Aldo Leão Ramírez facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aldo Leao Ramírez Sierra | ||
| Date of birth | 18 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Marta, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Central Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Atlético Nacional | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2005 | Santa Fe | 192 | (22) |
| 2005–2007 | Atlético Nacional | 78 | (11) |
| 2008–2014 | Morelia | 196 | (12) |
| 2009 | → Atlético Nacional (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Atlas | 52 | (2) |
| 2016 | → Cruz Azul (loan) | 31 | (2) |
| 2017–2019 | Atlético Nacional | 86 | (10) |
| 2019–2020 | Rionegro Águilas | 30 | (2) |
| National team | |||
| 2001 | Colombia U20 | 8 | (1) |
| 2002–2014 | Colombia | 30 | (1) |
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Aldo Leao Ramírez Sierra (born 18 April 1981) is a Colombian footballer. He also has Mexican citizenship. He is known for playing as a Central Midfielder.
Ramírez started his career with Santa Fe in Colombia. He also played for Atlético Nacional, helping them win two league titles in a row. In 2008, Leão moved to the Mexican club Monarcas Morelia. He spent most of his career there. Ramírez helped Morelia win the 2010 North American SuperLiga and the Apertura 2013 Copa MX. He even became captain of Morelia in 2014.
Ramírez played for the Colombia national team at both youth and senior levels. He first played for the senior team in 2002. His first goal for Colombia was in a game against England in 2005.
Club Career
Santa Fe
Early Years and First Final
Ramírez grew up playing in Atlético Nacional's youth academy. He started his professional career with Independiente Santa Fe in 1999. In his first year, Santa Fe reached the final of the 1999 Copa Merconorte. They lost the final 5–3 in a penalty shootout.
In the year 2000, Ramírez helped Santa Fe finish second in the league. He played in 36 games and scored three goals. He continued to play many games for Santa Fe in the following years. In 2002, the Colombian league changed its format. Santa Fe did well in the first part of the 2002 season, finishing second.
Reaching the Final Again
In 2005, Ramírez helped Santa Fe reach the playoffs again. They finished second in their group and made it to the league final. They played against Atlético Nacional. The first game ended in a 0–0 draw. In the second game, Santa Fe lost 2–0, and Nacional won the title.
Atlético Nacional
Joining His Youth Club
After the 2005 season, Ramírez joined Atlético Nacional. This was the club he played for as a youth. His first season with Nacional was not very successful. The team finished in eleventh place and missed the playoffs. Injuries in 2006 limited his playing time. He also made his Copa Libertadores debut in 2006.
Winning Back-to-Back Titles
In 2007, Atlético Nacional started the season very well. Ramírez played a key role in the team. He helped Nacional win their group and reach the final. They faced Atlético Huila and won the first leg 1–0. In the second leg, Nacional won 2–1, securing their first title. Ramírez was a crucial player in this championship.
Nacional continued their strong performance in the second part of 2007. They finished first in the league with 38 points. Ramírez was a regular starter. Nacional reached their second straight final, playing against La Equidad. Ramírez played the full game in both matches. Nacional won their second consecutive title with a 3–0 total score. Ramírez was again seen as one of the most important players. He played 46 games and scored 9 goals in 2007.
Morelia
Moving to Mexico
On December 20, 2007, Ramírez moved to the Mexican club Monarcas Morelia. He made his debut for Morelia in a tournament game in Houston, Texas. His league debut was a 1–0 win against Veracruz. In his second game, Ramírez scored two goals, helping Morelia win 3–2. Despite a good start, Morelia did not make the playoffs that season.
Brief Return to Colombia
In 2009, Ramírez was loaned back to his former club, Atlético Nacional, for six months. He played 15 games and scored one goal. After this loan, Morelia's manager wanted him back.
Success with Morelia
Ramírez returned to Morelia for the 2009 season. He helped the team finish third, which qualified them for the playoffs and the 2010 Copa Libertadores. Morelia reached the semifinals but lost to Cruz Azul.
In the 2010 season, Ramírez continued to be an important player. Morelia qualified for the playoffs again. They reached the semifinals but were eliminated by Santos Laguna. Ramírez also played in the 2010 North American SuperLiga final, which Morelia won. However, he missed the final game due to health issues.
Key Player in 2011
Ramírez missed the start of the 2011 season due to a red card. When he returned, he was a crucial part of Morelia's midfield. He helped them go on an eight-game unbeaten streak. Morelia finished third in the league.
In the playoffs, Morelia faced Club América and won. Then they played Cruz Azul in the semifinals. Morelia lost the first game 2–0. But in the second game, Ramírez and Morelia won 3–0, advancing to their first league final since 2003. Ramírez was praised for his performance.
In the final, Morelia played UNAM. The first game was a 1–1 draw. In the second game, Ramírez helped Morelia get a penalty kick, which tied the game. However, UNAM scored a late goal to win the championship.
Later Seasons and Captaincy
In the 2011-2012 season, Ramírez played every regular season game for Morelia. He also made his CONCACAF Champions League debut. Morelia reached the semifinals of the playoffs but lost to Santos Laguna. Ramírez was sent off in the last minutes of that game.
In the 2012-2013 season, Ramírez continued to be a key player. He helped Morelia go on a 10-match unbeaten streak late in the season. They reached the playoffs but were eliminated by Cruz Azul.
In the 2013-2014 season, Ramírez scored several goals and provided assists. He helped Morelia win the Apertura 2013 Copa MX. This was his first championship with Morelia. After the team's goalkeeper left, Ramírez was named captain of Morelia.
International Career
Ramírez made his first appearance for the senior Colombia national team on November 20, 2002. This was in a game against Honduras. He played in a few more friendly matches in the following years.
His first international goal was in a friendly game against England in 2005. Colombia lost that game 3–2. He also played in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Colombia reached the semifinals.
After a few years without playing for the national team, Ramírez was called up again in 2012 by manager José Pékerman. He played in a friendly against Mexico, which Colombia won. Pékerman often called up Ramírez for World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. Ramírez was known for his strong performances when coming off the bench.
On September 11, 2012, Ramírez assisted Radamel Falcao for a goal in a World Cup qualifier against Chile. Colombia won that game 3–1. Colombia later qualified for their first World Cup in 16 years in 2013.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Santa Fe | |||||||||||
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2000 | 36 | 3 | — | 36 | 3 | ||||||
| 2001 | 35 | 3 | — | 35 | 3 | ||||||
| 2002 | 39 | 7 | — | 39 | 7 | ||||||
| 2003 | 21 | 1 | — | 21 | 1 | ||||||
| 2004 | 33 | 8 | — | 33 | 8 | ||||||
| 2005 | 24 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 192 | 22 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 194 | 22 | |||
| Atlético Nacional | 2005 | 11 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2006 | 21 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2007 | 46 | 9 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 50 | 9 | |||
| Atlético Nacional (loan) | 2009 | 15 | 1 | — | 15 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 93 | 12 | — | 14 | 1 | — | 107 | 13 | |||
| Morelia | 2007–08 | 16 | 2 | — | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2008–09 | 14 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 35 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| 2010–11 | 26 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 38 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 7 | ||
| Total | 196 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 218 | 13 | |
| Career Total | 481 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 519 | 49 | |
International
| Colombia national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 6 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 7 | 0 |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 30 | 1 |
Honours
Atletico Nacional
- Categoría Primera A (2): 2007-I, 2007-II
Morelia
- North American SuperLiga (1): 2010
- Copa MX (1): Apertura 2013
Images for kids
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Ramírez playing against Tijuana
See also
In Spanish: Aldo Leão Ramírez para niños
