Mario Kempes
FullnameMario Alberto Kempes Chiodi
Birth date15 July 1954 (age 72)
Birth placeBell Ville, Argentina
Height1.84 m
PositionStriker, attacking midfielder
Youthyears 11961–1968
Youthclubs 1Club Atlético y Biblioteca Bell
Youthyears 21968–1969
Youthclubs 2Talleres
Youthyears 31969–1970
Youthclubs 3Instituto
Years 11970–1973
Clubs 1Instituto
Caps 113
Goals 111
Years 21973–1976
Clubs 2Rosario Central
Caps 2107
Goals 285
Years 31976–1981
Clubs 3Valencia
Caps 3142
Goals 395
Years 41981–1982
Clubs 4River Plate
Caps 429
Goals 415
Years 51982–1984
Clubs 5Valencia
Caps 542
Goals 521
Years 61984–1986
Clubs 6Hércules
Caps 638
Goals 610
Years 71986–1987
Clubs 7First Vienna
Caps 720
Goals 77
Years 81987–1990
Clubs 8St. Pölten
Caps 896
Goals 834
Years 91990–1992
Clubs 9Kremser SC
Caps 939
Goals 97
Years 101993–1994
Clubs 10Pelita Jaya
Caps 1018
Goals 1012
Years 111995
Clubs 11Fernández Vial
Caps 1111
Goals 115
Years 121996
Totalcaps555
Totalgoals302
Nationalyears 11973–1982
Nationalteam 1Argentina
Nationalcaps 143
Nationalgoals 120
Manageryears 11995–1996
Managerclubs 1Pelita Jaya
Manageryears 21996
Managerclubs 2Lushnja (player-manager)[1]
Manageryears 31997–1998
Managerclubs 3Mineros de Guayana
Manageryears 41999
Managerclubs 4The Strongest
Manageryears 52000
Managerclubs 5Blooming
Manageryears 62000–2001
Managerclubs 6Independiente Petrolero
Manageryears 72001–2002
Managerclubs 7Casarano
Manageryears 82002
Managerclubs 8San Fernando[2]

Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (ˈmaɾjo alˈβeɾto ˈkempes ˈtʃjoði, ˈkjɔːdi; born 15 July 1954) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker or attacking midfielder. A prolific goalscorer, he finished as La Liga's top goalscorer twice with Valencia where he amassed 116 goals in 184 league games. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.[3][4][5]

At international level, Kempes was the focal point of Argentina's 1978 World Cup win where he scored twice in the final and received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. He also won the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament, making him one of only three players to have won all three awards at a single World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962 and Paolo Rossi in 1982.

Kempes won South American Footballer of the Year, Onze d'Or European Footballer of the Year and World Cup Golden Ball in 1978. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.[6] Kempes was nicknamed El Toro and El Matador.

Club career

Kempes was born in Bell Ville, Córdoba. His father, Mario Quemp, was of German heritage. His mother, Teresa Chiodi, was Italian. At the age of seven he began playing with a junior team and at fourteen he joined the Talleres reserves.

Kempes' career started at local club Instituto, where he played alongside Osvaldo Ardiles before quickly moving on to Rosario Central, where he established himself as a remarkable goalscorer, scoring 85 goals in 105 matches, prompting Valencia to sign him. At Mestalla he would go on to win the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup as well as two consecutive Pichichis, scoring 24 and 28 goals in the 1976–77 and 1977–78 seasons. Famous as a hard-working forward, he used to strike from outside the penalty area with his surging runs towards goal and was not the traditional center-forward operating solely inside the box. Many defenders found difficulty handling his attacking style.

Before the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was the only foreign-based player on the list of coach César Luis Menotti's Argentina national team. When announcing the squad he had selected for the 1978 tournament, Menotti described him with these words: "He's strong, he's got skill, he creates spaces and he shoots hard. He's a player who can make a difference, and he can play in a centre-forward position."

Kempes had been the top scorer in La Liga the previous two seasons and was determined to show on home soil that he could deliver against the best on the sport's greatest stage. However, he had failed to get on the score-sheet in West Germany in 1974, at the age of 19, and after the first round group stage in 1978, his name was still missing among goalscorers in the tournament.

After leaving Valencia in 1984, Kempes spent two years at Hércules in nearby Alicante before spending six years at various Austrian clubs. His play declined in his 30s and he did not compete for top scorer honours in the Austrian top flight. He rounded off his career with stints at more obscure clubs in Indonesia, Chile and Albania during the 1990s.

International career

During his club career he won 43 caps for Argentina and scored 20 times. He represented his country in three World Cups in 1974, 1978 and 1982, winning the competition in 1978. He was the leading goalscorer in the 1978 tournament, scoring six goals in three braces: the first two in Argentina's first semi-final group stage match against Poland, another two against Peru, and the last two in the final against the Netherlands, which Argentina won 3–1. His second goal, in the 105th minute, was the game winner in extra time. However, in the same tournament, he notoriously stopped a goal with his hand in a second-round match against Poland.[7] This resulted in a penalty kick that was promptly saved by Ubaldo Fillol.[8] His goals in the 1978 World Cup Final were his last for Argentina at the age of just 23.

