Product details
- ISBN 9780552159180
- Weight: 231g
- Dimensions: 127 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 05 Aug 2010
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Ossie Ardiles is one of the most iconic footballers ever to have graced the game. After winning the World Cup with Argentina in 1978, Ossie became the first foreign player to make an impact in England, paving the way for the modern era of multinational teams. and was immortalised in Chas & Dave's hit record "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way to Wembley)".
In that unforgettable 1981 FA Cup Final, the silky skills of Ossie and fellow Argentine midfielder Ricky Villa inspired Spurs to their famous victory over Man City. He also helped Spurs to retain the trophy the following year, and to win the UEFA Cup in 1984, and even found time to star in the classic football film Escape to Victory with Bobby Moore, Pelé, Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone.
Thirty years on from those glory days, Ossie has a unique perspective on the football world, through his long career both playing and in management, with the emphasis always on style and entertainment. He also talks about growing up under a military dictatorship, how he was torn between two countries owing to the outbreak of the Falklands War, which claimed the life of one of his cousins, and how that football world has changed over the decades.
Osvaldo César Ardiles was born near Córdoba in 1952 and played a pivotal role in Argentina's World Cup victory in 1978, part of 63 caps he won for his country. That famous ticker-tape win in Buenos Aires attracted the attention of Tottenham Hotspur manager Keith Burkinshaw, who brought Ossie and Ricardo Villa over to England in a £750,000 transfer that made headlines around the world.
Ossie became an instant hit in English football, scoring 25 goals in 311 appearances in ten years at Spurs. He moved into management with Swindon Town and took the Wiltshire side via the playoffs into the top flight of English football for the first time, only to have promotion snatched away. Further spells followed at Newcastle, West Brom (with whom he also won promotion) and then back to Tottenham where, despite an exhilarating attacking line-up, results did not go Ossie's way.
Ossie has since managed clubs in Mexico, Japan, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Israel and Paraguay. When not managing, he divides his time between Hertfordshire and the south of Spain.
