Before Maradona and Messi: The Tragic Tale of Oreste Corbatta
It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
The Overlap
4.9 • 667 Ratings
🗓️ 26 August 2025
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast.
This week co-hosts Rob Draper and Jonathan Wilson delve into the life of OrestesCorbatta, a legendary Argentine footballer whose story combines brilliance and tragedy. Known for his dazzling dribbling skills and audacious playstyle, Corbatta played a crucial role in Argentina's 1957 Campeonato Sudamericano win. However, despite his football genius, Corbatta's life was marred by alcoholism and personal struggles.
The episode explores his rise from a rural town to becoming a national icon, his struggles with illiteracy, and the personal traumas that impacted his career. Draper and Wilson also discuss the broader significance of Corbatta's style in the context of Argentine football, drawing parallels to legends like Maradona and Messi.
Join us as we remember the poetic yet tragic life of Omar Orestes Corbatta, a player whose legacy continues to influence Argentine football today.
00:00 Introduction
01:31 The Significance of the 1957 Campeonato Sudamericano
04:39 The Evolution of Argentinian Football
09:34 The Five Simbas and Their Impact
16:08 The Role of Radio in Argentinian Football Culture
19:31 The Decline and Shift in Argentinian Football
23:42 The Duality of Argentinian Football: Beauty and Cynicism
26:15 The Tragic Figure of Coba
27:25 Early Life and Struggles
29:49 Rise to Fame and Personal Challenges
33:50 The Decline Begins
38:46 Final Years and Legacy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Do you know why my rivals could not take the ball away from me? |
| 0:10.0 | Because she didn't want to abandon me. Other things were indeed taken away from me, but not the bull. |
| 0:16.0 | Well, welcome to it was what it was with me, Rob Traper, and with Jonathan Wilson. |
| 0:20.0 | That was the extremely poetic quote from the great Argentinian player, Omar Arreste Corbata, |
| 0:28.7 | an absolute genius of a player, a key to their 1957 Campionato, Sudio-Americano win. |
| 0:35.2 | But I guess something of like the George Best of Argentinian football, |
| 0:39.7 | absolutely genius, but someone who's blighted by alcoholism and will live ultimately a very |
| 0:46.9 | tragic life. He may not be a name you're familiar with, but his story is utterly compelling. |
| 0:52.9 | And Jonathan, he is a player you've written |
| 0:55.4 | about a lot and you wanted to tell this story today and I think it's really worthwhile listening |
| 1:01.4 | to. Yeah, he's a brilliant left-winger. We'll talk about why the 57 Campionadadis |
| 1:08.0 | Americano is so important to Argentinians. |
| 1:12.5 | I think that that quote there's so much in there once you start looking. |
| 1:14.7 | The fact he feminizes the ball |
| 1:16.2 | that she didn't want to abandon me |
| 1:18.3 | because he's abandoned by a lot of women. |
| 1:20.5 | Or as he would see it, he's abandoned by a lot of women. |
| 1:22.3 | I guess we shouldn't necessarily blame them |
| 1:24.3 | for leaving him. |
| 1:25.8 | But the one woman who never leaves him is the ball. |
| 1:29.8 | But I think actually a good place to start is in 1957. |
| 1:38.5 | Not at that Campanato Citt American. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Overlap, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Overlap and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.