In 1978, he was named South American Football Player of the Year ("El Mundo," Caracas, Venezuela). He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Style of play

Kempes was a box number 9 who stood out for his left foot, goal-scoring prowess, speed, and skill. His reaction time, combined with his physical condition and shot ability, made him a striker. He also possessed a lethal header.[9][10][11]

Managerial career

Kempes made his full-time managing debut in Albania. His brief spell with Lushnja was groundbreaking, as he became the first foreign manager who signed a foreign player in Albanian football history. His career in Albania came to a quick end in 1997.[1] The following year, he landed a job with Venezuelan side Mineros de Guayana. In 1999, Kempes moved to Bolivia and managed The Strongest, before taking charge of Blooming in 2000. Previously, he had worked as assistant coach for Uruguayan manager Héctor Núñez in Valencia and as a player-manager of Indonesian League champions Pelita Jaya.

Broadcasting career

He currently works as a football analyst and commentator in Spanish for ESPN Deportes (ESPN's Spanish-language version). With Fernando Palomo and Ciro Procuna, he provides the commentary in the Latin American version of the FIFA franchise video games starting from FIFA 13 up until FIFA 23. He also serves as a commentator on the EA Sports FC series, beginning with EA Sports FC 24.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Instituto1973Primera División1311——————1311
Central1974Primera División3630——73——4333
1975Primera División4938——95——5843
1976Primera División2221——————2221
Total10789——168——12397
Valencia1976–77La Liga342400————3424
1977–78La Liga34281211————4639
1978–79La Liga301510363——4621
1979–80La Liga32222299——4333
1980–81La Liga1291052——1811
Total1429525162014——187125
River Plate1981Primera División2915——41——3316
1982Primera División00——————00
Total2915——41——3316
Valencia1982–83La Liga27131080203813
1983–84La Liga1584300202111
Total42215380405924
Hércules1984–85La Liga17120————191
1985–86La Liga21921————2310
Total381041————4211
First Vienna1986–87Austrian Bundesliga207——————207
Sankt Pölten1987–88Austrian First League3210——————3210
1988–89Austrian Bundesliga299——————299
1989–90Austrian Bundesliga3515——————3515
Total9634——————9634
Kremser SC1990–91Austrian Bundesliga215——————215
1991–92Austrian Bundesliga182——————182
Total397——————397
Fernández Vial1995Primera B115——————115
Pelita Jaya1996Liga Indonesia1510——————1510
Career total5523043420482340638347

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[12]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Argentina197310
1974104
197543
197697
197700
197876
197900
198000
198130
198290
Total4320
Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kempes goal.
List of international goals scored by Mario Kempes
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
122 April 1974José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaRomania2–12–1Friendly
218 May 1974Parc des Princes, Paris, FranceFrance1–01–0Friendly
322 May 1974Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandEngland1–22–2Friendly
42–2
53 August 1975Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, VenezuelaVenezuela2–15–11975 Copa América
610 August 1975Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, ArgentinaVenezuela5–011–01975 Copa América
710–0
827 February 1976Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaBrazil2–12–1Roca Cup 1976
920 March 1976Central Stadium, Kyiv, UkraineSoviet Union1–01–0Friendly
1014 June 1978Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, ArgentinaPoland1–02–01978 FIFA World Cup
112–0
1221 June 1978Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, ArgentinaPeru1–06–01978 FIFA World Cup
133–0
1425 June 1978Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaNetherlands1–03–11978 FIFA World Cup
152–1

Honours

Rosario Central

Valencia

River Plate

Pelita Jaya

Argentina

Individual

References

  1. ^ "One's Kompany: just where have all the player-managers gone?". FourFourTwo. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2023. Mario Kempes - Pelita Jaya and KS Lushnja (1996) | In his early forties, Kempes chanced his arm as player-manager of Albanian side KS Lushnja. His time in the Balkans was short-lived before he endured a similar fate in Indonesia with Pelita Jaya
  2. ^ "Kempes manager profile". BDFutbol.
  3. ^ "All-time Top 20: No. 12 Mario Kempes". ESPN.com. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  4. ^ Warrington, Mark WhiteContributions from Declan; Haugstad, Thore; Yokhin, Michael; Stafford-Bloor, Seb; Spurling, Jon; Murray, Andrew; Hess, Alex; Alves, Marcus; published, Alex Reid (2023-09-05). "Ranked! The 100 best football players of all time". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  5. ^ "#TFHB100 Players of All-Time: 70-61". 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  6. ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  7. ^ Argentina vs Poland – World Cup 1978 – full match – part 4/8 @YouTube
  8. ^ FIFA.com 1978 World Cup Match Report – Argentina – Poland
  9. ^ ""Vi ricordate Kempes? Noi vi diciamo come vive"". Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  10. ^ "Statistiche su Enciclopedia-football.com". Archived 13 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  11. ^ ""Mario Kempes"". Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  12. ^ 12656
  13. ^ "Indonesia – List of (Semi-)Professional Champions". Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  14. ^ "FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Awards". RSSSF. Archived 12 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  15. ^ Crépin, Timothé (2 December 2015). "Pelé devait être le recordman" (in French). France Football.
  16. ^ South American – Player of the Century Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  17. ^ "Golden Foot Award". Goldenfoot.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  18. ^ "La Selección de Todos los Tiempos" [The Team of All Time] (in Spanish). Argentine Football Association. 4 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  19. ^ "IFFHS ALL TIME ARGENTINA MEN'S DREAM TEAM". 26 August 2021.