Juan Arango facts for kids
Arango with Borussia M'gladbach in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Juan Fernando Arango Sáenz | ||
| Date of birth | 16 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Maracay, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1996 | UCV | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1999 | Nueva Cádiz | ||
| 1999 | Zulia | 12 | (0) |
| 2000 | Caracas | 19 | (5) |
| 2000–2001 | Monterrey | 45 | (6) |
| 2002–2003 | Pachuca | 52 | (16) |
| 2003–2004 | Puebla | 36 | (8) |
| 2004–2009 | Mallorca | 183 | (45) |
| 2009–2014 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 154 | (25) |
| 2014–2016 | Tijuana | 45 | (11) |
| 2016 | New York Cosmos | 29 | (15) |
| 2017 | Zulia | 15 | (2) |
| 2017 | New York Cosmos | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 593 | (133) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2015 | Venezuela | 129 | (22) |
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Juan Fernando Arango Sáenz (born 16 May 1980) is a famous Venezuelan former football player. He was an attacking midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field to help score goals. Many people think Juan Arango is the best Venezuelan footballer ever!
He spent a big part of his career playing for Mallorca in Spain. He also played for several years with Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany.
Juan Arango holds the record for the most games played and goals scored for the Venezuelan national team. He scored 22 goals in 129 matches between 1999 and 2015. He also played for Venezuela in six Copa América tournaments.
Contents
Juan Arango's Club Journey
Starting Out and Playing in Spain
Juan Arango was born in Maracay, Venezuela. His parents came from Colombia. He started playing professional football when he was just sixteen years old. His first team was Nueva Cádiz FC.
Later, he joined Caracas FC. After six months, he moved to Mexico to play for C.F. Monterrey. He also played for two other Mexican teams, C.F. Pachuca and Puebla FC.
In 2004, Juan Arango moved to Spain to play for RCD Mallorca in La Liga. This is one of the top football leagues in the world!
In 2005, Juan Arango had a serious injury during a game. But he was very brave and returned to play just one month later! In the next season, he was Mallorca's top scorer with 11 goals.
In 2006, a news agency called EFE said Juan Arango was the third best Latin American player in the Spanish league. He even scored three goals in one game (a "hat-trick") for Mallorca in 2008!
Playing in Germany
In 2009, Juan Arango joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany. He signed a three-year contract with them. In his third season, he scored six goals and helped his team score 12 more. His team finished fourth, which helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. This is a very important competition for European clubs!
In 2012, his coach said Juan Arango was one of the best left-footed players in the world. This was after Juan scored an amazing goal from far away (48 yards!) in a game. The next year, he was even named the most popular footballer in the world by a special football history group!
Juan Arango continued to score great goals for Borussia Mönchengladbach. He scored his first goal of the 2013-14 season in August 2013.
Later Career Teams
In 2014, when he was 34 years old, Juan Arango went back to Mexico. He signed with Club Tijuana.
Later, in 2016, Juan Arango joined the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League. He was 36 years old when he returned to play for Zulia FC in his home country, Venezuela, in 2017. He played for the Cosmos again briefly before leaving in 2018.
Juan Arango's International Career
Juan Arango played many times for the Venezuelan national team. He played in all three group games at the 2004 Copa América. In the 2007 Copa América, which was held in Venezuela, he helped his team finish first in their group. He even scored a goal in the quarterfinals!
In 2007, Juan Arango became the captain of the national team. At the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, he helped Venezuela achieve their best-ever finish in the tournament, coming in fourth place. He scored a goal in the third-place match. This game was also his 100th time playing for his country!
In 2013, Juan Arango scored his 22nd goal for Venezuela. This made him the player with the most goals for his country at that time!
How Juan Arango Played Football
Juan Arango was a left-footed player who was very good at creating and scoring goals. He was known for his amazing skills, his leadership, and his powerful shots. He was a "classic number ten," which means he was a playmaker who could play as an attacking midfielder or a winger.
People called him Arangol because he scored so many goals! He was also a specialist at free kicks. He could kick the ball with incredible accuracy and make it bend around defenders.
Juan Arango's Family
Juan Arango comes from a family of footballers! His father-in-law, Argenis Tortolero, and his brother-in-law, Edson Tortolero, were both professional players. Juan Arango's son, Juan Arango Jr., is also a professional footballer.
Career Achievements
Pachuca
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2002
New York Cosmos
- NASL: 2016
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup top scorer: 2002
- NASL MVP Award: 2016
Images for kids
-
Arango with Borussia M'gladbach in 2012
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Arango in action in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Juan Arango para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
