Cristián Álvarez (footballer, born 1980)

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For other people named Cristian Álvarez, see Cristian Álvarez (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Álvarez and the second or maternal family name is Valenzuela.

Cristián Álvarez
Álvarez with Universidad Católica 2018
Personal information
Full name Cristián Andrés Álvarez Valenzuela
Date of birth (1980-01-20) 20 January 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth Curicó, Chile
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Universidad Católica (youth manager)
Youth career
Escuela Municipal Curicó
1993–1999 Universidad Católica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2005 Universidad Católica 173 (24)
2005–2006 River Plate 21 (0)
2007 Universidad Católica 16 (1)
2007–2010 Beitar Jerusalem 54 (5)
2009–2010 → Chiapas (loan) 20 (0)
2011–2012 Universitario 15 (2)
2011–2018 Universidad Católica 145 (9)
Total 443 (41)
International career
1997 Chile U17 10 (1)
1999 Chile U20 9 (0)
2000 Chile U23 13 (0)
2000–2014 Chile 24 (0)
Managerial career
2022– Universidad Católica (youth)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Cristián Andrés Álvarez Valenzuela (born 20 January 1980) is a Chilean former footballer, who played as a defender.

Club career[edit]

Universidad Catolica[edit]

As a child, Álvarez and his twin brother, Iván, played at Escuela de Fútbol Municipal de Curicó (Municipal Football Academy of Curicó), later named Juventud 2000, founded by their father Luis Hernán.[1] He arrived in 1993 to prove to Universidad Católica next to his twin brother Iván, after the pickers of the UC saw him play in a championship in his native Curicó.[2] He spent three years traveling to Santiago to train and play for the Crusaders, it was not until 1996 that he finally moved to live in Santiago.

For 1997 made his debut in the Professional Squad, he played 31 minutes with just 17 years in the 4–0 win against Colo-Colo (in that duel lined up youths due to a footballers' strike).[2]

Arriving 1999 is officially made with an official jersey on the cross team honor planter. He participated in only 10 official matches until the Chilean national championship of the year 2000, where he played 23 matches with 2 converted goals, together with 21 matches played in 2001.

The year 2002 obtained the titularity in the crossed squad, being champion of the Torneo de Apertura, and playing 43 parties with 2 goals. In that same tournament he put his name at the top of the Crusade history. It was a day on 12 October, while playing the 145th edition of the university classic against University of Chile and after an injury of goalkeeper Jonny Walker. The coach Juvenal Olmos did not have more changes, this was how Cristián Álvarez was who offered to get under the 3 sticks. 71 'minutes had passed. When with jersey and gloves provided, Crístián manages to stop the finishing of the blue scorer Pedro González. The match ended 1-1.[2]

From 2003, until his transfer to the Argentine side River Plate in the middle of 2005,[3] he played 78 games and scored 19 goals, despite being a right-back.

International career[edit]

His first match with River Plate was on 7 August 2005 in the 2–0 victory against Tiro Federal.[4] In 2007 moved Alvarez to Beitar Jerusalem. In a match against Maccabi Netanya Alvarez scored a goal from 35 meters which is nominated to be goals of the year.[5] After two years in Israel with Beitar Jerusalem left on 19 August 2009 his club and signed for Chiapas for one season.[6]

back to Universidad Catolica[edit]

In 2011, Álvarez returned to his home club, Universidad Católica,[7] Where he shared the captaincy of the team with his lifelong friend Milovan Mirosevic.

Cristian Was the captain in 2016, historical year of Universidad Catolica, where they achieved the first bicampeonato in the history of the club, in addition to winning the Super Cup against the archrival Universidad de Chile.

In May 2017, Christian renewed for 6 months more with the club, announcing his retirement in the month of December.[8]

In November 2018, Christian play his last game in San Carlos de Apoquindo, saying goodbye to the public that cheered his name[9]

International career[edit]

Álvarez and his twin brother, Iván, represented Chile at under-17 level in both the 1997 South American Championship and the 1997 FIFA World Championship.[10] In addition, represented Chile U20 in the 1999 South American Championship in Argentina.[11]

He competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney representing Chile and won the bronze medal. Previously, he took part in the 2000 Pre-Olympic Tournament.[12]

His debut with the Chilean senior team was in 2000 against Ecuador during qualifications for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He has 24 caps for his country.[13]

Coaching career[edit]

Álvarez graduated as a Football Manager at the INAF [es] (National Football Institute) in 2017. Since 2018 he has worked for Universidad Católica, mainly as a technical consultant, but in 2022 he assumed as coach of youth levels.[14]

He has also been in charge of a football academy in Curicó affiliated to Universidad Católica, just like another former players such as René Valenzuela, Carlos Verdugo, Luciano Saavedra, Ian Mac-Niven, among others.[15]

Personal life[edit]

He is nicknamed Huaso, like the traditional countryman of the Central Chile, due to the fact his birthplace is Curicó, a city in the Maule Region.[16]

His father, Luis Hernán, was the top goalscorer of the 1963 Primera División de Chile playing for Colo-Colo, becoming an idol for the club. His twin brother, Iván, is a former footballer and coincided with Cristián at both Universidad Católica and Chile at under-17 level.[17]

Honours[edit]

Club[edit]

Universidad Católica
Beitar Jerusalem

International[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ""Juventud 2000": La Academia de los sueños". VLN Radio (in Spanish). 29 September 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Cristián Álvarez". Cruzados (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Diario argentino alabó la llegada de Cristián Alvarez a River Plate". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 29 July 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Cristián Alvarez: "No hice un partido excelente, pero sí regular"". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 7 August 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ^ "[VIDEO] Cristian Álvarez eligió el mejor gol de su carrera – Punto Cruzado". PuntoSeguido (in Spanish). 2 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Cristián Alvarez dejó Israel para sumarse a las filas de Jaguares de Chiapas de México". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Cristían Álvarez vuelve a Catolica" (in Spanish). 30 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Cristían Álvarez renovó por seis meses y luego se retirará del fútbol" (in Spanish). 29 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Alvarez se Despidio de San Carlos" (in Spanish). 26 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Nóminas de Chile para Campeonatos Sudamericanos Sub-17". Partidos de la Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Nóminas de Chile para Campeonatos Sudamericanos Sub-20". Partidos de la Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Nóminas de Chile para Torneos Preolímpicos Sudamericanos Sub-23". Partidos de la Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Cristián Álvarez". Partidos de la Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  14. ^ Rubio, J.; Valenzuela, N. (12 April 2022). "Las nuevas funciones como DT que tendrá Cristián Álvarez en la UC" (in Spanish). TNT Sports Chile. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  15. ^ "ESCUELAS DE FÚTBOL UC" (PDF). Cruzados: Memoria Anual 2016 (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile: 41. 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Los nombres y apodos chilenos más 'patriotas'" (in Spanish). AS Chile. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  17. ^ González, Christian (11 March 2013). "Padres e hijos futbolistas, la mejor herencia" (in Spanish). La Tercera. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

External links[edit]

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