Saúl Maldonado

Saúl Maldonado
Personal information
Full name Saúl Blas Maldonado
Date of birth (1961-07-02) 2 July 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Deportivo Rayo Zuliano (manager)
Youth career
Deportivo Oriental
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1985 Deportivo Portugués
1985–1989 Marítimo de Venezuela
1989–1992 Caracas
1992–1993 Estudiantes de Mérida
1993–1994 Deportivo Italia
1994–1997 Caracas
Managerial career
1998–1999 Loyola (youth)
2000–2002 Caracas (assistant)
2005–2006 Italmaracaibo [es]
2007–2008 Estrella Roja
2009–2010 Carabobo
2010–2012 Yaracuyanos
2013 Monagas
2013–2014 Deportivo Petare
2015 Tucanes de Amazonas
2016 Deportivo Táchira (assistant)
2017–2018 Zulia (assistant)
2018–2020 Tauro
2020–2021 Panama U20
2020–2021 Panama (assistant)
2021 Sporting San Miguelito
2023 Plaza Amador
2024– Angostura
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Saúl Blas Maldonado (born 2 July 1961) is a Uruguayan football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current manager of Venezuelan club Angostura.

Club career

Born in Montevideo, Maldonado played amateur football in his home country before moving to Venezuela in 1983 with Deportivo Portugués. In 1985, after the club's dissolution, he moved to Marítimo de Venezuela.[1]

Maldonado subsequently represented Caracas and had short spells at Estudiantes de Mérida and Deportivo Italia before returning to the club. He retired in 1997.[1]

International career

After obtaining Venezuelan nationality, Maldonado was in the provisional list for the 1991 Copa América, but was cut from the final squad.[1]

Managerial career

After retiring, Maldonado was a youth coach at Loyola and an assistant at Caracas before becoming a coordinator at Centro Cultural Hebraica.[1] His first managerial experience occurred in 2005, at Italmaracaibo [es].[1]

Maldonado subsequently managed Estrella Roja, Carabobo, Yaracuyanos,[1] Monagas,[2] Deportivo Petare[3] and Tucanes de Amazonas[4] before joining his brother's staff at Deportivo Táchira in January 2016.[5] He was also his assistant at Zulia,[6] before returning to managerial duties on 11 September 2018, after being named at the helm of Tauro in Panama.[7]

On 15 August 2020, Maldonado was appointed manager of the Panama national under-20 team, while also being an assistant of Thomas Christiansen in the full side.[8] On 11 April 2021, he took over Sporting San Miguelito,[9] but left the club in November.[10]

On 2 December 2022, after more than a year without a club, Maldonado returned to Panama after being named Plaza Amador manager.[11] He resigned the following 17 April.[12]

After spending a period working in the Venezuelan Football Federation, Maldonado was appointed in charge of Angostura on 26 September 2024.[13]

Personal life

Maldonado's younger brother Carlos and nephew Giancarlo were also footballers. The former played as a midfielder, while the latter was a forward, and both later became managers. His son Javier is also a defender.[1]

Honours

Tauro

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Saúl Maldonado es un hombre agradecido" [Saúl Maldonado is a thankful man] (in Spanish). Venezuela Fútbol. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Saúl Maldonado dejó el Monagas" [Saúl Maldonado left Monagas] (in Spanish). La Vinotinto. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Saúl Maldonado es el nuevo técnico del Petare" [Saúl Maldonado is the new manager of Petare] (in Spanish). La Vinotinto. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Saúl Maldonado es el nuevo técnico de Tucanes" [Saúl Maldonado is the new manager of Tucanes] (in Spanish). La Vinotinto. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Saúl Maldonado llega con gratas sensaciones al cuerpo técnico aurinegro" [Saúl Maldonado arrives with good feelings to the black-and-gold coaching staff] (in Spanish). MSC Noticias. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  6. ^ "¡POSITIVA ADICIÓN! Saúl Maldonado se une al cuerpo técnico de Zulia Fútbol Club" [POSITIVE ADDITION! Saúl Maldonado joins the technical staff of Zulia Fútbol Club] (in Spanish). Noticia Al Minuto. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Uruguayo Saúl Maldonado es el nuevo técnico del Tauro" [Uruguayan Saúl Maldonado is the new manager of Tauro] (in Spanish). RPC Televisión. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Saúl Maldonado dirigirá la Sub-20 y será asistente de la mayor de Panamá" [Saúl Maldonado will manage the under-20s and will be the assistant of the senior side of Panama] (in Spanish). RPC Televisión. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  9. ^ "El uruguayo Saúl Maldonado es el nuevo técnico del Sporting San Miguelito de Panamá" [Uruguayan Saúl Maldonado is the new manager of Sporting San Miguelito from Panama] (in Spanish). La Estrella de Panamá. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Saúl Maldonado no continuará en Sporting San Miguelito para la próxima temporada" [Saúl Maldonado will not continue at Sporting San Miguelito for the following season] (in Spanish). Balonazos. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  11. ^ "LPF: Plaza Amador anuncia a Saúl Maldonado como nuevo DT" [LPF: Plaza Amador announce Saúl Maldonado as new manager] (in Spanish). RPC Televisión. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ^ "LPF: Saúl Maldonado no sigue con el Plaza Amador" [LPF: Saúl Maldonado does not continue with Plaza Amador] (in Spanish). RPC Televisión. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Saúl Maldonado dirigirá al Angostura" [Saúl Maldonado will manage Angostura] (in Spanish). La Vinotinto. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.