Héctor Cúper
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Héctor Raúl Cúper | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 16 November 1955 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Santa Fe, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Centre back | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Syria (manager) | ||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
1976–1977 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
1977–1978 |
Independiente Rivadavia | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
1978–1988 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 424 | (24) | ||||||||||||||
1988–1992 | Huracán | 132 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
Total | 567 | (34) | |||||||||||||||
International career | |||||||||||||||||
1984 | Argentina | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
1993–1995 | Huracán | ||||||||||||||||
1995–1997 | Lanús | ||||||||||||||||
1997–1999 | Mallorca | ||||||||||||||||
1999–2001 | Valencia | ||||||||||||||||
2001–2003 | Inter Milan | ||||||||||||||||
2004–2006 | Mallorca | ||||||||||||||||
2007 | Real Betis | ||||||||||||||||
2008 |
Parma | ||||||||||||||||
2008–2009 | Georgia | ||||||||||||||||
2009–2011 |
Aris Thessaloniki | ||||||||||||||||
2011 | Racing Santander | ||||||||||||||||
2011–2013 | Orduspor | ||||||||||||||||
2013–2014 |
Al Wasl | ||||||||||||||||
2015–2018 | Egypt | ||||||||||||||||
2018–2019 | Uzbekistan | ||||||||||||||||
2021–2022 | DR Congo | ||||||||||||||||
2023– | Syria | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Héctor Raúl Cúper (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈeɣtoɾ ˈkupeɾ]; born 16 November 1955) is an Argentine football manager and former player who is currently head coach of the Syria national team.
As a player, he was a defender who spent most of his career at
He made his managerial breakthrough at
Cúper also managed
Personal life
Cúper's great-grandfather was an Englishman whose surname was Cooper, who migrated to Santa Fe Province in Argentina and married an indigenous woman. However, the majority of his heritage is Italian.[2]
He was born in Chábas,[3] a small settlement in Santa Fe. His mother died at the age of 20, months after the birth of his younger brother, and he was raised by his grandmother.[2]
Playing career
As with most aspiring footballers in Chábas in the 1960s, Cúper moved to Buenos Aires to pursue his career. He took leave from his job at a bank to search for a team in the capital city, eventually being signed by Ferro Carril Oeste. While at the club, he won the Argentine Primera División in 1982 and 1984.[2]
Managerial career
Early career
Cúper started his coaching career with
In the summer of 1997, he was hired by
Valencia
In March 1999,
Internazionale
On 22 June 2001, Cúper was hired by Italian club
In the
Mallorca return, Betis, Parma
On 2 November 2004 Cúper returned to Mallorca after the sacking of Benito Floro, with the team 19th after 10 matches.[14] He saved the team from relegation on the last day, and made several signings, but resigned on 14 February 2006 with the team last following a nine-game winless run.[15]
On 16 July 2007, Cúper was revealed as the new manager of Real Betis on a one-year deal.[16] He was sacked on 2 December with the team 19th after losing at home to Atlético Madrid.[17]
On 11 March 2008, he was unveiled as the new boss of relegation-battling Serie A team
2008–2013
In August 2008, Cúper became the head coach of the Georgia national team. He agreed to step down in November 2009 before the expiration of his contract, having taken just three points and no wins in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.[19]
On 3 November 2009, Cúper agreed to continue his managerial career with Greek club
In the 2010–11 season, Cúper lead Aris in its first participation in the Round of 32 of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, taking the club to second place in Group B with 10 points, after two surprise wins against Atlético Madrid. On 18 January 2011 after some bad results in Greece, Cúper decided to step down from his managerial position.[22]
On 29 June 2011, Cúper returned to La Liga with Racing Santander, signing for one season. However, after five months he left the last-placed team by mutual agreement with the board.[23]
Cúper signed a contract with Süper Lig side Orduspor on 19 December 2011,[24] but left by mutual consent on 13 April 2013.[25]
On 14 November 2013, Cúper was announced as new head coach of the
