*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 12, 2008
Horacio Raúl "Pepa" Baldessari (born 21 November 1958 in
Córdoba) is a former
Argentine football
striker who played professionally in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru during the late 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. He also managed some clubs after his retirement, but currently works as a football analyst.
Club career
He began his career in 1975 with modest club
Sportivo Belgrano, but joined
Belgrano de Córdoba the following season. In 1978, he went abroad to play for Bolivian side
Blooming. Years later he would also play for
Oriente Petrolero,
Bolívar and
Destroyers. During his spell in the
Bolivian league, he scored a total of 161 goals, placing his name eight in the list of all-time topscorers. Even though Baldessari became a naturalized Bolivian, he was never considered as an option for the
national team. In 1988, he returned to Argentina and played for his beloved
Belgrano de Córdoba once again. By 1990, he transferred to Peruvian side
Deportivo Municipal before signing with popular team
Sporting Cristal the following year. At first he was heavily questioned by club fans and the media about his age; nonetheless, La Pepa proved them wrong and finished the season as the topscorer that year with 25 goals, and consequently helped Cristal win the 1991 Peruvian title. Baldessari always admitted having spent the best years of his career playing for the cerveceros because he received so many affections that made him feel like at home. After his retirement in 1993, Baldessari settled in
Lima, and became a football analyst for several television and radio networks.