Abel Balbo

Abel Balbo, born on June 1, 1966, is a former Argentine football (soccer) player and currently working as a football manager. When he was on the field, Balbo was a Striker. He was born in Empalme, Argentina.

Balbo’s club level debut was with Newlell’s Old Boys. He stayed with the team in the 87-88 seasons. He later moved onto River Plate from 1988 to 1989. Other local teams for Balbo include Udinnese, Roma, Parma, and Florentina. He also played in Boca Juniors before he finally retired. His best season came when he was playing for Udinese and Roma. He scored 22 goals for Udinese in the 92-93 season and another 22 for the Roma in the 94-95 season.

Balbo played for the national team during three FIFA World Cups in 1990, 1994, and 1998. He was also on the team for the Copas America in 1989 and 1995. In the latter Copas America tournament, Balbo partnered with Claudio Taffarel. Argentina eventually lost the infamous game with a penalty shootout that gave Brazil an equalizer with 10 minutes to go in the game.

After retiring from professional football, Balbo pursued a musical career and performed songs in Italian and in Spanish. In 2007, he became a UEFA Pro coach. He also works as a football commentator for the station RAI Radio 1. In 2009, he succeeded Luca Gotti as manager for the Treviso Club. He stepped down after a few rounds.