Ricardo Enrique Bochini
Ricardo Enrique Bochini (Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina, January 25, 1954) is an Argentine former soccer player, widely considered the greatest idol in the history of Independiente. His position was hook, going down in history as one of the most outstanding representatives of the position, and becoming an archetype of the player who wears the number 10 jersey.
He made his debut on June 25, 1972 at Independiente, the club where he played his entire career. In Independiente he was the protagonist of the “golden era” of the club, and the competitions conquered at that time had him as the protagonist. Bochini had an exceptional career for a soccer player, winning a huge number of national and international titles: with Independiente he won 5 Copa Libertadores (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1984), 3 Inter-American Cups (1973, 1974 and 1976), 2 Intercontinental Cups (1973 and 1984), 2 Argentine First Division championships (1983 and 1989) and 2 National championships (1977 and 1978).
He was international with the Argentine soccer team from 1973 to 1986, and won the World Cup in Mexico '86.
He retired in 1991, leaving behind 19 years as one of the greatest symbols of soccer worldwide, in a career where he played 714 games, scored 108 goals and although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that he scored more than 200 passes-goal.
He also won as individual distinctions the awards for Argentine Soccer Player of the Year (1983), 3rd place for South American Soccer Player of the Year (1984), member of the Ideal Team of America (1989), the Diploma of Merit at the Konex Awards of Sports (1990) and member of the AFA Hall of Fame (2007).
He is part of the Olympus of Independiente's greatest idols, along with other players such as Seoane, Orsi, Erico, Sastre, De La Mata, Bello, Cervino, Grillo, Varacka, Navarro, Santoro, Pastoriza, Yazalde, Artime, Pavoni, Bertoni, Galván, Rojas, Trossero, Villaverde, Giusti, Clausen, Burruchaga and Ríos, among many others.
Bochini stood out for his exceptional style of play, for his sense of location on the court, his mapping of every corner of the playing field, his mental speed, his dribbling skills, his efficiency in managing efforts physical against rivals much more physically powerful than him, and his millimeter passes that left his teammates face to face with the goal, which is why they came to be called "bochinesco passes". Bochini became one of the quintessential icons of football in Argentina, due to his quality as a benchmark in the orchestration of attacking plays for his team, his creation, management and definition of attacks, his ability to disarm the bolt of rival defenses with simple and surprising movements, and the fact of having played his entire career in Independiente. He became a phenomenon that took fans of all clubs to watch Independiente matches just to see him play. He earned a privilege reserved for very few players: being applauded by rival fans. Diego Maradona himself stated that his main influence on the development of his style of play was Bochini.
His name has become a legend in the history of sports, and to this day his memory remains in clubs, streets, plaques, statues, books and tributes dedicated to him by soccer lovers. The stadium of the Independiente club bears his name.
Trajectory
Inferior
Bochini began playing in 1964, at the age of 10, in the lower ranks of the Belgrano de Zárate club, his hometown. In his childhood he admired players like José Sanfilippo, Alberto Rendo, Carlos "Toti" Veglio and Ángel Clemente Rojas, "Rojitas".
In 1969, already at the age of 15, he went to try out in Boca, but due to difficulties in moving to practice, he gave up continuing. However, his luck changed a short time later when Miguel Ángel Giachello, the glory of Independiente, took him to this club. In 1970 Belgrano de Zárate agreed to give him a loan with a purchase option, and he was accepted by Nito Veiga and Ernesto Díaz to add him to the seventh division of Club Atlético Independiente. There began the first milestones of Bocha with Rojo de Avellaneda.
Years & #39;70: waterfall of titles and rapid consolidation
He made his first division debut in 1972 at River Plate stadium when coach Pedro Dellacha brought him on after 74 minutes (he was 18 years old at the time).
Bochini quickly established himself and soon began to give brilliant performances, such as the hattrick he gave Racing in 1974. He was the main emblem of an Independiente team from the years '70 who won it all. In that team there were both established players and young players. Among the first were the goalkeeper "Pepé" Santoro and the left back "Chivo" Pavoni. Among the seconds were Bochini himself and the right wing Daniel Bertoni. Precisely between these two they would form a lethal duo that would become famous for its walls and associated plays. Against Juventus in 1973, between the two of them they would make lethal walls that would end in a goal for Bocha, giving Red their first Intercontinental Cup.
