Alberto Horacio Suppici (20 November 1898 – 21 June 1981) was a Uruguayan footballer and coach who won the first ever FIFA World Cup, leading the Uruguay team in the 1930 tournament on home soil. Suppici is known as el Profesor (the Professor).[1] His cousin was the professional driver Héctor Suppici Sedes.

Alberto Suppici
Personal information
Full name Alberto Horacio Suppici
Date of birth (1898-11-20)20 November 1898
Place of birth Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Date of death 21 June 1981(1981-06-21) (aged 82)
Place of death Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 5+12 in)
Position(s) Left half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1915–1923 Nacional 143 (6)
Managerial career
1928–1932 Uruguay
1935 Central Español
1938 Montevideo Wanderers
1935–1941 Uruguay
1945 Peñarol
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay (as a manager)
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1930 Uruguay
South American Championship
Runner-up 1941 Chile
Third place 1929 Argentina
Third place 1937 Argentina
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

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On 22 April 1917, Suppici founded the football club Plaza Colonia in Colonia del Sacramento, his hometown. The club's 12 000-capacity home ground has been named Estadio Profesor Alberto Suppici in his honour.[1]

As technical director of Uruguay, Suppici coached the side to third in the 1929 South American Championship,[citation needed] the precursor to the modern Copa América.

At the inaugural FIFA World Cup in his home nation of Uruguay, Suppici dropped goalkeeper Andrés Mazali, who had won a gold medal in the 1928 Olympic final, from the national team after he was caught breaking curfew and failing to arrive at the team hotel in time in Montevideo prior to the tournament. Suppici led the side to victory in the final over Argentina at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, masterminding a second-half comeback from 2 to 1 down to win 4–2 in front of 93,000 people.[2] Suppici's technical staff at the tournament included Pedro Arispe,[citation needed] Ernesto Figoli, Luis Greco and Pedro Olivieri. He is the youngest ever coach to win a World Cup, aged only 31.[3]

Honours

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Manager

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Domestic

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Peñarol

International

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Uruguay

References

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  1. ^ a b Prof. Alberto Suppici
  2. ^ "FIFA World Cup Origin" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 17 November 2009. Archived June 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Pavlović, Svetozar (15 December 2022). "Which team won the first World Cup? When and where was it played?". Diario AS. Retrieved 26 December 2022.