Argentina legend Cesar Luis Menotti dies aged 85
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.
The triumph was accomplished with flair but was surrounded by controversy. Many felt Argentina's repressive junta made it an unsuitable host. Menotti also opted not to pick 17-year-old phenomenon Diego Maradona, who had made his international debut the year before.
"I did what I thought I had to do. To take care of him more than anything else, I was infatuated with Diego," Menotti told 'El Grafico'. "He was so young, so small."
In the second group phase, Argentina kicked off their last game shortly after the final whistle in Brazil's victory over Poland, knowing they needed to beat Peru by at least three goals to reach the final.
They won 6-0 with Kempes and Leopoldo Luque each scoring twice. Even though Argentina played well, the victory has long attracted suspicion.
Menotti, fondly known as the "Thin One", presented a memorable figure on the touchline, smoking and staring impassively from under his shaggy mane. "I never go to the barber. I cut my own hair," he said.
Even though his father died of cancer when Menotti was 16, he
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