But in itself, that entire Independiente team was solid in all its lines. In defense they had Commisso, López, Sá and Pavoni, known at that time as "the iron defense" for their physical strength. In midfield he had three number 5s, or central midfielders, who were tireless, firm and creative, and assisted each other to keep the team in order: Galván, Semenewicz and Raimondo. And up front Bochini himself, his accomplice in plays Bertoni, plus the contribution of forward troops who were parading, such as Agustín Balbuena, Eduardo Maglioni and Percy Rojas, who had the entire field prepared thanks to the work of their teammates behind, and they could be released to deploy their offensive abilities.
In the '70s Independiente was the strongest team in all of America, winning 8 cups: 4 Libertadores (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975), 3 Inter-American (1974, 1975 and 1976) and 1 Intercontinental (1973).
Around the late '70s, Independiente would form another formidable team that would star in the Argentine National Championships (knockout tournaments). The team had already changed but the mystique was still intact. Proof of this is a particular episode that occurred in 1977 that has already become a legend among soccer fans, and that even led to the creation of a book referring to those events.
Independiente had qualified for the final of the 1977 National Championship and had to play against Talleres de Córdoba. The first leg in Avellaneda had ended in a 1-1 draw. For the return in Córdoba, in the previous one there was a suspicion of match fixing, since the military regime was sympathetic to the Córdoba club. These suspicions were confirmed in the match: Independiente was winning 1-0, but the referee validated a penalty, a goal with a handball, and sent off 3 Independiente players. It seemed that the victory was Cordoba. But then the figure of Bochini appeared, and he orchestrated a masterful play with his teammates Bertoni and Biondi, ending in a goal by Bocha himself and giving the overall result the trophy to Independiente.
The following year he was once again a decisive figure in obtaining a title, by beating River Independiente 2-0 in the final of the 1978 National Championship, with those 2 goals being scored by Bochini himself, scoring an outstanding page more in his career.
The 1980s: more titles, individual distinctions and maturity
With Nito Veiga as technical director, Independiente threatened a couple of times at the beginning of the 80s with winning the title, but on both occasions (Metropolitan 1982 and Nacional 1983) a very good team of Estudiantes from La Plata, one of the best teams in the history of that club, kept the trophy. However, something was beginning to take shape, a great team was being built.
In 1983 Independiente finally conquered the Metropolitan title, with very good performances by Bochini, who had a great playing partner who finally exploded in that tournament, Jorge Burruchaga. Among the hundreds of players with whom Bocha shared teams throughout his long career, Burru would be one of the players who got along best with him. Bocce. Burruchaga was a supportive player with deployment and multifunctionality, who executed both offensive and recovery tasks, and who assumed a kind of role of rhythm guitar assisting the lead guitar of his team. team (Bochini in Independiente, Maradona in the Argentine soccer team), for all this he was a very good complement to Bocha in these times.
For his outstanding performance in the Independiente campaign that led to the Metropolitano '83 title, Bochini received the Argentine Soccer Player of the Year award that year.
In Independiente a solid team was formed, complete in all lines, with great players in all their positions, one of the best in the entire history of Independiente. The defense was firm but also exquisite in its handling with the foot, and had Clausen, Villaverde, Trossero and Enrique. The best thing was the midfield: figures of the stature of Giusti, Marangoni, Bochini himself and Burruchaga, a midfield with great endurance, solidarity, deployment and abilities both to recover and to attack. And ahead were two strikers with the ability to define in a time of boom in very tough defensive locks: Barberón and Percudani. This Independiente team was exceptional, and it was not for nothing that it was the Independiente team that contributed the most to a world champion Argentine team; 4 of the players mentioned were in the squad that would win the World Cup in Mexico '86: Clausen, Burruchaga, Giusti and Bochini.
