Mariano Andújar
Encyclopedia
Mariano Gonzalo Andújar (born 30 July 1983 in Buenos Aires
) is an Argentine
football goalkeeper. He currently plays for Calcio Catania
in the Italian Serie A.
in 2001, at the mere age of 18. In his first season with the club, the young shot-stopper played within the team's youth squad, and in his second season, he was promoted to the senior squad and racked up 7 first team appearances. Two years after his arrival, the club was relegated to the Argentine 2nd division but he decided to stay with the club, and in his third season with the team, Andujar managed to make 17 league appearances. Andujar then broke into the team's starting line-up for the 2004–2005 Argentine season, and made 36 starting appearances in the league alone. His impressive league form led to speculation of a transfer to bigger Argentine clubs, or a move abroad, as a host of European clubs scouted the young keeper.
club U.S. Città di Palermo
. Upon his arrival, he was initially supposed to be the third goalkeeper behind Matteo Guardalben
and Nicola Santoni
, however, the Sicilian
side, underwent hefty changes in the goalkeeping position over the January transfer window. After making just 11 and 7 appearances in all competitions respectively, Santoni and Guardalben were both sold during the winter market. Federico Agliardi
and Cristiano Lupatelli
were brought in as replacements, with the former making 17 appearances and the latter 16 appearances in all competitions. With all this, Andújar played a total of 11 league matches, 7 UEFA Cup
matches and had 3 Coppa Italia
matches, and Palermo sported 5 different starting goalkeepers over the course of the season. Despite a decent first season in Serie A
, the Argentine keeper, returned to Club Atlético Huracán, but was sold instantly to Estudiantes de La Plata
.
. He played 16 games in the Apertura 2006
campaign conceding only 9 goals. Estudiantes ended the season with the tightest defence, conceding only 13 goals in their 19 games. The Apertura 2006 ended with Boca Juniors
and Estudiantes tied on 44 points, forcing a championship playoff game. With Andújar as goalkeeper, Estudiantes won the playoff 2–1 to claim their first league title in 23 years. In the entirety of the season, Andujar managed 34 league appearances, and followed that up with an additional 36, the following season.
In 2009 he was the first team goalkeeper in the Copa Libertadores winning team. Andújar did not concede a single goal in any of the 8 games in La Plata
and he set a new tournament record of 800 minutes without conceding a goal, beating Hugo Gatti
's 767 minutes. His final game with the club was their 2–1 win in the second leg of the final away at Cruzeiro
, as he ended his campaign with 34 league appearances, as a winner of the Copa Libertadores 2009. Following his spell with the club, Andujar was heavily linked to a return to the Serie A
, with Sicilian
giants, Calcio Catania
.
officially announced that the club had signed the player to a 4-year deal, following much speculation. He joined the Serie A
club after the Libertadores season, and instantly seeded as the first choice goalkeeper, putting both Tomas Kosicky
and Andrea Campagnolo
to the bench. During the 2009–10 Serie A
campaign, Andujar managed to make 35 league appearances, and allowed just 41 goals, in a season that saw the Sicilian
club reach a record points total in the history of their Serie A
statistics, and also managed a respectable 12th place league finish. The club notably defeated Serie A
giants Juventus FC, Inter Milan, AC Milan, ACF Fiorentina
, and Sicilian
rivals and former club Palermo
, throughout the campaign.
In his second season with Catania
, the Argentine International retained his starting position and started all but one of Catania's 38 matches in Serie A
. He has made 77 total league appearances for the Sicilians.
for the national team
for the South American World Cup Qualifiers. He made his debut on 6 June 2009 home game against Colombia in a slim 1–0 win, gaining his first clean sheet. He was also selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football goalkeeper. He currently plays for Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
in the Italian Serie A.
Club Atlético Huracán
Andújar started his career with Club Atlético HuracánClub Atlético Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán is a sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of the Argentine football league system. Huracán home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó.Huracán was...
in 2001, at the mere age of 18. In his first season with the club, the young shot-stopper played within the team's youth squad, and in his second season, he was promoted to the senior squad and racked up 7 first team appearances. Two years after his arrival, the club was relegated to the Argentine 2nd division but he decided to stay with the club, and in his third season with the team, Andujar managed to make 17 league appearances. Andujar then broke into the team's starting line-up for the 2004–2005 Argentine season, and made 36 starting appearances in the league alone. His impressive league form led to speculation of a transfer to bigger Argentine clubs, or a move abroad, as a host of European clubs scouted the young keeper.
U.S. Città di Palermo
In the summer of 2005 Andújar was signed on loan by Italian Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club U.S. Città di Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
. Upon his arrival, he was initially supposed to be the third goalkeeper behind Matteo Guardalben
Matteo Guardalben
Matteo Guardalben is an Italian football goalkeeper currently contracted with Modena.-Career:After 5 seasons with Parma, both Guardalben and Matuzalém joined Piacenza in a co-ownership deal....
and Nicola Santoni
Nicola Santoni
Nicola Santoni is an Italian former association football goalkeeper.- Career :He started his professional career at native club Cesena of Emilia-Romagna region. He was on loan to Chieti in 2000-01 season.- Palermo :...
