Cristian Leiva (Chilean footballer) explained

Cristian Leiva
Fullname:Cristian Rodrigo Leiva Godoy
Birth Date:3 March 1976
Birth Place:Papudo, Chile
Height:1.81 m
Position:Left-back
Youthclubs1:Universidad de Chile
Years1:1996–1998
Caps1:4
Goals1:0
Years2:1998
Clubs2:Deportes Iquique (loan)
Caps2:23
Goals2:0
Years3:1999–2000
Clubs3:Deportes La Serena
Caps3:33
Goals3:3
Years4:2001–2003
Clubs4:Unión San Felipe
Caps4:56
Goals4:8
Years5:2003
Clubs5:Unión Española
Caps5:12
Goals5:0
Years6:2004–2006
Clubs6:Coquimbo Unido
Caps6:101
Goals6:5
Years7:2007
Clubs7:Huachipato
Caps7:22
Goals7:0
Years8:2008
Caps8:5
Goals8:0
Years9:2008
Clubs9:Unión San Felipe
Caps9:18
Goals9:0
Totalcaps:274
Totalgoals:16
Managerclubs1:Universidad de Chile (youth)
Manageryears1:2011–2012
Managerclubs2:Chile U15
Manageryears2:2017–2019
Managerclubs3:Chile U17
Manageryears3:2019–2020
Managerclubs4:Chile U23 (assistant)
Manageryears4:2019–2020
Managerclubs5:Deportes Iquique
Manageryears5:2020–2021

Cristian Rodrigo Leiva Godoy (born 3 March 1976), nicknamed Flaco (Skinny), is a Chilean football manager and former footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Leiva began his professional career with Universidad de Chile, staying only two years at the club.[1] Along with La U, he played the last minutes in a 1996 Copa Libertadores match against Barcelona de Guayaquil at the quarter-finals.[2] [1] After he was on loan to Deportes Iquique, he played for several clubs in Chile, being his greatest achievement to become runner-up of the 2005 Torneo Apertura with Coquimbo Unido, after losing the final against Unión Española.[3]

Managerial career

On 2011, Leiva began his managerial career at the youth categories of Universidad de Chile and Jorge Sampaoli, manager of La U, gave him in charge of the "sparring team".

From 2012 to 2019 - with the managers Jorge Sampaoli, Juan Antonio Pizzi and Reinaldo Rueda - he worked in the technical staff of Chile national team as a video and report assistant and Chile U15's manager (from 2017 to 2019).[1] At this term, he was known as a "spy" by watching slyly the Chile's opponents.[4] After Hernán Caputto left Chile U17, on 9 July 2019 he was confirmed as the new manager for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup,[5] where Chile U17 reached the second stage. At the same time, he also worked as assistant coach of Bernardo Redín in Chile U23 in both 2019 Maurice Revello Tournament and 2020 Pre-Olympic Tournament.[6]

On 2020, he took his first challenge at the Chilean Primera División by assuming the management of Deportes Iquique.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cristian Leiva: El entrenador al que no le gusta que le digan "espía". Cristian Leiva: The manager who doesn't like to be called as a "spy". RedGol. es. 24 October 2019. 30 September 2020.
  2. https://www.worldfootball.net/report/copa-libertadores-1996-viertelfinale-barcelona-sc-universidad-de-chile/ Barcelona - Universidad de Chile 1:1
  3. Web site: Unión Española obtuvo su más preciado "tesoro" en Coquimbo. Unión Española earned its greatest valued "treasure" in Coquimbo. alairelibre.cl. es. 9 July 2005. 30 September 2020.
  4. Web site: Cristian Leiva, de espía a director. Cristian Leiva, from spy to manager. La Tercera. es. 31 August 2019. 30 September 2020.
  5. Web site: Ex jugador de Coquimbo Unido es el nuevo entrenador de la selección Sub 17. A former Coquimbo Unido's player is the new manager of Chile U17. Diario El Día. es. 9 July 2019. 30 September 2020. 10 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190710143516/http://www.diarioeldia.cl/deportes/ex-jugador-coquimbo-unido-es-nuevo-entrenador-seleccion-sub-17. dead.
  6. Web site: La nueva función de Cristián Leiva en la selección chilena. The new job of Cristian Leiva in the Chile national team. as.com. es. 8 January 2020. 30 September 2020.
  7. Web site: Cristian Leiva fue anunciado como nuevo entrenador de Deportes Iquique. Cristian Leiva was announced as new manager of Deportes Iquique. alairelibre.cl. es. 25 September 2020. 30 September 2020.