| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pablo Sebastián Álvarez Valeira | ||
| Date of birth | April 17, 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | San Martín, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Catania | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1999 | Argentinos Juniors | ||
| 1999–2003 | Boca Juniors | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2005 | Boca Juniors | 19 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Estudiantes | 59 | (2) |
| 2008– | Catania | 61 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Rosario Central (loan) | 29 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Pablo Sebastián Álvarez Valeira (born April 17, 1984 in San Martín, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine football defender who currently plays for Calcio Catania, in the Italian Serie A. He also holds a Spanish passport thanks to his descent.
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Álvarez came through the youth systems of Argentinos Juniors, starting in 1995, before transferring to Boca Juniors in 1999.
Following his transfer from Argentinos Juniors to Boca Juniors in 1999, Álvarez joined the youth system at the club, before breaking into the Boca first team in 2003, making his league debut. During the 2003–2004 Argentine season, the young defender continued to play in the youth ranks, but made 4 first team appearances, and in 2004 he won his first title by helping Boca to win the Copa Sudamericana. Álvarez continued to impress, and in his first full season with the first team, the fullback made 15 appearances.
In July 2005 Álvarez surprisingly left Boca Juniors to join Argentine rivals, Estudiantes, where he won the second title of his career. On 13 December 2006, Álvarez played for Estudiantes against Boca Juniors in a playoff to decide the winner of the Apertura 2006. Estudiantes won the game 2–1 to claim their first league title in 23 years. In just two seasons with the club, Álvarez made 55 appearances for his club, also netting 2 goals. Following his impressive displays during the 2006–2007 season, he was linked with a host of European clubs, but remained at Estudiantes over the summer transfer window, making an additional 15 appearances for his club
In January 2008, however, Álvarez joined Sicilian giants Calcio Catania of the Italian Serie A, joining up with former teammate Matias Silvestre, who also transferred to Catania in January 2008, from Boca Juniors. Under then-coach Silvio Baldini, Álvarez failed to make the imposed impact, and made just 6 league appearances in 5 months. Following the appointment of Walter Zenga, as the new head coach, Álvarez was set to remain at the club for the 2008–2009 season, but failed to make an impact yet again. He made just 6 more appearances between August 2008 and January 2009, and was sent out on loan to Rosario Central, on loan, in order to gain more playing time and game experience. He signed for the Argentine club on January 7, 2009. During his loan spell, the player made 14 league appearances, and returned to Sicily on June 30, 2009. Under new head coach Siniša Mihajlović, Álvarez became a more valuable player in the squad following the departure of right back Gennaro Sardo, and eventually surpassed Alessandro Potenza for the starting right full back position. Álvarez made over 30 appearances for his Catania, in his return season, and was an undisputed starter for much of the season. He was noted for his big-team peak performances, as he kept Argentine star Diego Milito at bay in a 3–1 win for Calcio Catania over Inter Milan at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, as well as Ronaldinho in a 2–2 draw with AC Milan at the San Siro. Catania also notably defeated Juventus, in a season, that the team reached a record points total in the Serie A, finishing in 13th position, also making it to the semi-finals of the 2009–10 Coppa Italia. Catania reached a record points total for the third consecutive year during the 2010-11 Serie A season.
| Season | Club | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Boca Juniors | Copa Sudamericana |
| Apertura 2006 | Estudiantes | Primera Division Argentina |
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