Argentinian football genius they nicknamed
Pitón (The Python)
Why would anyone get a nickname like “The Python”? In Ardiles’s case he was given the nickname in his native Cordoba because of his snake-like dribbling skills when learning to play football in the city streets.
He learned it so successfully that it wasn’t long before, in 1973, Instituto de Cordoba signed him as a player. The following year he went to Belgrano; from there to Huracan, and thence, 1978-1988, after the 1978 World Cup (won by Argentina), to Tottenham Hotspur.
By then he had given up studying for a law degree. Becoming a professional footballer was, he felt, more important as a career move. He made 236 appearances for Spurs as a competitive (he was only 5 ft 7 inches tall) central midfielder, scoring 16 goals.
In his third season with the London club he helped Spurs win the FA Cup. It was also in England that Osvaldo Cesar Ardiles became known as Ossie. He became a cult hero along with Glenn Hoddle and fellow Argentinian Ricardo Villa.
