Fredy Guarín

Fredy Alejandro Guarín Vásquez (born 30 June 1986) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays for Millonarios. A versatile player, he is comfortable as a central, defensive or right midfielder.

Fredy Guarín

Guarín in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Fredy Alejandro Guarín Vásquez
Date of birth	30 June 1986
Place of birth	Puerto Boyacá, Colombia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Millonarios
Youth career
	Cooperamos Tolima
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002	Atlético Huila	5	(0)
2003–2007	Envigado	38	(4)
2005–2006	→ Boca Juniors (loan)	2	(0)
2006–2007	→ Saint-Étienne (loan)	18	(1)
2007–2008	Saint-Étienne	18	(0)
2008–2012	Porto	63	(11)
2012	→ Inter Milan (loan)	6	(0)
2012–2016	Inter Milan	108	(15)
2016–2019	Shanghai Shenhua	83	(21)
2019–2020	Vasco da Gama	13	(3)
2021–	Millonarios	0	(0)
National team^‡
2003	Colombia U17	6	(2)
2003–2005	Colombia U20	7	(2)
2006–2015	Colombia	57	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 February 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2015

He started his career with Envigado, then had a short spell in Argentina, and played two years in France with Saint-Étienne. He made a name for himself with Porto in Portugal, where he spent four seasons and won ten major titles, including three Primeira Liga championships and the 2011 Europa League.

Guarín represented Colombia at the 2011 Copa América and the 2014 World Cup.

Club career

Early years / Saint-Étienne

Guarín was born in Puerto Boyacá. In 2005, already a regular for Envigado F.C. and the Colombian under-20 national team, he was taken on loan by Boca Juniors in the Argentine Primera División, where he spent the first six months in the youth team; upon completion of his loan the Buenos Aires-based club attempted to sign him on a permanent basis, but he instead chose to go on loan to AS Saint-Étienne in August 2006.

Guarín made his debut for the French side scoring twice in a friendly against RCD Espanyol, and gradually fought his way into the starting lineup as the season closed. He first appeared in the Ligue 1 on 14 October 2006 against Olympique Lyonnais, and scored his first goal in a 3–1 victory over Troyes AC;[1] in April 2007, the deal was made permanent for four years.[2]

Porto

Guarín playing for Porto (2011)

On 10 July 2008, Guarín penned a four-year deal with Primeira Liga club FC Porto for an undisclosed fee. Portuguese under-21 international Paulo Machado went the opposite direction, on loan.[3] During his spell he was used mainly as a substitute, but managed to appear regularly;[4] arguably, his most important goal came on 16 May 2010 as the team renewed their Taça de Portugal title, defeating G.D. Chaves 2–1.[5]

In 2010–11, even after the departure of Raul Meireles to Liverpool, Guarín initially struggled to make Porto's starting XI. He was, however, a very important midfield element for the eventual national champions, playing in more than 40 official games and scoring ten goals,[6] including five in the Europa League campaign,[7][8][9][10][11] which also ended in conquest.[12]

Inter Milan

Guarín training with Inter in 2014

On 31 January 2012, Guarín joined Inter Milan for €1.5 million, on loan, with the player replacing Paris Saint-Germain FC-bound Thiago Motta.[13] The Italians also had an option to make the move permanent for €13.5 million in June.[14][15]

On 17 May 2012, Inter made the move permanent but for €11 million.[16] Guarín scored his first official goal for the Nerazzurri on 30 August, in a 2–2 home draw against FC Vaslui in the Europa League (4–2 on aggregate).[17] In the group stage of the same competition, he provided all three assists in a 3–1 defeat of Neftchi Baku PFC.[18]

Again in the Europa League, on 21 February 2013, Guarín scored twice in a 3–0 away win over CFR Cluj (5–0 on aggregate) to help Inter make it through to the last 16.[19] In the January 2014 transfer window, he was supposed to move to Juventus F.C. in exchange for Mirko Vučinić, but the deal ultimately fell through after the clubs could not reach an agreement.[20] He declared he would not return to the Nerazzurri if he was not allowed to leave, but eventually he reconsidered;[21] it was later reported that he simply wanted to clarify his future with the club, stating that he never asked to leave and that he was confused as to why the situation was created.[22][23]

On 25 March 2014, Guarín agreed to extend his contract with Inter until 2017.[24] On 14 September, as a second-half substitute, he scored in a 7–0 home win against U.S. Sassuolo Calcio.[25] At the start of the 2014–15 season, he began being used by manager Walter Mazzarri as a second striker.[26]

On 7 December 2014, in his 100th appearance for Inter, Guarín assisted Mauro Icardi in the 44th minute of an eventual 1–2 home defeat against Udinese Calcio.[27] On 16 February of the following year, he scored twice after winning a first-minute penalty kick in a 4–1 success at Atalanta BC, helping his team to secure the first away win in the league since December 2014.[28][29]