Return to international football
Egypt
On 2 March 2015, the
He led Egypt to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance in the tournament since 1990, after defeating Congo by 2–1. His contract was due to expire at the end of the tournament, and negotiations were postponed until its conclusion.[30] Following defeats in Egypt's three group games at the tournament, it was announced that Cúper's contract would not be renewed.[31]
Uzbekistan
On 1 August 2018, Cúper became head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, signing a contract that would take him through to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[32] He was sacked in September 2019 after a shock 2–0 loss away to Palestine in the first qualifying game for that tournament.[33]
DR Congo
On 13 May 2021, Cúper was appointed manager of the DR Congo.[34] He lost 1–0 away to Tunisia in a friendly on his debut on 5 June.[35] In March, his team missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a 5–2 aggregate playoff loss to Morocco.[36] He was dismissed on 9 June 2022, having lost to Gabon and Sudan in the first 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[37]
Syria
On 2 February 2023, Cúper became the head coach of the Syria national team on a contract of undisclosed length.[38] He managed to recruit three of his countrymen with Syrian descent, Ezequiel Ham, Ibrahim Hesar and Jalil Elías, ahead of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar. Under Cúper, Syria qualified to the knockout phase of the Asian tournament as one of the best third-placed teams following a 1–0 victory over India, the first time ever Syria managed to do so after six previous participations ended in the group stages.[39] In February 2024, he extended his contract with the national team, committing to stay on board for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[40]
Managerial statistics
- As of 26 March 2024
Team | From | To | Record | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | Ref | |||
Huracán | 1 July 1993 | 30 June 1995 | 63 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 33.33 | |
Lanús | 1 July 1995 | 30 June 1997 | 72 | 33 | 22 | 17 | 45.83 | |
Mallorca | 10 July 1997 | 31 May 1999 | 102 | 49 | 26 | 27 | 48.04 | |
Valencia | 1 July 1999 | 30 June 2001 | 120 | 59 | 32 | 29 | 49.17 | |
Internazionale | 22 June 2001 | 17 October 2003 | 110 | 57 | 31 | 22 | 51.82 | |
Mallorca | 2 November 2004 | 13 February 2006 | 54 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 24.07 | |
Real Betis | 14 July 2007 | 2 December 2007 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14.29 | [41] |
Parma
|
11 March 2008 | 12 May 2008 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20.00 | [42] |
Georgia | 8 August 2008 | 15 October 2009 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 6.25 | |
Aris | 8 November 2009 | 18 January 2011 | 62 | 26 | 14 | 22 | 41.94 | |
Racing Santander | 1 July 2011 | 29 November 2011 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 7.69 | [43] |
Orduspor | 20 December 2011 | 13 April 2013 | 50 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 28.00 | |
Al Wasl
|
12 November 2013 | 4 March 2014 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 25.00 | |
Egypt | 2 March 2015 | 26 June 2018 | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 50.00 | [44][45][46] |
Uzbekistan | 1 August 2018 | 23 September 2019 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 41.18 | |
DR Congo | 13 May 2021 | 9 June 2022 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 21.43 | |
Syria | 2 February 2023 | present | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 31.25 | |
Total | 788 | 319 | 219 | 250 | 40.48 | — |
Honours
Player
Ferro Carril Oeste
Huracán
- Primera B Nacional: 1989–90
Manager
Huracán
- Primera División runner-up: 1994 Clausura
Lanús
Mallorca
- Supercopa de España: 1998
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 1997–98
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1998–99
Valencia
- Supercopa de España: 1999
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000,[47] 2000–01[48]
Aris FC Thessaloniki
- 2009–10
Egypt
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2017[29]
Individual
- La Liga Coach of the Year – Don Balón Award: 1999
- UEFA Club Coach of the Year: 2000
- Globe Soccer Awards best Best Arab National Team Coach: 2017
- CAF Coach of the Year: 2017[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Statistics of Cuper as a player". LaFerropedia.
