Dante Pesce
Chilean footballer (1930–2013)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
José Dante Pesce Figueroa (8 October 1930 – 23 June 2013), known as Dante Pesce, was a Chilean football player and manager who played as a forward. Besides Chile, he played in Ecuador.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Dante Pesce Figueroa[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Santiago, Chile | ||
| Date of death | 23 June 2013 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Santiago, Chile | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Universidad de Chile | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1950–1954 | Universidad de Chile | ||
| 1954 | → LDU Quito (loan) | ||
| 1955–1960 | Green Cross | ||
| 1961 | Universidad Católica | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1961 | Green Cross (youth) | ||
| 1961 | Green Cross | ||
| 1963 | ACF (youth) | ||
| 1963–1964 | San Luis | ||
| 1965 | Unión Española | ||
| 1965 | Universidad Católica (assistant) | ||
| 1965 | Iberia | ||
| 1965 | Concepción-Lord | ||
| 1966 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1967 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1968 | O'Higgins | ||
| 1968–1970 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1970 | Coquimbo Unido | ||
| 1971 | Palestino | ||
| 1972–1973 | Lota Schwager | ||
| 1975 | Audax Italiano | ||
| 1976 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1977–1979 | Universidad de Chile (youth) | ||
| 1980 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1981 | Santiago Wanderers | ||
| 1981–1982 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1984 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| 1986 | Provincial Osorno | ||
| 1999 | Deportes La Serena (youth) | ||
| 1999 | Deportes La Serena | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
As player
A forward from the Universidad de Chile youth system, Pesce made his debut on 29 April 1950 in a 4–3 win against Universidad Católica, scoring the first goal. In 1954, he was loaned to Ecuadorian side Liga de Quito, scoring a goal in the first official match in the club history.[2][3] He and his compatriot Carlos Arce[4] became the first Chileans to play for them before players such as Pedro Pérez, Adolfo Ovalle, Edson Puch, among others.[5]
Back in Chile, he played for Green Cross until 1960[6][7] and Universidad Católica in the 1961 Copa Chile Green Cross, scoring two goals in the final match.[8]
As manager
He developed his career in Chile. Subsequently, his retirement, he began coaching Green Cross in the top division.[9] In that division, he also led San Luis,[10] Unión Española,[11] Deportes La Serena,[12][1] O'Higgins[13] and Lota Schwager.[14]
In the second division, he led Iberia, Coquimbo Unido, Palestino,[15] Audax Italiano, Deportes La Serena, Santiago Wanderers and Provincial Osorno.[7]
At youth level, he worked in the systems of Green Cross, Universidad de Chile[16] and Deportes La Serena. In 1963, he also coached a youth team made up by players from clubs in the Asociación Central de Fútbol (ACF) in a national championship in Arica.[7]
In addition, he served as assistant in Universidad Católica in 1965[7] and was the third manager of Concepción-Lord, later Deportes Concepción, in the 1965 regional championship.[17]
Personal life
He made an appearance in the 1988 German film Der Radfahrer vom San Cristóbal (The Cyclist of San Cristóbal) by Peter Lilienthal, about a cyclist in the context of the Chilean society in the 1980s.[18]
He suffered the Alzheimer's disease and died on 23 June 2013.[2][19]
Legacy
Pesce was a founder member of the Association of Football Managers in Chile alongside coaches such as Fernando Riera, Hugo Tassara, José Santos Arias, among others.[20]
As a football coach of Deportes La Serena, he is considered a forefather of football academies in La Serena.[21]