When the words controversial World Cup-winning Argentinian striker get mentioned the name which springs to most people’s minds is Diego Maradona but Argentina had another hero which performed a similar feat albeit 8 years earlier at the 1978 World Cup. His name was Mario Kempes, known affectionately as El Toro.
Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi was born in July 1954 in Bell Ville, a small agricultural town that was situated roughly halfway between the cities of Rosario and Córdoba in Argentina. Aptly, Bell Ville is known for manufacturing footballs – home to more than a dozen factories dedicated to the process –fittingly making it a natural choice for that Kempes to choose a career as a footballer. He was inspired to play the beautiful game from a young age by his father Mario senior, himself his father, Mario, also a footballer. Like many other world-class players that would follow in his footsteps, his skills honed on the rough streets of Argentina, these skills he gained led to him being signed Talleres for their reserves at the age of just 14 in 1968.
The first senior club he ever played for was Instituto, situated in Córdoba, of whom he made his debut for at the young age of 16 in 1973. The club had an esteemed academy also produced fellow international teammate and Sours great Osvaldo Ardiles and, more recently, Juventus’ Paulo Dybala. His stay with La Gloria was short yet prolific, Kempes then went join Rosario Central, where he netted 85 goals in just 105 matches and established himself as a notorious goal scorer.
He spent three years in La Canalla’s classic blue and yellow shirt although his time there amounted to little success, in his best season they finished second in the league behind National in 1974, leading Kempes to establish himself as an intimidating goal scorer. He became the top scorer in the League netting 25 goals in as many games, which incredibly amounted to nearly 50 percent of his teams’ entire goals that season. In 1976 he had another successful season netting 21 goals in 33 appearances during the Metropolitano. Known for his hardworking attitude, Kempes liked to attack from outside the penalty area with his surging runs goalward and was not the traditional center-forward operating solely inside the box. His style was difficult for many defenders to handle. They never knew where he was.
This phenomenal scoring record earned him a transfer to Valencia CF. During his time in Spain, he won several trophies including the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners Cup, and the European Super Cup. He received 2 Pichichi’s for being the highest-scoring player in la Liga in plundering 24 in the 1976–77 season and also adding 28 goals in the 1977–78 season. Famous for his work ethic, he primarily shot from outside the penalty area due to the surging runs me made towards goal and unlike the typical center-forward, he didn’t operate just inside the box. This was advantageous as many defenders found this attacking style hard to cope with. Wearing what would become perhaps the most iconic jersey in all of football, Argentina’s number ten, he did not portray the qualities of a traditional playmaker. Although he was blessed with exquisite ball control, he preferred being on the end of the final ball, as opposed to playing it, and, inspired by his father, became a center-forward. A prolific goalscorer, at club level he is best known for playing for Valencia, amassing 116 goals in 184 league games for the club.
It was due to his sensational form that the young Kempes first came to the attention of then-national team coach Omar Sívori. His reward was his first international cap at just 19-year-old his first cap. In 1974 World Cup in West Germany Kempes was selected despite being only 20 years of age, although he failed to register a single goal where Argentina embarrassingly got knocked out in the first group stage.
Kempes was in exceptional international form heading into the 1974 World Cup, where he netted four goals in three games against European opposition, as part of the Argentine preparation. Although Kempes started all three group one games, Argentina only succeeded in finishing in second place behind Poland. The fixture against Poland proved disheartening for the young Kempes as he missed a vital chance which may have altered the course of the game – and also Argentina’s path in the tournament.
The punishment for coming second meant they played in a hard group which also included Brazil, the Netherlands and an East German side who historically defeated West Germany 1-0 in Hamburg, in the first group phase.
Kempes was a substitute for the first match of the second phase, against the Netherlands featuring Johan Cruyff famed for ‘Total Football’, he came off the bench after just 45 minutes but during this period the Dutch with the Dutch already two goals in front. After this Cruyff’s scored second of the night, and Johnny Rep added a further goal, in the 4-0 rout. Kempes started the second game, against chief rival Brazil, but was substituted at half-time, a match which Argentina eventually lost Argentina 2-1, and on top of these results, they only managed to draw 1-1 draw with East Germany in the final group game, which resulted in them being knocked out of the tournament.