The 1984 Copa Libertadores campaign was exceptional, Independiente had polished its game and was already a highly developed team. He reached the final of the cup, where he had to play against Gremio, the tactical beating that Independiente gave the Brazilians was such, beating them 1-0 as visitors in Brazil, that the next day the Brazilian newspapers gave all the teams a 10. Independent players. That was how Independiente won its seventh Libertadores de América.
At the end of that year Independiente left for Japan to play the Intercontinental Cup, which since the 1980 edition (February 1981) was played in the land of the rising sun. They had to face Liverpool, in a rarefied climate: it was the first time that an Argentine team played against an English one after the Malvinas War. An early goal from Percudani gave victory to Independiente, who won the Intercontinental.
In recognition of his exceptional campaign that year with Independiente, Bochini was awarded 3rd place for South American Soccer Player of the Year.
As the decade of the '80s comes to an end, a greater maturity of Bochini is observed, now without the elasticity or speed of his youthful times, but replacing it with the experience gained and exceptional abilities of mapping the field of play, orchestrating plays, efficiency in the management of physical energy and perfecting his subtle and precise touches. He continued to have his sharp aim to score goals, and if in the 70s Racing was the main victim of Bocha's goals, in the 80s it became Boca, with remembered goals such as those he scored against him in the first and second rounds of the 1988/89 championship, taking out of the way what was the only team that was competing for the title against Red.
At the beginning of 1988 he threatened to go to Boca with his teammates Marangoni and Barberón, and his former technical director José Omar Pastoriza, but everything came to nothing and, although they left, he continued at Independiente.
That same year he began the campaign that would lead him to a new national title. Bochini, already with the years behind him but with great experience and perfection in mapping the field and lethal passes, was crucial for Independiente to win the 1989 First Division championship.
In 1989 he was a great figure in leading the Independiente team through the Super Cup, and would reach the final against Boca, although after two goalless draws Independiente would lose on penalties.
Final stretch and retirement
In 1990 he was once again the host of a particular Copa Libertadores campaign where Independiente achieved its biggest international victory, destroying the Venezuelan Pepeganga 6-0. Even so, in the quarterfinals Independiente would be eliminated by River.
In November 1990, he won the Diploma of Merit in the soccer category at the Konex Awards of the Sports edition, in recognition of his sporting career during the decade.
But Bochini already felt like he was saying goodbye. In the early 1990s his father died, which saddened him. He began to notice that the passage of time began despite him and that his physical ability disappeared, he could no longer dodge attacks from his rivals that he had previously dodged without problems.
On May 5, 1991, in a home game between Independiente and Estudiantes that would end in a 1-1 draw, he received a ball in three quarters of the field and was about to head towards the rival goal as he always did, when suddenly, a violent kick from defender Pablo Erbín to the knee destroyed him. The Bocha fell injured onto the playing field and was taken off on a stretcher, before the astonished gaze of the Red fans who couldn't believe what was happening with his idol. The severity of the injury was such that Bochini announced his withdrawal from the courts.
Thus came to an end an exceptional career of 19 years, 714 games, 108 goals, 4 national tournaments and 10 international cups, all under the same jersey: Independiente's. Thus closed the story of one of the greatest soccer players in the world in all history.
After retirement
Tributes
In 2005, to celebrate the centenary of the founding of Independiente, the club built a bronze statue of Bochini, which is located at the club's headquarters in Avellaneda.
In 2006 the Deliberative Council of the city of Avellaneda, in the province of Buenos Aires, granted a request from a group of members of Club Atlético Independiente and decided to baptize with the name "Ricardo Enrique Bochini" a section of Cordero street (understood between Alsina and the railroad tracks). The project was presented by Javier Cantero and Jorge Alonso, two fans and members of the Independent Club, who complied with the management to persuade the Councilors of the Deliberative Council of Avellaneda and in this way honor the idol, which according to the authors of the project: & #34;is an important part of the culture of Avellaneda".[citation needed] Since July 17, 2007, the street of the stadium of the club for the that Bochini played for almost 20 years bears his name.
In October 2007, he was enthroned in the AFA Gallery of Fame, made in honor of the best Argentine players in history.
