Javier di Gregorio


Javier di Gregorio was an Argentinian born–Chilean footballer who played as goalkeeper. His last club was Deportes Melipilla, in the age, Primera B de Chile member.
He was member of Chile Olympic Team's 22-man squad which won a bronze medal in Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Club career

Early career

Di Gregorio was born to Chilean parents in the city of Mendoza in Argentina's homologous province. Then, he began his career in the football academy of Chilean giants Club Deportivo Universidad Católica. Nevertheless, he left Católica for join to Coquimbo Unido.
In 2001, he was sent on loan to Club Deportivo Huachipato. Three years later, after the same number of seasons defending the Coquimbo's goal, he moved to Mexico to play for Nacional Tijuana during the first semester, and for Atlético Mexiquense in the second semester.

Puerto Montt

In 2005, after a frustrated spell in Mexico, he returned his country and signed for top-level team Deportes Puerto Montt. Nevertheless, on 25 July 2005, he alongside team were involved in a traffic accident when they were coming back by bus from Talca. He was the most damaged by the accident, having to face a six-month injury. His teammate, the Argentinian forward, Julio César Laffatigue, declared: "Thank God we are alive, because it was a terrible thing".

Deportes Temuco

After all the 2006 season without professionally play, in early 2007, he joined Primera B side Deportivo Temuco. There, he gained notoriety through the docu-reality about the team, called Temuco, La Última Frontera which was centered in the daily live of team's coach Eduardo Bonvallet, who replaced the outgoing coach, Carlos González Romero on 23 April 2007. Despite the docu-reality was centered in Bonvallet's daily life, di Gregorio became briefly famous after being called up to the national team on 15 May to face Cuba, and then for being marginalized from the team after disobeying Bonvallet, after he decided to send him to the bench in a match with Provincial Osorno on 26 May. That match, Temuco won by 2–1 at the Old Estadio Municipal Germán Becker.
On 6 June 2007, he announced his disengagement from the team. Eight years later, on 19 September 2015, for the purpose of Bonvallet's death after he committed suicide a day ago, among the memories and anecdotes that Emol emphasized on the part of those who were directed by Bonvallet, Luis Gabriel Valenzuela, remembered another tense episode which catapulted di Gregorio's marginalization: to have arrived late to train.

Retirement from football

After playing the entire 2008 season for Primera B side Coquimbo Unido, the following year he ended his career with Deportes Melipilla after he was unable to find a club.

After football

In 2013, he became Deportes Iquique's goalkeeping coach.

International career

After deciding to be eligible to play for Chilean national team, di Gregorio joined to Chile olympic's under-23 national team to play in the 2000 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament, qualifier for Sydney Olympic Games.
He played all of Chile's seven matches in the Pre-Olympic Tournament, being the most important, the match where Chile, on 6 February 2000, achieved an historical 1–0 win over Argentina U-23 at Londrina, which qualified the Chilean team to the Olympic Games.
He didn't play any match in the Olympic Games, where Chile reached the bronze medal following beat 2–0 to United States national team in the Third Place Match held at Sydney Football Stadium.
On 15 May 2007, following a five-year absence, it was reported that di Gregorio was re-called to play a friendly match against Cuba. Finally, on 16 May, he was sent-on in the 85' minute, replacing to Cobreloa's goalkeeper, Fernando Hurtado, in a 3–0 win at Estadio Municipal Germán Becker.

Honours

National Team

;Chile