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Felipe Gutiérrez
Felipe-gutirrez-1380560175.jpg
Gutiérrez with Twente in 2013
Personal information
Full name Felipe Alejandro Gutiérrez Leiva
Date of birth (1990-10-08) 8 October 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Quintero, Chile
Height 1.71 m
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Sport Boys (assistant)
Youth career
2004–2007 Everton
2008–2009 Universidad Católica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Universidad Católica 65 (19)
2012–2016 Twente 94 (9)
2015–2016 Twente II 1 (0)
2016–2018 Betis 14 (1)
2017 Internacional (loan) 16 (1)
2018–2020 Sporting Kansas City 52 (19)
2021–2022 Universidad Católica 37 (6)
2022 Colorado Rapids (loan) 12 (0)
2023 Al Wasl 10 (1)
2023 Sporting Kansas City 8 (0)
2024 Quintero Unido (–)
2024 Universidad de Concepción 3 (0)
Total 312 (56)
National team
2010–2017 Chile 35 (4)
Teams managed
2025– Sport Boys (assistant)
Honours
Representing  Chile
Winner Copa América 2015
Runner-up FIFA Confederations Cup 2017
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Felipe Alejandro Gutiérrez Leiva (born October 8, 1990) is a former Chilean footballer. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense. After retiring from playing, he became an assistant coach for the Peruvian club Sport Boys.

Felipe Gutiérrez's Football Journey

Starting Strong: Universidad Católica

Felipe Gutiérrez started playing football in 2004 at Everton de Viña del Mar. Four years later, he moved to Universidad Católica. He played his first professional game on November 7, 2009, when he was just 18 years old. His team won 4–1 against Universidad de Concepción.

In 2010, Felipe scored his first goal for the club in the Copa Chile. He also scored his first league goal on July 31, 2010, helping his team win 4–1. Later that year, Universidad Católica won the Chilean championship. Felipe scored two goals in fifteen games that season.

During the 2011 season, Felipe played very well. He scored important goals against big teams like Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile. He scored ten goals in 38 games across all competitions. His team finished second in the championship but won the Chilean Cup. He was even named "revelation of the season" by a sports magazine!

In 2012, Felipe became the top scorer for his club with seven goals. He scored two goals in one game twice that season.

Playing in Europe: FC Twente

In June 2012, Felipe moved to Europe and joined FC Twente in the Netherlands. He made his debut on August 2, 2012, in a Europa League game. A week later, he played his first league game for the club.

He scored his first goal for Twente on August 30, 2012, in a Europa League match. This helped his team reach the group stage. On September 15, 2012, he scored his first league goal for Twente. Later, he got a knee injury during a game and was out for two months.

After recovering, Felipe scored another league goal in April 2013. He finished his first season at Twente with six goals in 43 games.

In the 2013–14 season, Felipe became a key player for Twente. He scored his first goal of the season in December 2013. He scored two more goals in April 2014. His great performance led him to win the "Most Valuable Player" award for the Dutch league.

However, the 2014–15 season was tough for Felipe. He missed most of it due to a knee injury he got after the World Cup. He had surgery and returned to training in March 2015. He played his first game back in April 2015.

Before the 2015–16 season, Twente faced financial problems. Despite this, Felipe became a regular player again. He scored his first goal of the season in September 2015. When the team captain left, Felipe was chosen as the new captain in January 2016. He scored another goal in January 2016. He finished the season with two goals in 29 games.

Time in Spain: Real Betis

In May 2016, a Spanish newspaper reported that Real Betis wanted to sign Felipe. Even with a knee injury, he passed his medical tests. On July 6, 2016, he signed a four-year contract with Real Betis.

Felipe played his first game for Real Betis in a tough 6–2 loss against Barcelona. He quickly became an important midfielder for the team. He scored his first goal for the club on October 21, 2016, in a 2–1 win.

Later in the season, he was not playing as much. He also suffered another knee injury in training. After returning in February 2017, he played a few more games. In his first season at Real Betis, he played 16 games and scored one goal. On January 30, 2018, he left Real Betis.

Loan to Internacional

On April 1, 2017, Felipe was loaned to Internacional in Brazil for the 2017 season. He made his debut in a cup game, which his team lost on penalties. On May 13, 2017, he played his first league game and helped set up a goal.

He scored his first goal for Internacional on September 8, 2017. However, he found it hard to become a regular starter. He played 16 games and scored once. At the end of 2017, Internacional decided not to buy him permanently.

Playing in the USA: Sporting Kansas City

After leaving Real Betis, Felipe signed with Sporting Kansas City in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. He signed a three-year contract on February 6, 2018.

Felipe made his debut for Sporting Kansas City in a 2–0 loss. He scored his first goals in the very next game, helping his team win 4–3. He then scored three goals in his next three games! Because of his great start, he was named the MLS Player of the Month for March. However, he then missed three months due to different injuries. He returned to play in July 2018.

Another Loan: Colorado Rapids

In August 2022, Felipe was loaned to Colorado Rapids, another MLS team, until December.

Adventure in the UAE: Al Wasl

After his contract with Universidad Católica ended, Felipe moved to the United Arab Emirates. He joined the club Al Wasl.

Back to Kansas City and Retirement

On July 6, 2023, Felipe rejoined Sporting Kansas City. He announced his retirement from football on January 24, 2024.

Short Comeback and Final Retirement

After announcing his retirement, Felipe signed with a local team called Quintero Unido on January 27, 2024. However, the club president said he only joined the local team, not the main squad.

On March 13, 2024, he joined Universidad de Concepción. After playing only three games, he announced his final retirement on May 13, 2024.

Playing for Chile: National Team

Felipe's great play at Universidad Católica earned him a spot on the Chile national team. He made his debut on May 30, 2010, in a 1–0 win. He scored his first goal for Chile on October 17, 2012, in a game against Argentina.

Felipe was chosen for three big tournaments for Chile. He was part of the squad for the Copa América in 2011. Before the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, he had a knee injury. Luckily, he was cleared to play and joined the World Cup squad. He played his first World Cup game on June 13, 2014, in a 3–1 win against Australia. He played four games in the World Cup as Chile reached the knockout stage.

Even though he missed most of the 2014–15 season with an injury, Felipe was still picked for the Copa América in 2015. He came on as a substitute in the semi-final game. Chile went on to win their first Copa América title!

Two months after the Copa América win, Felipe scored two goals for Chile in a 3–2 win against Paraguay. He missed the Copa América Centenario due to injury, but Chile won that tournament too. He returned to the national team in September 2016. Felipe was also called up for the FIFA Confederations Cup. He did not play in any games, but Chile finished second in the tournament.

Life After Playing: Coaching

In December 2024, Felipe Gutiérrez finished his studies to become a football manager. In January 2025, he started his new role as an assistant coach for the Peruvian club Sport Boys.

Felipe's Life Off the Field

Felipe was born in Quintero, Chile. He grew up with six half-sisters. His father lived in the Netherlands for a while, and two of his half-sisters still live there. Felipe also has an older brother, Orlando Gutiérrez, who is also a footballer. Orlando has mostly played for clubs in Chile.

Felipe speaks Spanish. When he moved to Twente, he started learning Dutch and took lessons twice a week. Felipe is married to Carla, and they have two sons named Matias and Gael.

There is even a school named after Felipe Gutiérrez in the city of Lautaro!

Honours

Universidad Católica

Chile

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Felipe Gutiérrez para niños

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