Also in his honor since 2008 a stadium bears his name. It is the stadium of Club Atlético Famaillá from the city of the same name in the province of Tucumán, affiliated with the Tucumana Soccer League. The "Ricardo Enrique Bochini Stadium" it has capacity for 4,000 people and is located in a tourist area where there is a spa and an artificial lake, and where different festivities are held annually, among which the "National Empanada Festival" and the "National Twins Festival".
Apart from being recognized by different institutions, he is recognized by soccer fans, who when they see him either inside a field or outside taking a walk, burst out with cheers of "¡Bo-Bo -chini!" around him.
"Symbolic" return
On February 25, 2007, Bochini again participated in an official match. He did it for 42 minutes for Barracas Bolívar.
This was in a match corresponding to the sixth date of Zone 57 of the Interior Tournament, fifth division of Argentine soccer.
The match, in which the team's qualification to the next round was at stake, ended with a 2-1 result in favor of the Bocha squad.
Super 8 and another "return" symbolic with Red
Finally, on July 19, 2009, a Veterans Tournament called Super 8 was inaugurated, in which 8 teams representing squads participating in the Argentine First Division Tournament participate.
Precisely, Ricardo Bochini once again wore the Independiente shirt, facing the Boca Juniors team in the opening match.
Bochini played the 30' initials and was replaced at 15 & ' of the second time.
Although that match was won by Boca Juniors 2-0, it meant the return of Bochini with the Rojo de Avellaneda jersey.
National team
In addition to his career with Independiente, Bochini had a career with the Argentine soccer team that is particularly among the longest in the history of this team, with a career that spanned 13 years.
The truth is that Bochini had a career in the national team marked by intermittencies. Throughout his career he was called up several times for the Albiceleste , but he never finished winning the preference of the technicians who led him. He contributed to the fact that he was part of an exceptionally good generation of Argentine hookers, for which he always had to deal with some other competitor, such as Babington, Valencia, Gorosito, Sabella, Alonso, and Diego Armando Maradona.
Bochini made his debut in the Argentine soccer team in 1973 as part of the ghost team that had to prepare physically in the north of Argentina for the game at the height of Bolivia for the qualifiers for the World Cup in Football in 1974, in the midst of a climate of great nervousness and anguish. Argentina had not been able to qualify for the '70 World Cup and did not want to repeat the failure. This period, that of the late '60s and early '70s, is particularly dark in the history of the Argentine national team, with a lot of disorganization and missteps. The ghost team was an alternate team; the main one was made up of players already established and who stayed practicing in Buenos Aires. On the other hand, the ghost was made up of several young people who had just started in the world of football, among them Bochini himself and Mario Alberto Kempes, and they had been left practically forgotten and without assistance from the AFA; disorganization reigned at that time in the mother house of Argentine soccer. The players had to make friendlies even to pay for accommodation and travel. Finally they beat the Bolivian team 1-0 and qualified for the 1974 World Cup. Finally Vladislao Cap put together the list of summoned to the World Cup and chose to take Carlos Babington, Miguel Brindisi and Roberto Telch, leaving Enrique Bochini out.
He successfully participated in the first team organized by César Luis Menotti prior to the 1978 World Cup, performing on a tour of the Soviet Union and Poland in memorable matches under heavy snowfall. After several injuries, he was called up again in a series of friendlies that took place at the Boca Juniors stadium. However, in the call for the 1978 World Cup, Menotti opted for José Daniel Valencia, Norberto Alonso and Ricardo Julio Villa, and so Bocha was left out. He did count on him for the 1979 Copa América.
In 1982, he was not called up by Menotti either. This time the Coach preferred Maradona and Osvaldo Ardiles as organizers of the game. Leaving Valencia, Patricio Hernández and Gabriel Calderón as relays. Finally, at Diego's request, Bocha was called up by Carlos Salvador Bilardo for the 1986 World Cup and was even able to play a few minutes, coming on for Jorge Burruchaga with a few minutes left to finish the game against Belgium. Maradona himself told Bocha when he entered the playing field "Pass, Maestro, we were waiting for you" and they combined some walls that messed up the rival defense.
