Alberto Tarantini

Who is Alberto Tarantini?

Alberto Tarantini is an Argentine former football player and a 1978 FIFA World Cup champion. He played as a defensive left back early in his career, and later as a wing back.

Noted for his technical ability as well as stamina, Tarantini was best known for his fiery temper.

He rose through the Boca Juniors youth divisions in the early 1970s, and was noted for his afro hairdo and his large front teeth, which earned him the nickname conejo.

Tarantini was part of the under-23 team that won the 1975 Toulon Tournament, together with Jorge Valdano, Américo Gallego, and others, with César Menotti as coach. He became the left-back of the Argentina national football team after Jorge Carrascosa left the team. He was also, at 22, the youngest player of that team.

A few months before the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he had a contractual dispute with Boca that left him clubless, as Boca management pressured all Argentine clubs into denying him a new contract. After some good performances during the World Cup he was signed by Birmingham City for £295,000.