Matías Rodríguez (footballer, born 1986)

Matías Nicolás Rodríguez (Latin American Spanish: [maˈti.as nikoˈlas roˈðɾiɣes], born 14 April 1986) is an Argentine naturalized Chilean former professional footballer who played as a right-back or right midfielder.

Not to be confused with Matías Rodríguez (footballer, born 1987) or Matías Rodríguez (footballer, born 1993).

Matías Rodríguez
Personal information
Full name Matías Nicolás Rodríguez
Date of birth (1986-04-14) 14 April 1986
Place of birth San Luis, Argentina
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Right back, Right midfielder
Youth career
1998–2006 Boca Juniors
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006 Aucas 11 (2)
2007 LASK Linz 1 (0)
2008–2009 Nacional 42 (3)
2010–2013 Universidad de Chile 97 (22)
2013–2015 Sampdoria 3 (0)
2014–2015 → Grêmio (loan) 10 (1)
2015–2021 Universidad de Chile 138 (19)
2021–2022 Defensa y Justicia 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 June 2022

Club career

After years spending in Boca Juniors academy, he moved Ecuadorian Serie A club Aucas in mid-2006 (after fail joined on trial to Barcelona de Guayaquil), where scored three goals in 13 league matches, which his transfer fee was appraised in US$1 million, because their well performances.[2] Following his success, he returned to Boca and had an horrible 2007, after have a seriously tibia and fibula injury.[2] Finally, after one-and-half year without play, he joined Nacional Montevideo in June 2008.

In January 2010, following Gerardo Pelusso's departure (coach of Rodríguez at Nacional) to Universidad de Chile, he also joined Chilean club,[3] where he won three league titles and the 2011 Copa Sudamericana title with Santiago-based club. However, all of these title was under manager Jorge Sampaoli, who replaced former coach Pelusso after bad results in 2010. Their most important goals with The Blues were in two derbies against Colo-Colo[4][5] and in a 2010 Copa Libertadores game too with Flamengo, where he scored a last-minute equalizer goal that sealed a 2–2 away draw at Maracanã.[6]

He also had serious possibilities of a move to Europe because his performances, being heavily linked with Portugal's Benfica in January 2012 after reach Copa Sudamericana title.[7] However, on 29 January 2013, Rodríguez joined Italian Serie A club Sampdoria in a transfer fee a US$4.2 million (€3.28 million).[8][9][10][11] He signed a 4+1⁄2-year contract.[11] (in Italian)

On 30 May 2014, Rodríguez was loaned from Serie A side Sampdoria to Grêmio until June 2015.[12]

On 19 July 2015 Rodríguez was re-signed by Universidad de Chile.[13]

On March 8, 2021, it was made official Rodríguez joined Argentine club Defensa y Justicia,[14] arriving to Argentine Primera División by first time in his career.

In June 2022, he decided to leave the football activity after ending his contract with Defensa y Justicia, stating his desire of working as a sport manager.[15]

International career

In June 2012, Rodríguez was selected by Alejandro Sabella for the Argentina national team as part of the squad for the matchday 5 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification against Ecuador, as well as an International Friendly against Brazil in New Jersey. He was only a substitute in both matches. Later, Rodríguez was selected again in October 2012 for the matchday 10 against Chile, where he did not play either.[16]

Personal life

In February 2022, he acquired the Chilean nationality by residence,[17] keeping the Argentine nationality.[18]

Career statistics

Club
As of 12 April 2015.[19]
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nacional 2008-09 Primera División 291007000361
2009-10 132000000132
Total 423007000493
Universidad de Chile 2010 Primera División 2750013200407
2011 3646010100525
2012 341372174105919
Total 97221324071015131
Sampdoria 2012-13 Serie A 1000000010
2013-14 2020000040
Total 3020000050
Grêmio (loan) 2014 Série A 8010000090
2015 001000120130
Total 802000120220
Career total 1502517247713022734

Honours

Club
Nacional
Universidad de Chile

Individual

References
  1. Profile at Universidad de Chile Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Encalada, Edwing (9 May 2012). "Entre Católica y Aucas le pagaban a Matías Rodríguez" (in Spanish). Ultimasnoticias.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  3. Delgado, Felipe (15 January 2010). "U. de Chile presentó a Matías Rodríguez como su séptimo y último refuerzo" (in Spanish). Bio-Bio.cl.
  4. "Colo-Colo logra agónico empate ante la "U"". La Tercera. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  5. "Universidad de Chile humilla a Colo Colo y logra goleada histórica en Superclásicos". La Tercera. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  6. "Copa Libertadores 2010: Flamengo 2 v/s 2 Universidad de Chile partido". YouTube. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  7. "Matías Rodríguez: "Si el Benfica viene por mí, es imposible decirle que no"". Emol.com. 14 January 2012.
  8. "Sampdoria sube oferta y Matías Rodríguez se marcha a Italia". Terra Chile. 27 January 2013.
  9. "Matías Rodríguez llegó como crack a Sampdoria". Yahoo. 27 January 2013.
  10. Le cifre dell'affare Matías Rodríguez (Matías Rodríguez's deal numbers); Samp News 24, 27 January 2013
  11. U.C. Sampdoria S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2013 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
  12. "Matías Rodríguez é oficialmente apresentado". Portal Oficial do Grêmio. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  13. "Está de vuelta" (in Spanish). Club Universidad de Chile. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  14. @ClubDefensayJus (8 March 2021). "¡Bienvenido a Defensa y Justicia, Matías Rodríguez!" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2021 – via Twitter.
  15. Merlo, César Luis (14 June 2022). "Exclusivo: Matías Rodríguez se retira del fútbol: "Sólo hubiese seguido si me llamaban de la U"". www.encancha.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  16. FIFA Report: Full Time CHILE 1-2 ARGENTINA
  17. "Matías Rodríguez completó trámites de su nacionalización: Muchas gracias Chile". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  18. "Doble Nacionalidad". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). 12 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  19. "Matías Rodríguez". Soccerway.
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