René Alejandro Pontoni (May 18, 1920, in Santa Fe, Argentina – May 14, 1983) was an Argentine footballer. He played club football in Argentina, Colombia and Brazil as well as representing the Argentina national football team on 19 occasions.

René Pontoni
Pontoni as player of Newell's Old Boys
Personal information
Full name René Alejandro Pontoni
Date of birth (1920-05-18)18 May 1920
Place of birth Santa Fe, Argentina
Date of death 14 April 1983(1983-04-14) (aged 62)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Santa Fe
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1940–1944 Newell's Old Boys 110 (67)
1945–1948 San Lorenzo 102 (66)
1949–1952 Independiente Santa Fe 44 (27)
1953 Portuguesa ? (?)
1954 San Lorenzo (see above)
International career
1942–1947 Argentina 19 (19)
Managerial career
1956 – 1957 Newell's Old Boys
1962 San Lorenzo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 November 2007

Biography

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Pontoni started his career with Gimnasia y Esgrima de Santa Fe before joining Newell's Old Boys in 1940. Pontoni made his debut for the Argentina national team in 1942. He went on to score 19 goals in 19 games for his country, helping them to become South American champions in 1945,[1] 1946[2] and 1947.[3]

In 1944 Pontoni joined San Lorenzo where he helped the team to win the Primera División in 1946. In 1948 he suffered a career threatening injury but he recovered, moving to Colombia in 1949 to play for Independiente Santa Fe where he remained until 1952.

In 1953 Pontoni moved to Brazil, where he spent one season with Portuguesa in São Paulo before returning to Argentina for one last season with San Lorenzo in 1954.

Titles

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News Old Boys

San Lorenzo

Independiente Santa Fe

Argentina

Later years

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In 1963 former Boca Juniors player Mario Boyé and former San Lorenzo de Almagro player René Pontoni, brothers-in-law who had both been members of Argentine national teams, set up a pizzería in Belgrano, Buenos Aires, La Guitarrita, which expanded into a chain, still run by Pontoni's grandson as of 2024.[4] Pontoni also had several spells as a football manager in the lower leagues of Argentine football.

References

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  1. ^ rsssf: Copa America 1945, Argentina squad
  2. ^ rsssf: Copa America 1946, Argentina squad
  3. ^ rsssf: Copa America 1947, Argentina squad
  4. ^ "Home page - History section". La Guitarrita (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 March 2024.