Argentina of the mid-1970s was a football nation without an identity that they were not proud of. The thrashing by the Dutch machine in 1974 had as big an effect as the loss at the 1958 World Cup to Czechoslovakia in Sweden, which brought the end to the so-called La Nuestra period. The game against the Dutch was evidence of the gloomy path that Argentina had been on since the disaster in Helsingborg and modification was something that was definitely needed. This came about in the appointment was the appointment of Huracán boss Cesar Luis Menotti, who was set with the arduous task of generating flair back into the side prior to the 1978 World Cup, a task which they succeeded at with aplomb.
The exceptional talent and profile of Kempes made Argentina coach César Luis Menotti decide to go against his strategy of only selecting domestic-based players for World Cup on the home ground. the platform was set for him to star which he did, which came five years after his debut for La Albiceleste. Menotti praised him highly by saying, "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 center-forward position."
At the time Kempes had been the top scorer in La Liga the previous two seasons, this made him determined to show the whole world that he could thrive against the very best on the sport's greatest stage on home soil.
Kempes unexpectedly made a slow start to the tournament which could possibly be attributed to nerves, maybe the massive expectations placed from a military regime under-fire, and a population which was in dire in need of a morale boost. Wearing the highly desired number 10 shirt, and operating as a central attacking midfielder, Kempes originally struggled in the first group stage, failing to score in any of the first three matches which were all played at River Plate’s El Monumental.
Argentina beat both Hungary 2-1 with goals from Leopoldo Luque and Daniel Bertoni and they were also victorious by the same margin whilst playing France, although going behind to a Michel Platini goal but came back to win thanks to a Daniel Passarella penalty and a winner by Luque. Although they lost the final group game 1-0 to Italy, who won courtesy of a goal by Roberto Bettega. A second-place finish in Group A meant Argentina had to play away from their Buenos Aires stronghold to Rosario. This was originally like a curse, especially for Kempes, but eventually succeeded, being a blessing in disguise as it sparked Kempes into life. He was back in the city where he had been so successful three years as a player, El Toro then started firing on cylinders in familiar surroundings, where there was less pressure than playing in the capital.
He was the star of the 1978 World Cup in a team brilliantly captained by Daniel Passarella which won the competition for the first time.
In the opening game of the second round, in a highly controversial match Argentina’s opponents were Poland. Due to the absence of Leopoldo Luque, Menotti was forced to play Kempes further forward.This proved a masterstroke by Menotti whose reward was Kempes scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory which broke his 11-game scoring drought for Argentina. A match which sparked Kempes into the goal scoring form which saw him become eventual top scorer in the tournament. Although Kempes scored 2 goals he produced one of the most controversial incidents in World Cup history. With Argentina holding on to a slender 1-0 lead, Poland was trying hard for an equalizer and thought that their hard work had paid off but Kempes stopped a certain goal from a Grzegorz Lato header by deliberately stopping the ball with his hand, a save that any goalkeeper would have been proud of. Luckily for the Argentinians, the penalty which was taken by Kazimierez Devna was saved by Ubaldo Fillol, Kempes stayed on the pitch and was able to seal victory when he later scored his second of the game.
Kempes was lambasted for his actions when the former referee Sir Stanley Rous, who also happened to be FIFA president stated: “The player who handles the ball on the goal line and gives away a penalty which is missed may feel that he has lost nothing. He has. He has lost his reputation as a sportsman.”
In the next match, Argentina played arch-rivals Brazil which ended in a 0-0 draw. Due to Brazil’s win against Poland, Argentina had to beat Peru in the next game by 4 clear goals to make it to the final. It was a game that became one of the most controversial in World Cup history. Argentina won 6-0 with goals with Kempes scoring 2.
Kempes opened the scoring after 21 minutes, playing a one-two before outwitting the defender and finishing from 15 yards. Alberto Tarantino doubled the lead as Argentina led 2-0 at half-time. Kempes scored his second from close range just minutes after the break and, three goals later, Argentina had qualified for the World Cup final.
