Óscar Villegas

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villegas and the second or maternal family name is Cámara.
Óscar Villegas
Personal information
Full name Óscar Adolfo Villegas Cámara
Date of birth (1970-04-15) 15 April 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth Cochabamba, Bolivia
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bolivia (manager)
Youth career
Enrique Happ
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Aurora
1988–1992 Bolívar
1992–1993 San José
1994 Jorge Wilstermann (4)
1994–1996 San José
1997 Real Santa Cruz
1999 Independiente Petrolero
Managerial career
1999 Real Potosí (assistant)
2000–2002 Aurora (youth)
2002–2003 Independiente de Quillacollo
2003–2004 Jorge Wilstermann (youth)
2004–2005 Aurora (youth)
2004 Aurora (interim)
2005–2006 Aurora
2007–2009 Bolivia U17
2007–2009 Bolivia U20
2010–2014 Bolívar (youth)
2014 Always Ready
2015–2018 Bolívar (youth)
2016 Bolívar (interim)
2019 Bolivia (assistant)
2020 Always Ready (assistant)
2021 Blooming (assistant)
2022–2023 Always Ready (youth)
2022 Always Ready (interim)
2023 Always Ready
2023 Always Ready (reserves)
2023 Always Ready (interim)
2024 Always Ready
2024 Always Ready (youth)
2024– Bolivia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Óscar Adolfo Villegas Cámara (born 15 April 1970) is a Bolivian football manager and former player who played as a forward. He is the current manager of the Bolivia national team.

Playing career

Born in Cochabamba, Villegas began his career with Enrique Happ, and made his senior debut with Aurora at the age of 17. In the following year, he moved to Bolívar.[1]

Villegas subsequently represented San José, Jorge Wilstermann and Real Santa Cruz before signing for Independiente Petrolero for the 1999 season. However, he suffered a knee injury and subsequently retired.[2]

Coaching career

Shortly after retiring, Villegas joined Rosario Martínez's staff at Real Potosí.[2] He then returned to Aurora as a youth coach, and later worked at Independiente de Quillacollo.[3]

After a period at Wilstermann, Villegas returned to Aurora in 2004; initially a manager of the youth sides, he was named manager in March 2004 after Julio Zamora was sacked, but was dismissed in September and subsequently replaced by Juan Carlos Fernández.[4]

Villegas returned to Aurora in 2005, again replacing Zamora, but was replaced by Luis Islas in April 2006.[5] He then returned after Islas left, but was himself replaced in August by Luis Galarza.[6]

In 2007, Villegas was hired by the Bolivian Football Federation, and was manager of their under-17 and under-20 sides. In 2010, he returned to Bolívar, working as manager of the youth categories, and spent the 2014 season in charge of Always Ready after they established a partnership with Bolívar to act as their "B" team.

On 25 April 2016, Villegas was named interim manager of Bolívar, replacing Rubén Darío Insúa.[7] He returned to his previous role in May after the appointment of Beñat San José,[8] and left the club in December 2018, as his youth role was occupied by Wálter Flores.[9]

Villegas subsequently worked as an assistant of his brother at the Bolivia national team, Always Ready and Blooming.[10] On 22 April 2022, he returned to Always, being named manager of the youth categories.[11]

In September 2022, Villegas was named manager of Always Ready until the end of the season, after Julio César Baldivieso was sacked.[12] He returned to his previous role after the season ended, but was again an interim in May, after Claudio Biaggio left; on 8 May 2023, he was permanently named manager of the club,[13] but returned to the youth setup the following 30 March due to health issues.[14]

On 19 July 2024, Villegas was appointed as manager of the Bolivia national team, taking over all categories.[15]

Personal life

Villegas' older brother Eduardo was also a footballer, and is also a manager. Both played together at San José in 1994 and later worked together for three years.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Sembrador de esperanzas" [Sower of hopes] (in Spanish). El Diario. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Los Villegas de Bolívar" [The Villegas from Bolívar] (in Spanish). Club Bolívar. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Villegas, formador de talentos en la Academia paceña" [Villegas, talent maker in the paceña Academy] (in Spanish). Opinión. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Aurora reanuda entrenamientos el lunes" [Aurora return to trainings on Monday.] (in Spanish). Agencia de Noticias Fides. 11 November 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Luis Islas hará su segunda experiencia como DT en el Aurora boliviano" [Luis Islas will have his second experience as manager of Bolivian Aurora] (in Spanish). Infobae. 17 April 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Aurora se juega su última carta frente a Wilstermann" [Aurora play their last cards against Wilstermann.] (in Spanish). Agencia de Noticias Fides. 12 August 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Oscar Villegas, un hombre de la casa reemplaza a Insúa" [Oscar Villegas, a man of the hous replaces Insúa] (in Spanish). Late!. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Español Beñat San José dirigirá al club boliviano Bolívar" [Spaniard Beñat San José will manage the Bolivian club Bolívar] (in Spanish). La Información. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Wálter Flores dirigirá la cantera del club celeste" [Wálter Flores will manage the youth setup of the blues] (in Spanish). Página Siete. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Óscar Villegas: "Vamos a demostrar que tenemos la capacidad para reponernos"" [Óscar Villegas: "We will demonstrate that we have the capacity to rebuild each others"] (in Spanish). El Deber. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Always Ready apuesta por Oscar Villegas" [Always Ready bet on Oscar Villegas] (in Spanish). El Diario. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Óscar Villegas anuncia que es el DT de Always Ready hasta el final del Clausura" [Óscar Villegas announces he is the manager of Always Ready until the end of the Clausura] (in Spanish). Premium Sports Bolivia. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Always Ready decide que Óscar Villegas sea el DT titular" [Always Ready decide that Óscar Villegas is the incumbent manager] (in Spanish). Premium. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Óscar Villegas dejó la dirección técnica de Always Ready" [Óscar Villegas left the technical direction of Always Ready] (in Spanish). El Deber. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Óscar Villegas takes over Bolivian national team". bluewin.ch. Retrieved 20 July 2024.