Style of Play
Bochini was an exceptional player in his sense of support for the rest of the team. He had a series of characteristics, such as his sense of location on the pitch, his creativity in organizing collective plays, his mental speed, his millimeter precision in passing, his efficiency in managing energy, his dribbling and individual imbalance, and Lastly, his coolness in maintaining his temper at crucial moments, which led him to be a key player in the operation of his teams.
Because of his location on the pitch, in the words of those who saw him play "he had a map of the pitch in his head". He knew every part of the court in detail and made plays based on the trends that were taking place throughout the game. His proverbial mapping of the field of play led to him having perfect conditions to be a hitch, organizing the plays so that the whole team participated in the search for the goal, which is why he was also called a "director of playing field orchestra". He had outstanding mental speed, he knew where the play was going in the game and based on that he orchestrated a new attack or made a pass that surprisingly changed the game. He possessed a series of unusual abilities that together made him break the defensive bolt that his rivals had set up.
As a consequence of his sense of collective participation, also one of his main characteristics was to assist his teammates with subtle touches so that they convert. Even today, in Argentine soccer, precise passes that leave the striker hand in hand with the goalkeeper are often called "pases bochinescos", outwitting the entire defense. That helped turn a large number of players who were lucky to have him by their side into goalscorers, such as Ruiz Moreno, Norberto Outes, Daniel Astegiano, Marcelo Reggiardo, Carlos Alejandro Alfaro Moreno, Martín Félix Ubaldi and Antonio Alzamendi, among others.
The Bocha also scored goals that were a luxury to behold and always in important matches. His goals against Peñarol in the 1976 Copa Libertadores are remembered (a goal that Maradona would repeat in Mexico 1986 against England), two against Fillol from River Plate in the 1978 Nacional final or against Wirtz in a classic against Racing Club. Perhaps the most beloved goal by the followers of Club Atlético Independiente that Bochini has scored was the one that scored the final draw at 2 against Talleres as a visitor, in the 1977 Nacional final. In that match, 3 players were expelled from his club, but he He managed to score the tie that gave Independiente the title that same afternoon. Episodes like this one also show Bochini's coolness and mettle at crucial moments and despite setbacks.
As the aforementioned goals show, his individual imbalance, his dribbling and his technical ability were also one of Bochini's strong points.
Bochini was a product of the Independiente youth academy, a club known for its "black palate" style, that is, dedication to good play, visually appealing game, plays collective, promotion of players with technique, strong teams in all lines, and exceptional goalscoring effectiveness. That is why Bochini did not take long to establish himself as one of the greatest players who wore the Independiente 10 shirt, a long and illustrious tradition through decades.
Bochini arose at a time when exceptional figures were coming out in the driving position. In the same way, he became part of the triad of the most outstanding "10" along with Diego Maradona and Norberto Alonso. of Argentine soccer in the decades in which this country won the World Cup, leaving an indelible legacy in Argentine soccer history.
Bochini did not stand out for his physical strength, rather he had a weak physique, especially for that time of defenders who were walls and forwards who were tanks. But what he lacked in physical power he made up for with energy efficiency and skill: not wasting energy unnecessarily, mentally anticipating his opponent's charge and moving accordingly, and dribbling off burlier opponents.
For all this, Bochini went down in history as one of the greatest soccer players that Argentina produced of all time.
Quotes about Bochini
"When I saw Bochini coming in, it seemed to me that I touched the sky with my hands, so the first thing I did was throw a wall with him. At that time I felt that I was throwing a wall with God."Diego Armando Maradona
"I only ask God that Bochini play forever, always for Independent, for all the joy of the people."
