Kily González facts for kids
González in 2003
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 August 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Unión (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rosario Central | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Rosario Central | 51 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Boca Juniors | 37 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Zaragoza | 90 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Valencia | 92 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Inter Milan | 51 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Rosario Central | 76 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | San Lorenzo | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Rosario Central | 17 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 446 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2005 | Argentina | 56 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Argentina Olympic (O.P.) | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Rosario Central | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Unión | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Cristian Alberto 'Kily' González Peret (born 4 August 1974) is an Argentine football manager and former professional player. He mostly played as a left winger. Currently, he is the manager of Unión.
Kily started his football journey with Rosario Central in Argentina. He played for them three different times during his career. In 1996, he moved to Spain, where he played for Zaragoza and Valencia. With Valencia, he won the Spanish league title. He also played in two UEFA Champions League finals in a row (2000 and 2001). In 2003, he joined Inter Milan in Italy for three years. After that, he returned to play in Argentina.
González also played for the Argentina national team for ten years. He played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments. He earned 56 caps (games played for the national team) and scored 9 goals. He also won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with the Argentine Olympic team.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Argentina
Kily González was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. He began his football career at his local club, Rosario Central. He played his first game in Argentina's top league on 18 December 1993.
After two years at Rosario Central, he moved to Boca Juniors. He played there during the 1995–96 season. During this time, he was teammates with the legendary player Diego Maradona.
Time in Spain
In 1996, Kily González moved to Spain to play for Real Zaragoza. He played his first game in the Spanish league, La Liga, on 8 September. He spent three years with Zaragoza, often playing alongside his fellow Argentine winger, Gustavo López.
Later, González joined another big Spanish club, Valencia CF. He became teammates with other Argentine stars like Pablo Aimar and Roberto Ayala. In the 2001–02 season, he played 31 matches and scored two goals. That year, Valencia won the league title, which was their first in 31 years! Kily also played in the UEFA Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001 with Valencia. He became a Spanish citizen in 2001.
Playing in Italy
In the summer of 2003, Kily González moved to Inter Milan in Italy. He joined his former Valencia coach, Héctor Cuper, there. He also played with several other Argentine players at Inter.
During his time at Inter, he was often used as a substitute. He played 75 official games for the club.
Back to Argentina
When he was 32, Kily González returned to his home country. He rejoined Rosario Central for his second time. He was still an important player for them for three more seasons. On 4 August 2009, he moved to San Lorenzo de Almagro. This team was managed by his former national teammate, Diego Simeone. After San Lorenzo was relegated, Kily decided to return to Rosario Central for a third time. He helped them in the Primera B Nacional league before retiring at age 37.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Kily González became a coach. In June 2020, he became the manager of Rosario Central. He had been in charge of their reserve team before this. In his first game as manager on 3 November, his team won 2–1.
In 2021, González led Rosario Central to the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. This is a big South American club competition. However, they lost to a Brazilian team. On 20 March 2022, he was dismissed as manager after a loss to their rivals, Newell's Old Boys.
International Football
Kily González played for the Argentine national team starting in 1995. His first game was on 8 November against Brazil.
He was chosen for the 1999 Copa América squad. He scored one of his nine international goals in a 2–0 win against Uruguay. Argentina reached the quarter-finals in that tournament. He became a regular player for Argentina under coach Marcelo Bielsa. He also played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
Two years later, in 2004, González was part of the Argentine team for the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was one of three older players allowed on the team. He played in every game and scored in the first match against Serbia, which Argentina won 6–0. He helped the Albiceleste (Argentina's nickname) win the gold medal in Athens!
González also played in the 2004 Copa América. He scored three goals in this tournament. Two goals were in the group stage against Ecuador and Uruguay. His last goal was a penalty in the final against Brazil. Argentina lost that final in a penalty shootout, but Kily scored his penalty kick.
How He Played
Kily González was a fast, strong, and flexible midfielder. He could play as a winger or as an attacking midfielder. He was known for his great technical skills, good vision, and accurate passes. He was also very determined and could shoot powerfully and accurately from far away. These skills helped him both create chances for his teammates and score goals himself.
Honours and Awards
Valencia
- La Liga: 2001–02
- Supercopa de España: 1999
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2000, 2001
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2006
Argentina
- Summer Olympics: Gold Medal 2004
- Copa América runner-up: 2004
Individual
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001
Images for kids
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Kily González playing in 2003
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A plaque in Rosario celebrating Kily González's Olympic gold medal
See also
In Spanish: Kily González para niños
