A midfielder, Minella started playing at local club Independiente of Mar del Plata.

[1] In 1928 he was signed by Gimnasia La Plata who won the amateur Argentine championship in 1929.

[2] Minella made his international debut in 1933, he played three times in the Copa América, in 1935, 1937 and 1941.

Minella took over as manager of River Plate in 1945, he led the team through one of the most successful eras in their history.

In preparation for the 1978 FIFA World Cup a football stadium was built in Mar del Plata and named Estadio José María Minella after his death in 1981 to honour Mar del Plata's most significant football talent.