, however, the Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
side, underwent hefty changes in the goalkeeping position over the January transfer window. After making just 11 and 7 appearances in all competitions respectively, Santoni and Guardalben were both sold during the winter market. Federico Agliardi
Federico Agliardi
Federico Agliardi is an Italian footballer, currently playing as goalkeeper with Bologna F.C. 1909.-Career:Agliardi grew up in his native city's team, Brescia Calcio, and made his professional debut with Cosenza of Serie B on 2002–03. He debuted in Serie A on 8 November 2003 with Brescia in a...
and Cristiano Lupatelli
Cristiano Lupatelli
Cristiano Lupatelli is an Italian football goalkeeper who is currently playing at Genoa. He is known for his goatee and sideburns with his bald head.-Career:Lupatelli won a scudetto while playing for A.S. Roma in 2000/2001...
were brought in as replacements, with the former making 17 appearances and the latter 16 appearances in all competitions. With all this, Andújar played a total of 11 league matches, 7 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
matches and had 3 Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
matches, and Palermo sported 5 different starting goalkeepers over the course of the season. Despite a decent first season in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, the Argentine keeper, returned to Club Atlético Huracán, but was sold instantly to Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
.
Estudiantes
Andújar returned to Argentina in 2006 to play for Diego Simeone's Estudiantes de La PlataEstudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
. He played 16 games in the Apertura 2006
2006-2007 in Argentine football
2006–07 season of Argentine football was the 116th season of competitive football in Argentina.-"Championship" playoff:Boca Juniors and Estudiantes de La Plata ended up tied in points at the end of the 19 weeks of regular season...
campaign conceding only 9 goals. Estudiantes ended the season with the tightest defence, conceding only 13 goals in their 19 games. The Apertura 2006 ended with Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
and Estudiantes tied on 44 points, forcing a championship playoff game. With Andújar as goalkeeper, Estudiantes won the playoff 2–1 to claim their first league title in 23 years. In the entirety of the season, Andujar managed 34 league appearances, and followed that up with an additional 36, the following season.
In 2009 he was the first team goalkeeper in the Copa Libertadores winning team. Andújar did not concede a single goal in any of the 8 games in La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
and he set a new tournament record of 800 minutes without conceding a goal, beating Hugo Gatti
Hugo Gatti
Hugo Orlando Gatti, Loco Gatti is a former Argentine professional football goalkeeper who played in the Argentine First Division for 26 seasons and set a record of 765 appearances...
's 767 minutes. His final game with the club was their 2–1 win in the second leg of the final away at Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
, as he ended his campaign with 34 league appearances, as a winner of the Copa Libertadores 2009. Following his spell with the club, Andujar was heavily linked to a return to the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, with Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
giants, Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
.
Calcio Catania
On 24 June 2009, Calcio CataniaCalcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
officially announced that the club had signed the player to a 4-year deal, following much speculation. He joined the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club after the Libertadores season, and instantly seeded as the first choice goalkeeper, putting both Tomas Kosicky
Tomáš Košický
Tomáš Košický is a Slovakian goalkeeper, who currently plays for Calcio Catania in the Italian Serie A.-Inter Bratislava:...
and Andrea Campagnolo
Andrea Campagnolo
Andrea Campagnolo is an Italian football goalkeeper currently playing for Sicilian club Calcio Catania in the Italian Serie A.-A.S. Cittadella:...
to the bench. During the 2009–10 Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
campaign, Andujar managed to make 35 league appearances, and allowed just 41 goals, in a season that saw the Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
club reach a record points total in the history of their Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
statistics, and also managed a respectable 12th place league finish. The club notably defeated Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
giants Juventus FC, Inter Milan, AC Milan, ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, and Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
rivals and former club Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, throughout the campaign.
In his second season with Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
, the Argentine International retained his starting position and started all but one of Catania's 38 matches in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. He has made 77 total league appearances for the Sicilians.
International career
In June 2009 he was called up by Diego MaradonaDiego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
for the national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
for the South American World Cup Qualifiers. He made his debut on 6 June 2009 home game against Colombia in a slim 1–0 win, gaining his first clean sheet. He was also selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
International appearances
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Final Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | June 6, 2009 | Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
1–0 | win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL... |
|
| 2. | June 10, 2009 | Quito Quito San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains... , Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border... |
2–0 | Lost | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL... |
|
| 3. | August 12, 2009 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
2–3 | win | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 4. | September 5, 2009 | Rosario Rosario Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the .... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
1–3 | Lost | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL... |
|
| 5. | March 26, 2011 | East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan.... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 6. | March 29, 2011 | San José San José San José, or San Jose, is the Spanish for Saint Joseph. It usually refers to one of two major cities. These are:*San José, Costa Rica, the capital of Costa Rica*San Jose, California, the tenth-most populous city in the United States... , Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.... |
0–0 | Draw | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 7. | October 7, 2011 | Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
4–1 | Win | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American Zone of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees nine teams competing for places in the finals which are to be held in Brazil.-Format:The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions... |
|
| 8. | October 11, 2011 | Puerto La Cruz Puerto la Cruz Puerto la Cruz is a port city located in Anzoátegui State, in Venezuela. It is the seat of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality. The city has road connections to the state capital, Barcelona, to Lecheria and to Guanta, and has the potential to become the largest and most important metropolitan... , Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
1–0 | Lost | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American Zone of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees nine teams competing for places in the finals which are to be held in Brazil.-Format:The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions... |
Honours
Estudiantes de La Plata- Primera Division ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
: Apertura 20062006-2007 in Argentine football2006–07 season of Argentine football was the 116th season of competitive football in Argentina.-"Championship" playoff:Boca Juniors and Estudiantes de La Plata ended up tied in points at the end of the 19 weeks of regular season... - Copa Libertadores: 2009Copa Libertadores 2009The 2009 Copa Libertadores de América was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
External links
Argnetine Primera statistics- ESPN statistics
- Statistics at Football-Lineups