Ricardo Villa

Ricardo Julio Villa ([riˈkaɾðo ˈβiʝa]; born 18 August 1952), more commonly known as Ricky Villa, is an Argentine football coach and former professional midfielder. He was famous for his time playing football from 1970 to 1989.

This article is about the football player and coach. For the composer, see Ricardo Villa (composer). For the Italian gymnast, see Riccardo Villa.

Ricardo Villa
Villa in 1981
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Julio Villa
Date of birth (1952-08-18) 18 August 1952
Place of birth Roque Pérez, Argentina
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1974 Quilmes 108 (20)
1973 →San Martín de Tucumán (loan) 10 (3)
1974–1976 Atlético de Tucumán 51 (19)
1976–1978 Racing Club 52 (6)
1978–1983 Tottenham Hotspur 133 (18)
1983 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 19 (3)
1984–1985 Deportivo Cali 0 (0)
1986–1989 Defensa y Justicia 93 (4)
Total 466 (73)
International career
1975–1978 Argentina 17 (1)
Managerial career
1998–1999 Defensa y Justicia
2012 Defensa y Justicia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Villa was born in Roque Pérez, Buenos Aires. In the 1970s he played successively for Quilmes, Atlético de Tucumán and Racing Club. At the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he was a member of the Argentinian team that won the tournament and made two appearances as a substitute in the second round. Afterwards, he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur's Keith Burkinshaw together with Ossie Ardiles.

Arriving to a ticker tape welcome at White Hart Lane, Villa scored against Nottingham Forest on his debut at the City Ground. Villa scored a total of 25 goals in 179 Spurs appearances, including his winning goal against Manchester City in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay – for which he won the Wembley goal of the century award in 2001. He had also opened the scoring in the 8th minute of that final replay. He was withdrawn from the 1982 FA Cup Final Tottenham team, due to the outbreak of the Falklands Conflict.

Villa played on in Argentina, Colombia and the United States before ending his career in the lower leagues of Argentine football with Defensa y Justicia.

Villa also represented Argentina in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the opening round against England.

He dedicated himself to politics during the 1990s, but since July 2005 has been the technical secretary of Talleres de Córdoba. He resides in Villa Carlos Paz with his wife and four children. As of November 2007, it was announced by FIFA that all members of winning World Cup squads prior to 1982 would receive World Cup winners medals and this includes Villa as part of the 1978 World Cup winning squad.

On 7 February 2008, Villa along with his compatriot Ossie Ardiles were inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.[1]

Honours

Atlético Tucumán

  • Torneo Regional Federación Tucumana: 1975

Tottenham Hotspur

Deportivo Cali

Argentina

Individual

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ricardo Villa.
  1. "HALL OF FAME SPECIAL". Archived from the original on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link). tottenhamhotspur.com. 8 January 2008.
  2. "1981/82 Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
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