Before returning to Buenos Aires where they played against Holland 3-1 in a victory gaining revenge for them getting knocked out by Holland in the previous World Cup. Kempes won the Golden. Kempes scored in the 38th minute only for Dirk Nanninga to equalize in the 82-minute taking the game into extra time the Netherlands where Kempes scored in the 105th minute and also assisting Bertoni for Argentina's third in the 115th minute resulting in a 3-1 win for the home nation. Kempes FIFA World Cup Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, also The Golden Boot as he was top scorer with 6 goals. Making him one of only three players to have won all three awards at a single World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Paula Rossi in 1982.
Speaking of the World Cup he stated "The problem was not the pressure of the fans' expectations, but the pressure we put on ourselves – we felt that we had to win," he recalled. "After we lost to Italy in the first group stage at Estadio Monumental, it seemed that the expectations boiled over. We were shocked. We had to leave Buenos Aires, but in the end, that proved to be a very good thing, because Rosario is one of the places where football is felt more intensively."
To help quell the nerves, Kempes admits he was smoking. “Not many, maybe 10-12 cigarettes per day. Many of us did. We would share, as a superstition, one cigarette with [third goalkeeper] Hector Baley at the back of the team bus on the way to the stadium.”
Kempes opened the scoring after 21 minutes, playing a one-two before outwitting the defender and finishing from 15 yards. Alberto Tarantino doubled the lead as Argentina led 2-0 at half-time. Kempes scored his second from close range just minutes after the break and, three goals later, Argentina had qualified for the World Cup final.
There were all sorts of accusations of underhand wrongdoings before the opening kick of the final. In the 38th minute, Kempes slid the ball under the advancing goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed to ensure Argentina lead going into half time. An 82nd header Dick Nanninga header meant extra time. Kempes restored Argentina’s lead in the 105th minute, he was able to display balletic feet that were characteristic of several of his World Cup strikes, profiting from a lucky bounce. In the 115th minute, a Daniel Bertoni strike put the final beyond reach, and Argentina were champions of the world.
Kempes returned to his native Argentina in 1981 to play for River Plate where he won the Argentinian championship before returning to Spain in time for the 1982 World Cup. Disappointingly Argentina wasn't able to defend the trophy, as they went out in the second phase without Kempes scoring.
Kempes later moved to a smaller Spanish club, Hercules, before winding down his career in Austrian football for various clubs. He retired from international duty in 1982, and by some is thought to be his country's greatest out-and-out center-forward. He eventually amassed an amazing 320 goals in 598 appearances for both club and country.
Kempes made his full-time managing debut in Albania. He had a brief spell in charge of Lushnja which lasted from 1st July 1996 to 31st December 1996. Although his short-lived spell in Albania was memorable it was also ground-breaking, as he became the first foreign manager who signed a foreign player for the first time in Albanian football history. The following year, he had his second stint as a manager of Venezuelan side Mineros de Guayana. In 1999, Kempes moved to Bolivia, where he managed a club called The Strongest, before taking charge of another Bolivian club called Club Social, Cultural y Deportivo Blooming in 2000. He was previously assistant coach at Valencia, under Uruguayan manager Héctor Núñez and had a role as a player-manager in the Indonesian League of Pelita Jaya.
His present occupation is as a commentator and football analyst for the Spanish version of ESPN called ESPN Deportes. Also alongside Salvadorian journalist Fernando Palomo and announcer for ESPN Deportes commentator Ciro Prochnau he provided commentary in the Latin American edition FIFA 13, FIFA 14, FIFA 15, FIFA 16, FIFA 17, FIFA 18 and FIFA 19
He had a stadium named in his honor Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, formerly known as Estadio Córdoba and popularly Estadio Olympic Chateau Carreras, which is situated I the Chateau Carreras neighborhood of Córdoba, Argentina. It is used mostly for association football matches and occasionally also for Athletics.
The stadium was erected in 1976 in preparation for the 1978 World Cup, it has a capacity of 46,083 spectators but like many Argentine stadiums, it doesn't provide seating for all of them
Kempes won South American Footballer of the Year, One d'Or European footballer of the Year. In 2004, he was named as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th-anniversary celebration.
http://247valencia.com/exclusive-interview-with-mario-kempes-el-matador/
