Matías Rodríguez (footballer, born 1986)


Matías Nicolás Rodríguez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a right back or midfielder for Chilean Primera División club Universidad de Chile.

Club career

After years spending in Boca Juniors academy, he moved Ecuadorian Serie A club Aucas in mid-2006, where scored three goals in 13 league matches, which his transfer fee was appraised in US$1 million, because their well performances. Following his success, he returned to Boca and had an horrible 2007, after have a seriously tibia and fibula injury. Finally, after one-and-half year without play, he joined Nacional Montevideo in June 2008.
In January 2010, following Gerardo Pelusso's departure to Universidad de Chile, he also joined Chilean club, 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 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.
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. However, on 29 January 2013, Rodríguez joined Italian Serie A club Sampdoria in a transfer fee a US$4.2 million. He signed a 4½ year contract.
On 30 May 2014, Rodríguez was loaned from Serie A side Sampdoria to Grêmio until June 2015.
On 19 July 2015 Rodríguez was re-signed by Universidad de Chile.

International career

In 2012, Matías Rodríguez was selected by Alejandro Sabella for the Argentina national team as part of the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Ecuador. Later, he was selected again for the match played against Chile. He did not play in either of the two matches.

Career statistics

Club

Honours

Club

;Nacional
;Universidad de Chile