Luis Amaranto Perea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Luis Perea

Perea with Atlético Madrid in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Luis Amaranto Perea Mosquera
Date of birth	(1979-01-30) 30 January 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Turbo, Colombia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Colombia (assistant)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2003	Independiente Medellín	117	(0)
2003–2004	Boca Juniors	16	(0)
2004–2012	Atlético Madrid	224	(0)
2012–2014	Cruz Azul	70	(5)
Total		427	(5)
International career
2002–2014	Colombia	72	(0)
Managerial career
2018	Atlético Madrid (youth)
2018–2019	Leones
2020	Atlético Junior (assistant)
2020–2021	Atlético Junior
2022–	Colombia (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luis Amaranto Perea Mosquera (born on January 30, 1979) is a former professional footballer from Colombia. He played as a defender. Luis was known for his amazing energy and speed on the field. He could play as a central defender or on the right side of the defense.

Luis Perea spent most of his career playing for Atlético Madrid in Spain. He played in 314 games for them over eight seasons. Later, in 2012, he joined the Mexican team Cruz Azul.

Perea also played for the Colombian national team for more than ten years. He played in 72 international matches for his country. Today, he works as an assistant manager for the Colombian national team.

Playing Career Highlights

Luis Perea was born in Turbo, Colombia. He started his professional football journey with Independiente Medellín. In 2003, he moved to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors. With Boca Juniors, he won the Intercontinental Cup in 2003. This was a big achievement early in his career.

Time with Atlético Madrid

In June 2004, Perea joined Atlético Madrid in Spain. He quickly became a key player for the team. He helped Atlético Madrid return to the UEFA Champions League in the 2008–09 season. This was after a 12-year break for the club. During this time, Perea also received his Spanish passport.

Perea played in many different positions for Atlético Madrid. He sometimes played as a right-back. On September 29, 2011, he made history for the club. He became the foreign player with the most games played for Atlético Madrid, with 289 appearances. He passed the record held by Argentine player Jorge Griffa.

Perea left Atlético Madrid at the end of the 2011–12 season. He was 33 years old. In his last season, he played 34 official games. He also helped the team win the UEFA Europa League in 2012.

Moving to Cruz Azul

After leaving Atlético Madrid, Perea joined Cruz Azul in Mexico in June 2012. He joined as a free agent, meaning his contract with Atlético Madrid had ended. With Cruz Azul, he continued to win trophies. He won the Copa MX in 2013 and the CONCACAF Champions League in 2014.

In December 2015, Luis Perea decided to retire from playing football. He was 36 years old and had been out of the game for a year due to an injury. After retiring, he settled in Madrid, Spain. He then focused on becoming a football coach.

Starting a Coaching Career

In August 2018, Perea began his coaching career. He first worked with Atlético Madrid's youth academy for a short time. Then, he was appointed as the head coach for Leones F.C. in Colombia. This was his first experience as a main coach. However, he resigned from Leones F.C. in May 2019. The team had been relegated to a lower league.

Since June 2022, Luis Perea has been part of the coaching staff for the Colombian national team.

International Career

Luis Perea started playing for the Colombian national team on November 20, 2002. His first game was a friendly match against Honduras. He played for his country for 12 years.

He represented Colombia in major tournaments like the 2007 Copa América and the 2011 Copa América. He was even named the team captain for a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bolivia. Colombia won that game 2–1, which was their first-ever win in Bolivia.

Achievements and Trophies

Luis Perea won many important trophies during his football career.

Club Trophies

• Independiente Medellín

* Categoría Primera A: 2002-II

• Boca Juniors

* Argentine Primera División: 2003–04 * Intercontinental Cup: 2003

• Atlético Madrid

* UEFA Europa League: 2009–10, 2011–12 * UEFA Super Cup: 2010 * UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007 * Copa del Rey runner-up: 2009–10

• Cruz Azul

* Copa MX: Clausura 2013 * CONCACAF Champions League: 2013–14

See also

In Spanish: Luis Amaranto Perea para niños