Later career

On 26 January 2016, Guarín joined Shanghai Greenland Shenhua F.C. in the Chinese Super League for a reported €11 million fee plus bonuses.[30][31] On 26 September 2019, the 33-year-old free agent moved to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with CR Vasco da Gama.[32] On 30 December 2020, he agreed to a one-year deal with Millonarios on a free transfer.[33]

International career

Guarín (left) playing for Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

On 24 May 2006, Guarín made his international debut for Colombia, in a pre-World Cup friendly against Ecuador. He represented the nation at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2011 Copa América.[34][35]

Guarín was selected by José Pekerman for his 2014 World Cup squad.[36] He played his first game in the tournament on 24 June after the national team had already won its first two group matches, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 4–1 win against Japan which was also his 49th cap;[37] he earned his 50th four days later, coming on as a late substitute to help oust Uruguay 2–0 in the round of 16.[38]

On 10 May 2015, whilst at the service of Inter, Guarín suffered a muscular injury to his right leg, being ruled out of the Copa América.[39]

Style of play

A versatile player, Guarín is a strong, fast and creative attacking midfielder, who can also play in the centre, in a holding role, or on the right flank. He is capable of shooting from long-range with both feet, and of acting as a playmaker in midfield.[40][41][42]

In 2013, Guarín's Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni described him as "...an extraordinary player who combines physicality with technique in an incredible way. He is also an important element in the locker room."[43]

Career statistics

Club

As of 1 January 2021[44][45]

Club	Season	League			Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Atlético Huila	2002	Primera A	36	11	0	0	-		-		-		36	11
	2003		5	0	0	0	-		-		-		5	0
	total		41	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	41	11
Envigado	2003	Primera A	5	0	0	0	-		-		-		5	0
	2004		23	3	5	0	-		-		-		28	3
	2005		10	1	0	0	-		-		-		10	1
	total		38	4	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	43	4
Boca Juniors (loan)	2005–06	Primera División	2	0	-		-		-		-		2	0
Saint-Étienne (loan)	2006–07	Ligue 1	18	1	7	1	-		-		-		25	2
Saint-Étienne	2007–08		18	0	5	2	-		-		-		23	2
	total		36	1	12	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	48	4
Porto	2008–09	Primeira Liga	15	1	8	2	1	0	3	0	-		27	3
	2009–10		19	4	9	3	1	0	7	0	-		36	7
	2010–11		22	5	8	0	-		14	5	-		44	10
	2011–12		7	1	1	0	2	0	3	0	-		13	1
	total		63	11	26	5	4	0	27	5	0	0	120	21
Inter Milan (loan)	2011–12	Serie A	6	0	0	0	-		-		0	0	6	0
Inter Milan	2012–13		32	4	3	2	-		12	4	-		47	10
	2013–14		32	4	3	1	-		-		-		35	5
	2014–15		28	6	1	0	-		8	1	-		37	7
	2015–16		16	1	0	0	-		-		-		16	1
	total		114	15	7	3	0	0	20	5	0	0	141	23
Shanghai Shenhua	2016	Chinese Super League	26	3	4	1	-		-		-		30	4
	2017		18	10	5	2	-		0	0	-		23	12
	2018		25	7	0	0	-		5	1	1	1	31	9
	2019		14	1	2	0	-		-		-		16	1
	total		83	21	11	3	0	0	5	1	1	1	100	26
Vasco da Gama	2019	Série A	12	3	-		-		-		-		12	3
	2020		0	0	2	0	-		-		1	0	3	0
	total		12	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	15	3
Millonarios	2021	Primera A	0	0	0	0	-		0	0	-		0	0
Career Total			389	66	63	14	4	0	52	11	2	1	510	92

International

As of match played 26 September 2019[46]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Colombia
	2006	5	0
	2007	1	0
	2008	10	0
	2009	8	0
	2010	1	0
	2011	11	2
	2012	3	0
	2013	8	1
	2014	6	1
	2015	4	0
Total		57	4

International goals

As of 6 June 2014 (Colombia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Guarín goal)[47]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	26 March 2011	Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain	Ecuador	1–0	2–0	Friendly
2.	11 November 2011	Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Venezuela	1–0	1–1	2014 World Cup qualification
3.	14 August 2013	Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain	Serbia	1–0	1–0	Friendly
4.	6 June 2014	Pedro Bidegain, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Jordan	3–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours

Club

Porto[48]

• Primeira Liga: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12
• Taça de Portugal: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Europa League: 2010–11
• Taça da Liga runner-up: 2009–10
• UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2011

Shanghai Shenhua

• Chinese FA Cup: 2017[49]

