Juan Camilo Zúñiga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Juan Camilo Zúñiga

Zúñiga with Napoli in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Juan Camilo Zúñiga Mosquera
Date of birth	(1985-12-14) 14 December 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Chigorodó, Colombia
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Wing-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2008	Atlético Nacional	121	(9)
2008–2009	Siena	28	(0)
2009–2018	Napoli	125	(4)
2016	→ Bologna (loan)	9	(0)
2016–2017	→ Watford (loan)	21	(1)
2018	→ Atlético Nacional (loan)	4	(0)
Total		308	(14)
International career
2005	Colombia U20	4	(0)
2005–2015	Colombia	61	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Camilo Zúñiga Mosquera (born on December 14, 1985) is a former professional footballer from Colombia. He played as a wing-back, which is a player who helps both in defense and attack on the side of the field.

Zúñiga played for several Italian clubs like Siena and Napoli. He won two Coppa Italia trophies with Napoli. He also played on loan for Bologna and Watford.

For his country, Zúñiga was a key part of the Colombia national football team. He played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and three Copa América tournaments.

Playing for Clubs

Starting with Atlético Nacional

Juan Camilo Zúñiga was born in Chigorodó, Antioquia, Colombia. He began his professional football journey with the big Colombian club, Atlético Nacional. He played for them for seven seasons and helped them win three titles. Overall, he played 129 league games and scored 9 goals for the club.

Moving to Siena

In the summer of 2008, Zúñiga left Atlético Nacional and joined the Italian team Siena. Siena paid about €2.32 million for him. While at Siena, Zúñiga played very well, which made other clubs interested in him. He played 28 league games for Siena but did not score any goals.

Time with Napoli

On July 9, 2009, Napoli signed Zúñiga from Siena. He signed a five-year contract for €8.5 million. At Napoli, Zúñiga usually played as a left wing-back in their 3–5–2 formation. This meant he covered the entire left side of the field.

He scored his first goal for Napoli in the Serie A league against Catania on February 20, 2011. He scored another goal against Internazionale and a great goal against Genoa.

Zúñiga playing against AIK in the Europa League

In late August 2013, Zúñiga got an injury. He needed knee surgery and was out of action for a few months. Even with the injury, he signed a new contract with Napoli in October 2013. By April 2014, he had fully recovered and was back playing regularly for Napoli.

Loan to Bologna

On January 13, 2016, Zúñiga joined Bologna on loan until the end of the season. He played his first game for Bologna on January 17, 2016, in a 2–2 draw against Lazio.

Loan to Watford

On July 13, 2016, Zúñiga moved to Watford on a loan deal for one season. He joined his former Napoli teammates Miguel Britos and Valon Behrami there. On September 18, 2016, Zúñiga came on as a substitute and scored a goal against Manchester United. This was in Watford's 3–1 win. He also helped his team get a penalty, which led to Watford's third goal. After his loan, Zúñiga returned to Napoli.

Back to Atlético Nacional

After not playing for Napoli in the first half of the 2017–18 season, Zúñiga returned to his first club, Atlético Nacional. He joined them on a free transfer on January 30, 2018.

Retiring from Football

In 2018, Juan Camilo Zúñiga announced that he was retiring from professional football.

Playing for Colombia

Early International Career

Zúñiga played for the Colombia U20 team in the 2005 World Youth Cup. He then moved up to the senior national team in 2005. People often compared him to famous attacking full-backs like Cafu and Roberto Carlos. This was because he loved to attack from his defensive position.

World Cup Qualifiers and Tournament

Zúñiga played in most of Colombia's qualifying games for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal for Colombia in a 4–0 home win against Uruguay. He also helped set up a goal for Radamel Falcao in that match.

He was chosen to play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and played in four of Colombia's five matches. In the quarter-final match against host country Brazil, Zúñiga accidentally injured Brazil's star player, Neymar. Zúñiga was challenging for the ball and his knee hit Neymar's lower back. Neymar had to leave the game and could not play for the rest of the World Cup.

After the match, Zúñiga said he was very sorry and did not mean to hurt Neymar. Neymar later accepted his apology.

Copa América Appearance

The next year, in the 2015 Copa América, Zúñiga played in Colombia's game against Brazil. Colombia won the match 1–0.

How He Played

Zúñiga was a fast, energetic, and hard-working player. He could play in many different positions on the left side of the field. He played as an attacking full-back, a wing-back, and even as a winger. Even though he was right-footed, he often played on the left. This allowed him to dribble past opponents and then cut inside to shoot with his stronger right foot.

He was known for his speed, strength, good technique, and dribbling skills. He also had a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. These skills made him a dangerous player who could score goals and create chances for his teammates.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Zúñiga goal.

International goal scored by Juan Camilo Zúñiga

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 September 2012	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Uruguay	4–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Trophies and Awards

Atletico Nacional

• Categoría Primera A: 2005-I, 2007-I, 2007-II

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2011–12, 2013–14

See also

In Spanish: Camilo Zúñiga para niños