- ^ a b c Segurola, Santiago (20 May 2001). "El hombre inescrutable". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "Cúper, Héctor". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Bazúa, J. (7 March 2016). "Supercopa de España 1998: el club estrena la vitrina" [Supercopa de España 1998: the club starts off the trophy cabinet]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Freeze frame Villa Park May, 1999: Lazio win the last ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final". The Scotsman. 23 May 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "El Mallorca vivió su mejor época con Antonio Asensio" [Mallorca experienced their best season with Antonio Asensio]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 21 April 2001. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Ros, Cayetano (9 March 1999). "Ranieri recomendó al Valencia que contratara a Héctor Cúper" [Ranieri recommended that Valencia sign Héctor Cúper]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Héctor Cúper deja el Mallorca" [Héctor Cúper leaves Mallorca]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 31 May 1999. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Bayern crowned European champions". BBC Sport. 23 May 2001. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Cuper named Inter Milan's new coach". The Irish Times. 22 June 2001. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ Labbate, Antonio (4 May 2012). "Remembering May 5, 2002". Football Italia. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "AC Milan edge out Inter". BBC Sport. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ Richardson, Martin (19 October 2003). "Cuper fails Italian test". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Cuper back at struggling Mallorca". CNN. 2 November 2004. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Mallorca coach Hector Cuper resigns". IOL. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ Baskett, Simon (17 July 2007). "Betis unveil new coach Cuper, announce signings". Reuters. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "El Betis destituye a Héctor Cúper" [Betis dismiss Héctor Cúper]. El País (in Spanish). 3 December 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Parma sack coach Cuper with one match of the season remaining". The Star. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ Coerts, Stefan (3 November 2009). "Hector Cuper Resigns As Georgia Coach". Goal. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Cúper es el nuevo entrenador del Aris Salónica" [Cúper is the new manager of Aris Thessaloniki] (in Spanish). Infobae. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Túnez, Javier Martín (8 February 2017). "El hombre que no sabe ganar finales" [The man who doesn't know how to win finals]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Wood, Graham (18 January 2011). "FUTBOL-Argentino Cúper renuncia como DT del Aris griego" [FOOTBALL-Argentine Cúper resigns as manager of Greece's Aris] (in Spanish). Notimérica. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Higgins, Marcus (30 November 2011). "Racing Santander sack coach Hector Cuper". Goal. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Hector Cuper to take over Orduspor" Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Goal. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ "Hector Cuper ends journey with Turkey’s Orduspor". Hürriyet Daily News. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ "Al Wasl introduce new head coach Hector Cuper". UAE Pro League Committee. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Rizvi, Ahmed (5 March 2014). "Al Wasl part ways with Hector Cuper after brief, disappointing tenure". The National. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ^ "Argentinean Héctor Cúper appointed Egypt coach in surprise move". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ^ a b Wilson, Jonathan (5 February 2017). "Afcon 2017: Cameroon's Aboubakar wins final with late goal against Egypt". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Cuper to discuss renewal of contract with Pharaohs after World Cup: EFA president". Ahram Online. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Egypt manager Hector Cuper leaves his role after World Cup exit". BBC Sport. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Football: Argentine Hector Cuper takes over as Uzbekistan head coach". Channel NewsAsia. 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ "Uzbekistan dismiss head coach Hector Cuper after FIFA World Cup Qualifiers defeat to Palestine". Fox Sports Asia. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Cuper nommé sélectionneur de la République démocratique du Congo" [Cúper named manager of DR Congo]. L'Équipe (in French). 13 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ Khouini, Khaled (7 June 2021). "La RDC perd, mais ne déçoit pas : Un onze en reconstruction" [The DRC lose, but do not disappoint: an XI in reconstruction]. La Presse (in French). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "L'Algérie et le Cameroun en prolongations, le Maroc et la Tunisie iront au Qatar !" [Algeria and Cameroon in extra time, Morocco and Tunisia are going to Qatar!] (in French). Onze Mondial. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Hector Cuper: Argentine coach sacked by DR Congo after qualifying defeats". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Cuper takes over as Syria coach". beIN SPORTS. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Syria beat India to reach Asian Cup knockouts for first time". France 24. 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Héctor Cúper & Essam El-Hadary extend Syria national team contract". Kingfut. 8 February 2024.
- ^ "2007–08 Real Betis results". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "2007–08 Parma F.C. results". ESPN FC. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Héctor Cúper managerial statistics". Soccerbase. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Egypt matches". FIFA. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Egypt". AfricanFootball. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Egypt". The World Game. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Real storm to Cup glory". BBC Sport. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Bayern crowned European champions". BBC Sport. 23 May 2001. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
External links
- Héctor Cúper manager profile at BDFutbol
- Héctor Cúper at WorldFootball.net