Martín Astudillo

Martín Astudillo
Personal information
Full name Martín Mauricio Astudillo[1]
Date of birth (1977-10-11) 11 October 1977 (age 47)[1]
Place of birth Mendoza, Argentina[1]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1997 Godoy Cruz 55 (3)
1997–1999 Gimnasia Jujuy 67 (2)
1999–2009 Alavés 311 (19)
2008 → Osasuna (loan) 13 (1)
2009–2010 Rosario Central 11 (0)
2012 Deportivo Maipú
2014–2015 Atlético Argentino
Total 457 (25)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Independiente Rivadavia
2017–2018 Gimnasia Jujuy
2019–2020 Huracán Las Heras
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Martín Mauricio Astudillo (born 11 October 1977) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, currently a manager.

He spent one decade in Spain with Alavés, appearing in 149 matches in La Liga and 162 in the Segunda División.

Club career

Born in Mendoza, Astudillo started his career in the Primera Nacional with Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba of Mendoza Province. In 1997, he was signed by Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy of the Primera División, and two years later moved to Deportivo Alavés in Spain.

First-choice from the start, Astudillo scored four league goals in his first season, and was instrumental in the Basque side's runner-up run in the UEFA Cup the next year.[2] In the following campaign he only missed one match and netted on five occasions, helping his team finish seventh in La Liga.

Astudillo remained loyal to Alavés throughout the vast majority of his Spanish stint, playing in the top flight as well as the Segunda División as they were twice relegated from the former (in 2003–04, he collected a season-worst 19 yellow cards). However, in January 2008, he rejoined the top tier, signing on loan with CA Osasuna who had lost another central midfielder, Javad Nekounam, severely injured in preseason.[3]

During the season, Astudillo was instrumental in helping the Navarrese barely escape relegation as he scored the game's only goal at RCD Espanyol on 13 April 2008.[4] In August 2009, after Alavés suffered relegation to the Segunda División B, he bought out the remainder of his contract and returned to his country after ten years, joining Rosario Central;[5] he made a best-ever 346 competitive appearances for his main club.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Martín Mauricio ASTUDILLO". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 June 2007.
  2. ^ "Liverpool win nine-goal epic with golden goal". UEFA. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Astudillo: "Ha sido importante recobrar la ilusión por jugar en Primera"" [Astudillo: "To regain the illusion for playing in Primera was important"]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Espanyol 0–1 Osasuna". ESPN Soccernet. 13 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Astudillo se desvincula del Alavés para fichar por el Rosario de Argentina" [Astudillo cuts ties with Alavés to sign for Rosario in Argentina]. Marca (in Spanish). 31 July 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  6. ^ Palazón, Miguel (17 June 2018). "Astudillo, leyenda del Alavés" [Astudillo, Alavés legend] (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. Retrieved 25 March 2020.