Daniel Díaz

Cata Díaz
Personal information
Full name Daniel Alberto Díaz
Date of birth 13 March 1979 (1979-03-13) (age 32)
Place of birth Catamarca, Argentina
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current club Getafe
Number 2
Youth career
Juventud Catamarca
1997–2000 Rosario Central
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 Rosario Central 97 (2)
2003–2004 Cruz Azul 46 (1)
2004–2005 Colón 35 (2)
2005–2007 Boca Juniors 67 (7)
2007– Getafe 144 (3)
National team
2003–2009 Argentina 12 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 December 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).

Daniel Alberto 'Cata' Díaz (born 13 March 1979 in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Getafe CF in the Spanish first division.

A strong central defender with a powerful shot, he can also be adapted at right back.

Contents

Club career

Nicknamed Cata because of his origins from the province of Catamarca, Díaz started playing at youth amateur local team Juventud de Catamarca before moving in 1997 to Rosario Central, still as a youth. Three years later, he first appeared professionally.

Díaz moved to Club Deportivo Cruz Azul in 2003. After only one season with the Mexican club, he returned to Argentina to become Alfio Basile's captain in Colón de Santa Fe. Short after, he received offers to move to Argentine giants Boca Juniors and Club Atlético River Plate, but being at that time Basile Boca's coach, the player decided to move to Boca, for around $3 million.

Cata made his debut for Boca in a 4–1 victory over Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy, and was a big part in the side's 2005 Apertura-winning campaign, adding the South American Supercup (win over Once Caldas of Colombia) and the South American Cup (defeat of Mexico's UNAM Pumas).

In the summer of 2007, Díaz moved to Spain's Getafe CF for 4 million, being a defensive cornerstone from the very beginning, as the Madrid outskirts side reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup in 2007–08.

International career

With the Argentine national team, Díaz made his first appearance in 2003, and was called to the 2007 Copa América squad, as the national side finished second in Venezuela.

On 6 June 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia, he scored his first and only international goal, finding the net in the 57th minute for a 1–0 home win; he would be, however, overlooked for the final stages in South Africa.

Honours

Boca Juniors

References

External links