Jorge Roldán

Jorge Roldán Popol (born 1941?), known popularly as "El Grillo" ("cricket") is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder.

Roldán played almost his entire career for the local team Aurora FC, being perhaps the most emblematic individual ever for that club. He also became a member and later captain of the Guatemala national team, participating in the 1968 Olympic Games and in two World Cup qualifying campaigns.

He has managed clubs in Guatemala for over three decades, and has coached the national team at all levels. He is the last Guatemalan coach to win the domestic league title.

Playing career

Roldán debuted in the Guatemalan "Liga Mayor" with Aurora in 1958, at the age of 17, under coach Rubén Amorín. He helped Aurora win three national league titles in four years, in the 1964, 1966, and 1967-68 seasons, the first three championships ever won by the club. He played for Aurora from 1958 to 1973, and went on to become their captain; he scored 111 goals in all competitions for the club, being their highest goalscorer ever.es icon cite web |url=http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/16.html | author= | publisher="Prensa Libre"| title="Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol" (Aurora FC profile) | accessdate=2007-01-20]

He was the first Guatemalan footballer ever to play professionally for a club in Spain, when he did it with Hércules CF in 1972. [es icon cite web
url=http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/hemeroteca/2002/09/10/1224841.shtml
publisher="La Voz de Galicia S.A"
title="El Tanque ya alcanza objetivos"
accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web
url=http://www.lahora.com.gt/02/07/15/paginas/deportes.htm#n1
author= | publisher="Diario La Hora"
title="Un tanque en España"
accessdate=2007-01-20]

Roldán played for the national youth squad that won the 1958 "Juegos Centroamericanos Juveniles".es icon cite web |url=http://www.prensalibre.com.gt/pl/2006/diciembre/19/158948.html | author= | publisher="Prensa Libre"| title="Jorge Roldán: Falta confianza" (interview with Jorge Roldán) | accessdate=2007-01-20] [es icon cite web |url=http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/05.html | author= | publisher="Prensa Libre"| title="Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - 1950-1959" | accessdate=2007-01-20] He was the captain of the Guatemala team that qualified to and reached quarterfinals in the 1968 Olympic tournament. Later, he played in two matches during the 1970 World Cup qualification process and in six matches at the 1974 qualifying rounds.

He retired from playing in 1974, and became a coach shortly after.

Coaching career

Roldán has coached several teams, notably his former playing club Aurora. In 1975, he led them to their fourth league title; he also won the IX "Copa Fraternidad" in 1979, and won league titles again in 1986 and in the 1992-93 season, being, as of 2006, the last domestic coach to win a national title in Guatemala. The 1992-93 title was also the last championship won by Aurora.

Roldán has also coached the Guatemala national team, during part of the 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign (where he was substituted by Rubén Amorín), [es icon cite web
url=http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/08.html
author= | publisher="Prensa Libre"
title="Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - 1980-1989"
accessdate=2007-01-21] at the 1988 Olympic tournament, and at the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup. In 2004, prior to the qualifying tournament for the 2006 World Cup, he was named "Director General" of the national football teams. [es icon cite web |url=http://www.lahora.com.gt/04/03/23/paginas/deportes.htm | author= | publisher="Diario La Hora"| title="Se terminó la espera - Selección de fútbol con nuevo técnico" | accessdate=2007-01-20]

Honours

As a player
* Guatemalan "Liga Mayor" winner: 1964, 1966, 1967-68
* Highest goalscorer in the history of Aurora FC (111)
* In 1999, the IFFHS voted Roldán the third best Guatemalan player of the 20th Century, and 31st in CONCACAF. [cite web |url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html#cnpoy | author=Stokkermans, Karel | publisher=RSSSF | title=IFFHS' Century Elections | accessdate=2006-12-17]

As a coach
* Guatemalan "Liga Mayor" winner: 1975, 1986, 1992-93
* "Copa Fraternidad": 1979

References

Further reading

* [http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/15.html Short biography]

External links

* [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=57077/index.html FIFA.com - Individual record at FIFA tournaments]