“El Piojo” played for the club in the 1950s before returning as Newell’s Old Boys manager in 1987, later winning the title in 1988.
The death has been announced of trailblazing coach José Yudica at the age of 85.
Yudica, known as “El Piojo” (The Louse) was a Rosario native who started his playing career at Newell’s Old Boys in 1954 before playing for a number of clubs in Argentina such as Boca Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield.
After retirement in 1970, he would become best known as a coach where he took Quilmes from the lower leagues of Argentine football to the Primera División before winning titles with San Lorenzo and Argentinos Juniors.
In 1985, he took Maradona’s first club to a glorious Copa Libertadores title before returning to his first club, Newell’s Old Boys in 1987.
With a squad completely made up of academy products, including himself as their coach, Newell’s were crowned champions of Argentina in 1988. It was a record-breaking win for Yudica who wrote his name into history by becoming the first Argentine coach to win a national title with 3 different clubs.
After winning the championship with La Lepra, he famously remarked: “What happened to me that, perhaps, does not happen to anyone. Being a fan of the club, former player and, also, title-winning coach. It’s like one of those movies that you don’t forget”.
After another stint as Argentinos manager, he returned for his fourth spell at Newell’s in the 1990s before bringing his managerial career to an end in Mexico in 1998 with Pachuca.
His legendary status in Argentine football is cemented forever.
Rest in peace, Piojo.
