Mario Fortunato

Mario Fortunato
	Fortunato with Boca Juniors
Personal information
Full name	Mario Francisco Fortunato
Date of birth	1905
Place of birth	Argentina
Date of death	10 November 1970 (Aged 65)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1925–1926	Boca Juniors
1927–1929	Huracán
1929	Boca Juniors
1932	Sportivo Barracas
National team
1925–1926	Argentina
Teams managed
1930–1936	Boca Juniors
1937	Ferro Carril Oeste
1944	Botafogo
1946	Boca Juniors
–1950–	Lanús
1953	Ferro Carril Oeste
1954–1955	Estudiantes
1956	Boca Juniors
	Racing Club
	Chacarita Juniors
	Rosario Central
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Mario Francisco Fortunato (1904 – 10 January 1970) was an Argentine football player and manager. Fortunato won three championships as a player with Boca Juniors and went on to lead the club to four Primera División and one National cup as manager.

Playing career[]

Club[]

Fortunato began playing for Boca Juniors in 1925, he made his debut on 1 September in a 2–0 win against Palermo. He played for the club until 1926, winning three titles in those years: Copa de Competencia Jockey Club (1925), Primera División (1926) and Copa Estímulo (also in 1926).

In 1927 he joined Huracán where he played until 1929. He returned to Boca and played 3 more games for the club in September and October 1929.

Fortunato retired early due to a knee injury, but continued to play in the Argentine amateur league with Sportivo Barracas in the 1932 season.

National team[]

Fortunato played 11 games for Argentina, making his debut in a 2–0 win against Paraguay on 29 November 1925. He was part of the squad for the 1926 South American Championship (current "Copa América") where Argentina finished as runners up.^[1]

Managerial career[]

Fortunato became manager of Boca Juniors in 1930 at the age of 26. He led the team to four league titles in 1930, 1931, 1934 and 1935.^[2] He returned to the club in 1946 and 1956 and amassed 351 games in charge of the club. Of these games he won 226, drew 57 and lost 68.

Fortunato also served as the manager of Ferro Carril Oeste,^[3] Racing, Chacarita Juniors, Botafogo of Brazil, Rosario Central and Estudiantes de La Plata. In 1950 he led Club Atlético Lanús to the second division championship.^[4]