Menotti, who was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1938, won 11 caps for Argentina in the 1960s and then managed 11 clubs, some more than once, and two national teams in a coaching career that lasted 37 years.

He is best remembered for leading Argentina to the 1978 World Cup and the under-20 title the following year and for his commitment to a romantic ideal of football at a time when Argentina had developed a reputation for a cynical approach straying into violence.

In the 1978 World Cup final hosts Argentina defeated the Netherlands 3-1 after extra-time with flamboyant man of the tournament Mario Kempes scoring twice against a Dutch side shorn of Johan Cruyff, who had refused to play in the tournament.