Gonzalo Rodríguez (footballer, born 1984) facts for kids
Rodríguez with Fiorentina in 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez Prado | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2004 | San Lorenzo | 57 | (4) |
| 2004–2012 | Villarreal | 184 | (6) |
| 2012–2017 | Fiorentina | 159 | (22) |
| 2017–2020 | San Lorenzo | 33 | (2) |
| Total | 433 | (34) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2015 | Argentina | 7 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez Prado is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He was born on April 10, 1984. Gonzalo played as a central defender, which means he was a key player in the defense, helping to stop the opposing team from scoring goals.
He started his football journey at San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina. Most of his career was spent playing for Villarreal CF in Spain. He also played for five years in Italy with ACF Fiorentina. Overall, he played in 433 club games and scored 34 goals. He also represented his home country, Argentina, in seven international matches.
Contents
Gonzalo's Football Journey
Starting Out at San Lorenzo
Gonzalo Rodríguez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his professional football career with the club San Lorenzo de Almagro. He made his first appearance in the Argentine Primera División (Argentina's top football league) when he was just 18 years old. This happened on July 26, 2002, in a game against Rosario Central.
By the time he was 20, Gonzalo had already played for the Argentina national football team. Before that, he was part of the Argentina national under-20 football team that played in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Playing in Spain with Villarreal
In July 2004, Gonzalo moved to Spain to join Villarreal CF. He quickly became a very important player for the team in his first two seasons. He even signed a new contract to stay with the club for five more years.
During his time at Villarreal, he faced some challenges, including injuries. For example, in 2006, he hurt his right knee. After recovering, he unfortunately injured it again a few months later. Despite these setbacks, Gonzalo worked hard to get back on the field.
He returned to good form in the 2008–09 season. He often played alongside another strong defender, Diego Godín. Together, they helped Villarreal qualify for the UEFA Europa League multiple times. In 2011, he suffered another injury during a Europa League game, which kept him out for the rest of that season.
Time in Italy with Fiorentina
In August 2012, Gonzalo moved to Italy to play for ACF Fiorentina. His teammate Borja Valero also joined the club at the same time. In his first year, he scored six goals in 35 games in Serie A (Italy's top league). His strong performance helped Fiorentina finish fourth in the league, which meant they qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.
For the 2015–16 season, Gonzalo was chosen as the new team captain by the manager Paulo Sousa. This showed how much his team trusted and respected him. On April 9, 2017, he played his 200th game for Fiorentina. He celebrated this special occasion by scoring his 25th goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against UC Sampdoria.
Back to San Lorenzo and Retirement
In July 2017, Gonzalo Rodríguez returned to his first club, San Lorenzo de Almagro, as a free player. He continued to play for them for a few more years. On June 23, 2020, at the age of 36, Gonzalo announced that he was retiring from professional football. He had a long and successful career playing at the highest levels of the sport.
Achievements and Awards
Gonzalo Rodríguez won several important titles during his career:
- San Lorenzo
- Copa Sudamericana: 2002 (a major South American club competition)
- Villarreal
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2004 (a European club competition)
- Individual
- Fiorentina All-time XI (He was chosen as one of the best players in Fiorentina's history)
See also
In Spanish: Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez para niños
