Manuel Eduardo Berizzo Magnolo is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a central defender, and the current manager of Paraguay. During his 18-year professional career he played for six teams in four countries, mainly Newell's Old Boys, River Plate and Celta. The bearer of an Italian passport, he did not occupy a non-European Union spot while competing in Europe. Berizzo represented Argentina in two Copa América tournaments. He started working as a manager in 2007, first as an assistant in the Chile national team.
Playing career
Club
Born in Cruz Alta, Marcos Juárez, Córdoba, Berizzo started his career with Newell's Old Boys in 1988. He helped to two Primera División titles before his departure to Mexico for Club Atlas, five years later. In 1996, Berizzo returned to his country, joining national powerhouse Club Atlético River Plate. His solid performances eventually attracted the attention of French side Olympique de Marseille, but he did not settle in the club or the country, being loaned to his former team in January 2000. Berizzo moved to Spain with RC Celta de Vigo, in another winter transfer move. With the Galicians he was an important defensive unit, contributing with 17 La Liga matches in his first year as they finished in sixth position; in his second full season he registered career-bests 27 games with two goals, helping the side reach the UEFA Champions Leaguefor the first time ever. In the 2003–04 campaign, Berizzo was sent off four times, twice in the last two rounds, as Celta eventually dropped down a level. He also appeared in five matches in a round-of-16 run in European competition, eventually losing his importance and being released in June 2005 at nearly 36. Berizzo stayed in Spain and signed a one-year contract with Cádiz CF, appearing scarcely and suffering another top flight relegation. He retired at the end of the season.
When Marcelo Bielsa took over as Chile manager in July 2007, Berizzo became assistant manager. On 10 October 2009, in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia, he was ejected alongside Fabián Orellana and eventually received a four-match ban, not being present on the bench for the entirety of the final stages in South Africa. In 2012, Berizzo was appointed head coach at O'Higgins FC, and achieved runner-up honours in his debut season, losing the final against Club Universidad de Chile in a penalty shootout. On 10 December 2013 he led the team to the 2013 Apertura, this being the first title in the club's 58-year history. On 19 May 2014, shortly after winning the Supercopa de Chile against Deportes Iquique, again on penalties, Berizzo returned to Celta but as a manager, replacing FC Barcelona-bound Luis Enrique. In his third year, he coached them to the last-four stage in both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League. On 27 May 2017, Berizzo was confirmed as the new manager of Sevilla FC, replacing countryman Jorge Sampaoli who accepted the Argentina job. On 22 November, the club announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer; a month later, he was fired due to the team's poor run. Much of his short timeat the club was recorded in the Amazon Primetelevision documentary series Six Dreams, in which he was one of its stars. Berizzo returned to active on 31 May 2018, being appointed at Athletic Bilbao. After winning only two of his 15 competitive matches in charge and with the team in the relegation zone, on 4 December of the same year he was dismissed. On 18 February 2019, Berizzo was named Paraguay's new coach after Juan Carlos Osorio's resignation. At the year's Copa América in Brazil, he led the team to the quarter-finals where they were eliminated on penalties after a goalless draw with the hosts.
Remarks on homosexuality
Shortly after leaving Marseille, Berizzo spoke out against alleged homosexuality in France: The day after that quote was published by Mexican newspaper La Crónica de Hoy, he denied having said that:
