Fernando Batista

Fernando Batista
Batista as a player of Argentinos Juniors in 1989
Personal information
Full name Fernando Ariel Batista
Date of birth (1970-08-20) 20 August 1970 (age 56)
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position Defender
Youth career
Argentinos Juniors
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 Argentinos Juniors 134 (4)
1993–1995 San Lorenzo 36 (0)
1997–1998 Godoy Cruz 23 (1)
1998–2001 All Boys 59 (3)
International career
1989 Argentina U20
Managerial career
2004–2007 San Lorenzo (youth)
2008–2016 Argentinos Juniors (youth)
2017 Argentina U20 (assistant)
2018 Armenia U18
2018 Armenia U19
2019–2021 Argentina U20
2019–2021 Argentina U23
2022–2023 Venezuela U23
2023–2025 Venezuela
2026 Costa Rica
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fernando Ariel Batista (born 20 August 1970) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a defender. He most recently managed the Costa Rica national team.

Playing career

Born in Buenos Aires, Batista started his playing career with Argentine top flight side Argentinos Juniors, where he made 134 league appearances and scored four goals. He moved to San Lorenzo in 1993, playing for two seasons at the club.

In 1997, Batista signed for Godoy Cruz in the Argentine second division. He joined All Boys in the following year, playing for three seasons before retiring in 2001, aged 30.

International career

Batista represented Argentina at under-20 level at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Managerial career

Early career

Batista began his coaching career with the youth sides of San Lorenzo, joining the club in 2004. He returned to Argentinos Juniors in 2008, being a youth coach and coordinator until 2016.

In 2017, Batista was a part of Claudio Úbeda's staff at the Argentina national under-20 team, being his assistant in the 2017 South American U-20 Championship and the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In January 2018, he was appointed manager of the Armenia national under-19 team.

On 20 December 2018, Batista returned to Argentina's under-20 side, being appointed manager in the place of Lionel Scaloni who had just been promoted to the full side. He finished second in the 2019 South American U-20 Championship, qualifying the nation to the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they were knocked out by Mali in the round of 16.

Batista was also in charge of the under-23 team in the 2020 Summer Olympics, with Argentina being knocked out in the group stage. He departed his role as under-20 and under-23 manager on 30 November 2021.

Venezuela national team

After departing the Argentina youth sides, Batista joined José Pékerman's staff at the Venezuela national team; an assistant of the full side, he was also named manager of the under-23 squad. He led the side to the final of the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament, losing to hosts France.

On 10 March 2023, Batista was appointed manager of the Venezuela national team, replacing Pékerman. His first match in charge of the side occurred on 15 June, a 1–0 friendly win over Honduras, and he ended the year with only one loss in eight official matches, notably leaving the side in the fourth position of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Batista led the Vinotinto to a perfect group stage in the 2024 Copa América, winning all three matches against Ecuador, Mexico and Jamaica. However, his side was knocked out by Canada on penalties in the quarterfinals.

After a 6-3 loss to Colombia during the final matchday of the World Cup qualifiers that eliminated Venezuela, Batista was fired and replaced by Oswaldo Vizcarrondo.

Costa Rica national team

On 28 February 2026, Batista was announced by the Costa Rican Football Federation as the head coach of their national team, eliminated from the World Cup under Miguel Herrera, whom he replaced. His debut match with Costa Rica was a 2–2 draw against Jordan, his only match not to end in a loss. Subsequent friendlies saw heavy defeats against Iran (5–0) a few days later, and then in June against Colombia (3–1) and England (3–0). The March and June international windows were marred by out-of-field incidents, mainly surrounding Alejandro Bran, though other teammates like Kenneth Vargas and Warren Madrigal were also named. Batista expelled all three from his call-ups.

Controversy followed during the September 2026 window. First, Batista omitted players Kenay Myrie, Keylor Navas, and Juan Pablo Vargas from his call-up. On 24 September, as part of the 2026–27 CONCACAF Nations League A, the first match saw Costa Rica overpowering Curaçao 3–0 in the first half. However, as Batista implemented defensive substitutions early in the second half, the advantage was quickly reverted into a 3–4 defeat, angering fans in attendance who began shouting for his dismissal. The next day, the Costa Rican Federation's executive committee evaluated Batista's role, but decided to keep him as sporting director Rónald González backed him. However, on 27 September, Costa Rica suffered yet another loss under Batista, a 2–0 defeat to Haiti. With only a draw in six games (a performance of only 5,5%), Batista was sacked by the Costa Rican Federation and replaced by former captain Bryan Ruiz.

Batista's short and negative stint in Costa Rica attracted particular attention in Venezuela, as the memory of their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup remained recent. NTN24's Luis Cifuentes noted that Venezuelan fans on social media expressed "We told [the Costa Ricans] so" but that "at least they reacted in time." La Teja's Hillary Chinchilla echoed that various Venezuelan journalists praised the Costa Ricans for reacting against Batista quicker than they did.

Personal life

Batista's older brother Sergio was also a footballer and a manager. Their father José was an important figure in the history of Club Parque [es]. His daughter Tatiana got engaged to fellow footballer Kevin Mac Allister, the second son of Carlos Mac Allister, in 2024, and married on 14 June, 2025.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 27 September 2026
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Armenia U18 1 January 2018 31 October 2018 2002000.00
Armenia U19 1 July 2018 31 October 2018 5104020.00
Argentina U20 1 January 2019 30 November 2021 221417063.64
Argentina U23 1 August 2019 8 August 2021 181242066.67
Venezuela 10 March 2023 10 September 2025 2910910034.48
Costa Rica 26 February 2026 28 September 2026 6015000.00
Total 81371529045.68

References

  1. 1 2 Fernando Batista at BDFA (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ "Fernando Batista" (in Spanish). Estadísticas CASLA. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Fernando Batista, con el fútbol en la sangre y la ilusión del Sub 20: "Somos entrenadores, psicólogos y padres"" [Fernando Batista, with football in his blood and the hopes of the under-20s: "We are manager, psychologists and fathers"] (in Spanish). La Nación. 21 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "Dejar algo para el futuro" [Leave something for the future] (in Spanish). The Coaches' Voice. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Úbeda convocou 31 jogadores em seu primeiro chamado como técnico da seleção Argentina Sub-20" [Úbeda called up 31 players in his first list as manager of the Argentina national under-20 team] (in Brazilian Portuguese). CONMEBOL. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "La Zurda Magica - Entrevista a Fernando Batista, ayudante de Úbeda en la Sub-20" [La Zurda Magica - Interview to Fernando Batista, Úbeda's assistant in the under-20s]. Radio Sur (in Spanish). Radio Cut. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Fernando Batista: "Armenia va a ser un desafío importante"" [Fernando Batista: "Armenia will be an important challenge"] (in Spanish). Diario Armenia. 22 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Fernando Batista, nuevo director técnico de la Selección Sub 20: "Estos chicos pueden ser el recambio de la Mayor"" [Fernando Batista, new manager of the national under-20 team: "These kids can be the replacement of the full side"] (in Spanish). Infobae. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Fernando Batista, el DT que llegó al Sub 20 de apuro y consiguió la rápida clasificación al Mundial" [Fernando Batista, the manager who arrived at the under-20s in a hurry and achieved a quick qualification to the World Cup] (in Spanish). La Nación. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Batista: Argentina are dreaming of gold". FIFA.com.
  11. 1 2 "El Bocha Batista se despidió de la Selección Argentina: "Voy por nuevos desafíos junto a un referente para mi como lo es José Pekerman"" [El Bocha Batista bids farewell from the Argentina national team: "I move to new challenges with a reference for me like José Pekerman"] (in Spanish). TNT Sports. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Vinotinto Sub-23 pasó a la final del Maurice Revello" [Vinotinto under-23s went to the final of the Maurice Revello] (in Spanish). Puro Vinotinto. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Fernando Batista es el nuevo seleccionador de Venezuela" [Fernando Batista is the new coach of Venezuela] (in Spanish). ESPN. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  14. ↑ "El Bocha Batista hace historia en Venezuela: sus grandes números" [El Bocha Batista makes history in Venezuela: his great numbers] (in Spanish). Olé. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Venezuela cerró una fase de grupos histórica y Ecuador jugará con Argentina" [Venezuela completed a historical group stage and Ecuador will play against Argentina] (in Spanish). Conclusión. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Venezuela and Peru fire their coaches after failing to qualify for 2026 World Cup". apnews.com. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  17. ↑ Gómez, Keish (28 February 2026). "Oficial: Costa Rica inicia era con Fernando Bocha Batista". ESPN Costa Rica. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Era de Fernando Batista con la Sele inició con empate". Diario Extra (in Spanish). 27 March 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Ninin, Gastón (31 March 2026). "Bocha Batista rompe el silencio tras la dura derrota de Costa Rica ante Irán: "No nos salió nada"". ClaroSports (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Ninin, Gastón (2 June 2026). "Bocha Batista destaca aspectos positivos de Costa Rica pese a la derrota ante Colombia". ClaroSports (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Hodel, Steven (11 June 2026). "England Overpowers Costa Rica 3-0 in Orlando Friendly". The Tico Times. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Noguera, André (20 March 2026). "Esto dijo "Bocha" Batista sobre el incidente policial de Alejandro Bran | La República". www.larepublica.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Gómez, Keish (26 May 2026). "Bocha Batista deja fuera a Alejandro Bran tras polémica en Los Yoses". www.espn.co.cr. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  24. ↑ Alvarado, Sergio (20 September 2026). "¿Qué pasó con Warren Madrigal, Alejandro Bran y Kenneth Vargas en la Selección de Costa Rica?". La Teja (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Jiménez, Daniel (23 September 2026). "Fernando Batista explica el presente de Kenay Myrie en La Sele". Teletica (in European Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  26. ↑ León, Mauricio (29 September 2026). ""Bocha" sobre Navas: "Si una persona no te devuelve el mensaje, es porque no tiene ganas" | CR Hoy". CR Hoy | Periodico Digital | Costa Rica Noticias 24/7 (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  27. ↑ Rodríguez, Eduardo (29 September 2026). "Juan Pablo Vargas disparó a su llegada al país para unirse a la Selección Nacional". La Teja (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Gómez, Keish (24 September 2026). "Batista responde al "Fuera Bocha" tras el papelón ante Curazao". www.espn.co.cr. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  29. ↑ Fuentes, Ferlin (25 September 2026). "Rónald González tomó decisión sobre el futuro del "Bocha" Batista en La Sele". El Mundo CR (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Marín, Fanny Tayver (28 September 2026). "Haití vs. Costa Rica: ¡Catastrófico! La Selección no para de perder y hacer el ridículo". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Mendoza, Adrián (28 September 2026). "El vergonzoso rendimiento del Bocha Batista con la Tricolor | CR Hoy". CR Hoy | Periodico Digital | Costa Rica Noticias 24/7 (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  32. ↑ "Crisis en Costa Rica: echaron al Bocha Batista y una leyenda asumirá como entrenador". Clarín (in Spanish). 28 September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  33. ↑ Cifuentes, Luis (28 September 2026). ""Se los dijimos": aficionados venezolanos recordaron el paso de 'Bocha' Batista por La Vinotinto tras ser despedido de Costa Rica y lograr solo el 5% de rendimiento | NTN24.COM". NTN24 (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  34. ↑ Chinchilla, Hillary (29 September 2026). "En otro país aplauden a Costa Rica y nos ponen de ejemplo tras salida de Fernando Batista". La Teja (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  35. ↑ "El Checho y el Bocha: los hermanos Batista y sus pasos por Godoy Cruz" [Checho and Bocha: the Batista brothers and their spells at Godoy Cruz] (in Spanish). Diario Uno. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  36. ↑ Lanzilotta, Nahuel (7 June 2024). "Kevin Mac Allister y un viaje increíble a la intimidad de una familia atravesada por el fútbol". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  37. ↑ Rizzo, Marite (16 June 2025). "A wedding with a surprise: Kevin Mac Allister and Tatiana Batista are expecting their first child". Parati (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.