Javier di Gregorio
Personal information
Full name Javier Eduardo di Gregorio Hoste
Date of birth (1977-01-23) 23 January 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth Mendoza, Argentina
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Universidad Católica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2003 Coquimbo Unido 66 (0)
2001 → Huachipato (loan) 13 (0)
2004 Nacional Tijuana 13 (0)
2004 Atlético Mexiquense 1 (0)
2005 Deportes Puerto Montt 17 (0)
2007 Deportivo Temuco 7 (0)
2008 Coquimbo Unido 23 (0)
2009 Deportes Melipilla 4 (0)
Total 144 (0)
International career
2000 Chile Olympic 7 (0)
2007 Chile 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Javier Eduardo di Gregorio Hoste (born 23 January 1977) is an Argentine-born Chilean former footballer who played as goalkeeper. His last club was Deportes Melipilla, in the age, Primera B de Chile (second-tier) member.

He was member of Chile Olympic Team's 22-man squad which won a bronze medal in Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.[1]

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.[1][2] He was the most damaged by the accident, having to face a six-month injury.[3] His teammate, the Argentinian forward, Julio César Laffatigue, declared: "Thank God we are alive, because it was a terrible thing".[2]

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 (Temuco, The Last Frontier)[4] which was centered in the daily live of team's coach Eduardo Bonvallet,[4] who replaced the outgoing coach, Carlos González Romero on 23 April 2007.[5] 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[6] to face Cuba,[7] and then for being marginalized from the team after disobeying Bonvallet,[8] after he decided to send him to the bench in a match with Provincial Osorno[9] on 26 May.[10] That match, Temuco won by 2–1 at the Old Estadio Municipal Germán Becker.[11]

On 6 June 2007, he announced his disengagement from the team.[12] Eight years later, on 19 September 2015, for the purpose of Bonvallet's death after he committed suicide a day ago,[13] among the memories and anecdotes that Emol emphasized on the part of those who were directed by Bonvallet, Luis Gabriel Valenzuela (di Gregorio's teammate in the age), remembered another tense episode which catapulted di Gregorio's marginalization: to have arrived late to train.[14]

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 (team of the same category) after he was unable to find a club.[citation needed]

After football

In 2013, he became Deportes Iquique's goalkeeping coach.[15]

International career

After deciding to be eligible to play for Chile 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.[1]

He played all of Chile's seven matches in the Pre-Olympic Tournament,[16] 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.[17]

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.[18]

On 15 May 2007, following a five-year absence (his last call-up was in 2002 for a match against Argentina corresponding to 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification),[6][7] it was reported that di Gregorio was re-called to play a friendly match against Cuba.[7] 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.[19]

Honours

National Team

Chile

References

  1. ^ a b c "Qué fue de los 22 medallistas olímpicos de la "Roja" en Sydney 2000" (in Spanish). T13. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Julio César Laffatigue: "Gracias a Dios estamos vivos, porque fue algo terrible"" (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Javier Di Gregorio estará seis meses fuera de las canchas" (in Spanish). Emol. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Bonvallet hace un reality de su vida como entrenador" (in Spanish). El Mercurio de Antofagasta. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Eduardo Bonvallet hará su debut como técnico profesional en Deportes Temuco" (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 23 April 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Di Gregorio y su regreso a la Roja" (in Spanish). Diario Austral de Temuco. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "Javier di Gregorio: Es muy emocionante y motivador estar en la selección" (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Javier di Gregorio es marginado del plantel" (in Spanish). Diario Austral de Temuco. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  9. ^ "La polémica y frustrada experiencia de Bonvallet como DT en el fútbol profesional" (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  10. ^ See in RSSSF Chile 2007 the section Second Level – Primera B "Copa BancoEstado" 2007. Here is verified Temuco's 2–1 home win over Provincial Osorno on 26 May. The scores for Temuco were of Francisco Ibáñez (2') and Patricio Neira (52'), whilst for the visitors scored Marcos Sepúlveda (64').
  11. ^ "Temuco de Bonvallet derrotó al líder Osorno" (in Spanish). Emol. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Javier di Gregorio rompió el silencio" (in Spanish). Diario Austral de Temuco. 6 June 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Eduardo Bonvallet se suicida en hotel de Providencia: lo aquejaban las deudas por su cáncer y depresión" (in Spanish). El Dínamo. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Los recuerdos y anécdotas de ex dirigidos por Bonvallet: "Don Eduardo era único, impresionaba su cercanía"" (in Spanish). Emol. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Javier Di Gregorio: "El sindicato de futbolistas no me apoyó después del accidente"" (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Preolímpico CONMEBOL Brasil 2000". Estadisticas de Fútbol (in Spanish). 7 December 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Efeméride del día: fecha histórica para la Sub-17 y la Sub-23". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 6 February 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Recordamos el bronce de la Selección Chilena en Sydney 200 y un título de Fernando González en Italia (video)". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 29 September 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Revive los olvidados partidos de Chile y Cuba" (in Spanish). Canal del Fútbol. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2018.

External links

Chile men's football squad – 2000 Summer Olympics – Bronze medalists
Categories