Alex Sabella: Sheffield United player honoured during BBC World Cup coverage following Argentina's explosive win

Following what is already being called one of the most dramatic World Cup finals in history that saw France wrestle a 3-3 draw before Argentina won on penalties, BBC commentators took to discussing former Argentine coaches who passed in recent years.

Among those credited and honoured for the team’s path to victory was Alejandro ‘Alex’ Sabella, a legendary Sheffield United player who played for the Blades in the late 70s/early 80s.

Who was Sheffield United player and Argentina manager Alex Sabella?

Alex Sabella passed away aged 66 in December 2020 following heart difficulties. He was a popular figure among the Blades faithful having joined the Bramall Lane outfit in 1978.

His signing itself is surrounding in folklore. It is believed among fans that he was bought after the club missed out on bagging one young Diego Armando Maradona.

In reality, United had already snapped up Sabella and his fellow Argentine Pedro Verde before manager Harry Haslam and associates, including Star journalist Tony Pritchett, flew to South America and discovered a young Maradona.

He played more than 70 games for United in a two-year spell, scoring eight goals before he left for Yorkshire rivals Leeds United in 1980.

Speaking in 2020, United historian John Garrett told The Star: “Sabella changed the club. He made us quite sexy again in the eyes of the watching football world.

“Sheffield United had been off the radar and on the slide for a couple of years and suddenly we explode into the country that has just staged and won the World Cup to sign a player – not any player, the first of his kind in the English game and once again a first for the Blades.

“Sabella was a new dawn for all, the first player to hang your hat or shirt on since Tony Currie had departed up the M1, and boy did we sign up for it. The problem was that Sabella was a yard and a half ahead of most of the other players out on the park and boy did he look out of place, with his socks rolled down - trying hard to dance as some Third Division defender tried hard to remove his ankles from the rest of his body.”

The former midfielder also played for Estudiantes and Gremio after returning to South America.

After hanging up his boots, he went into management and coached Argentina for three years from 2011 to 2014.

The highlight of his managerial career was leading his home country to the 2014 World Cup final in neighbouring Brazil, where they were beaten 1-0 by Germany after extra-time. Sabella stepped down as manager shortly after the competition.

Commiserations were made by BBC commentators that he did not live to see Argentina bring home the cup at yesterday’s explosive final in Qatar, which saw France’s Kylian Mbappe score three goals in an electric second half, before Gonzalo Montiel took it for Argentina in a penalty shootout.