"Olelé lalá, Bochini is the greatest of national football"
"Chupe, chupe, chupe, don't stop sucking, the Bocha is the biggest of national football"Songs of the Independent Swing dedicated to your idol
"That style of Independent died when Bochini said enough."Nestor Clausen[chuckles]required]
Participations in World Cups
| World | Headquarters | Outcome | Parties | Goles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup 1986 | Mexico Mexico
| Champion | 1 | 0 |
Statistics
| Club | Season | First Division | Metropolitan Tournament | National Tournament | Liguilla Prelibertadores | Copa Libertadores | South American Super Cup | Inter-American Cup | Intercontinental Cup | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | PJ | Goles | ||
 Independent Argentina | 1972 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | 1 |
| 1973 | - | - | 7 | 2 | 14 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 5 | |
| 1974 | - | - | 17 | 8 | 19 | 7 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 18 | |
| 1975 | - | - | 21 | 5 | 14 | 5 | - | - | 7 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 42 | 11 | |
| 1976 | - | - | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 25 | 3 | |
| 1977 | - | - | 39 | 4 | 17 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 56 | 8 | |
| 1978 | - | - | 29 | 5 | 10 | 6 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 46 | 13 | |
| 1979 | - | - | 17 | 3 | 11 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 36 | 5 | |
| 1980 | - | - | 20 | 0 | 15 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 35 | 0 | |
| 1981 | - | - | 30 | 2 | 18 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 48 | 5 | |
| 1982 | - | - | 15 | 2 | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26 | 3 | |
| 1983 | - | - | 35 | 3 | 19 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 54 | 4 | |
| 1984 | - | - | 23 | 4 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 12 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 44 | 7 | |
| 1985 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13 | 1 | |
| 1985/86 | 33 | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 33 | 9 | |
| 1986/87 | 38 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 54 | 9 | |
| 1987/88 | 32 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 32 | 3 | |
| 1988/89 | 33 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 35 | 3 | |
| 1989/90 | 27 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 34 | 1 | |
| 1990/91 | 17 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 18 | 0 | |
| Total | 180 | 23 | 272 | 39 | 175 | 34 | 10 | 1 | 62 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 714 | 106 | |
Honours of Prizes
National Championships
| # | Title | Club | Headquarters | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Championship | Independent
| .svg){kind=small} Córdoba
| 1977 |
| 2 | National Championship | Avellaneda
| 1978 | |
| 3 | First Division Championship | Avellaneda
| 1983 | |
| 4 | First Division Championship | Buenos Aires
| 1988/89 |
International Championships
| # | Title | Club | Headquarters | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copa Libertadores | Independent
|  Montevideo
| 1972 |
| 2 |  Copa Libertadores
| Avellaneda
| 1973 | |
| 3 | Inter-American Cup
| Avellaneda
| 1973 | |
| 4 | Intercontinental Cup |  Rome
| 1973 | |
| 5 | Copa Libertadores |  Santiago
| 1974 | |
| 6 | Inter-American Cup |  Guatemala
| 1974 | |
| 7 | Copa Libertadores | .svg){kind=small} Assumption
| 1975 | |
| 8 | Inter-American Cup
| .svg){kind=small} Caracas
| 1976 | |
| 9 | Copa Libertadores | Avellaneda
| 1984 | |
| 10 | Intercontinental Cup | .svg){kind=small} Tokyo
| 1984 |
| # | Title | Selection | Headquarters | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World Cup Soccer
| Argentina
|  Mexico DF
| 1986 |
Individual awards
| Distinction | Year |
|---|---|
| Argentine footballer of the Year | 1983 |
| South American footballer of the Year (3rd) | 1984 |
| American Ideal Team | 1989 |
| Diploma in the Merit of the Konex Sports Awards | 1990 |
| Member of the Hall of Fame of AFA | 2007 |
| One Club Man Award | 2022 |
Personal life
Since his humble childhood and when he was already in the lower categories of Independiente, he had to help his relatives, work in the family garden, cleaning a wool shop, in construction and a tannery. He had eight siblings, although one of them died as a young man in a car accident.
He has been in a relationship since 1997 with the lawyer Graciela Suñé, they have two children, Ricardo Simón Bochini Suñé and Manuel Enrique Bochini Suñé.
Currently, Bochini works for the Argentine Soccer Association as an observer of young players, who travel twice a week to the field to discover promising youngsters and offer them tests.
He continues to accompany the club with which he conquered soccer glory. For the 2017 Copa Sudamericana final, Bochini, Bertoni, Pavoni and Santoro gave talks to the team to motivate them for the final. Independiente would end up keeping the cup.
He continues to regularly give his opinion on Independiente news, while listening attentively not only to the directors of Rojo de Avellaneda but also to the entire Argentine soccer public.