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille were interested in him, and he chose the former.

PSG had a poor season, nearly relegated to the second division and eliminated from the UEFA Cup. After one season with the club, scoring two goals in 13 matches, Gallardo terminated his two-year contract to move to Major League Soccer in the United States. On 29 January 2008, Gallardo was presented as the newest member of D.C. United. With a salary of $1.87 million, Gallardo was the highest-paid player in D.C.

Did You Know?

• He scored 13 goals in 44 appearances for the Argentina national team.
• Gallardo's first managerial position was with Nacional de Montevideo, whom he led to defend their 2010–11 championship in the 2011–12 season.