Notes

References

1. "St Etienne 3–1 Troyes". ESPN Soccernet. 17 March 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
2. "Guarin signe à Saint-Etienne" [Guarin signs for Saint-Etienne] (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
3. "Porto acquire St-Étienne's Guarín". UEFA. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
4. "Portistas só marcaram já em vantagem" [Porto boys only scored when already in the lead]. Público (in Portuguese). 3 May 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
5. "Desp. Chaves 1–2 FC Porto" (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
6. "Freddy Guarín sueña con ganar la Liga Europa con el Oporto" [Freddy Guarín dreams of winning the Europa League with Porto]. El Espectador (in Spanish). 13 April 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
7. "Guarín gives Porto narrow win in Seville". UEFA. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
8. "Guarín fires Porto past CSKA". UEFA. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
9. "Quick-fire Porto too good for CSKA". UEFA. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
10. "Irrepressible Porto leave Spartak in a spin". UEFA. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
11. "Porto triumph as four-goal Falcao stuns Villarreal". UEFA. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
12. "2010/11: Falcao heads Porto to glory". UEFA. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
13. "Guarín and Palombo in, Motta out for Inter". UEFA. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
14. "FC Porto revela valores dos empréstimos de Belluschi e Guarín" [FC Porto reveal figures on Belluschi e Guarín loans]. Público (in Portuguese). 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
15. "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
16. "FC Porto transfere Guarín" [FC Porto transfer Guarín] (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
17. "Inter 2–2 Vaslui: Palacio and Guarin settle it". Inter Milan. 30 August 2012. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
18. "Neftchi 1–3 Inter: Nerazzurri ease past 500-goal landmark in Europe". Goal. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
19. "Inter progress with clinical showing at CFR". UEFA. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
20. "Inter e Juve, scambio Vucinic-Guarin: l'affare si farà" [Inter and Juve, Vucinic-Guarin swap: deal will be done]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
21. "Aria tesa in casa Inter, ma Guarin torna ad allenarsi. Ausilio: "E' nostro, eh..."" [Rocky days at Inter, but Guarin returns to training. Ausilio: "He's ours, hey..."] (in Italian). Goal. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
22. "Fredy Guarin asks for Inter 'clarity'". Yahoo Sports. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
23. "Guarin annoyed with Inter treatment". Eurosport. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
24. "Former Juventus target Fredy Guarin signs Inter Milan extension". Gulf News. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
25. "Inter Milan 7–0 Sassuolo". BBC Sport. 14 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
26. "Guarin relishing new forward role at Inter". Forza Italian Football. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
27. "Inter 1–2 Udinese: Bianconeri fightback leaves hosts in San Siro slump". Goal. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
28. "Atalanta 1–4 Inter: Guarin brace gives Nerazzurri lift in Bergamo". Forza Italian Football. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
29. "Fredy Guarin brace helps Inter Milan to convincing win at Atalanta". ESPN FC. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
30. "Breaking news: Inter's Guarin agrees to join Shanghai". Calcio Mercato. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
31. "Official: Guarin leaves Inter for Shanghai Shenhua". Goal. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
32. "Vasco acerta contratação de Guarín, ex-Inter de Milão que negociou com o Flamengo" [Vasco agree signing of Guarín, formerly of Inter Milan who negotiated with Flamengo] (in Portuguese). Fox Sports. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
33. Peñuela, Juan (30 December 2020). "Oficial: Fredy Guarín, nuevo jugador de Millonarios para 2021" [Official: Fredy Guarín, new Millionaires player for 2021]. AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2020.
34. "CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2005 – Full Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
35. "Freddy Guarín: "los goles llegarán en cualquier momento"" [Freddy Guarín: "goals will arrive at any moment"]. El Espectador (in Spanish). 29 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
36. "Colombia World Cup 2014 squad". The Daily Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
37. "Cruising Colombia triumph, send Japan home". FIFA. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
38. "Rodriguez brace sets up Brazil showdown". FIFA. 28 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
39. "¡Alerta en la selección! Fredy Guarín estará de baja de 4 a 5 semanas" [National team alert! Fredy Guarín will miss 4 to 5 weeks] (in Spanish). Fútbol Red. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
40. "Guarin: "Inter, un orgoglio. Ecco le mie caratteristiche..."" [Guarin: "Inter, a pride. These are my characteristics..."] (in Italian). FC Inter 1908. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
41. "Wesley Sneijder: Fredy Guarin will ease loss of talented Dutchman". Bleacher Report. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
42. "Fredy Guarín shows vision to ensure Wesley Sneijder is not missed at Inter". The Guardian. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
43. "Stramaccioni has Inter faith". Football Italia. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
44. Fredy Guarín at ForaDeJogo
45. Fredy Guarín at Soccerway
46. "Freddy Guarín". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
47. "F. Guarín – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
48. "F. Guarín – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
49. "足协杯-马丁斯轰世界波 申花总分3-3上港夺冠" (in Chinese). Sina. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2019.

External links

• Fredy Guarín at L'Équipe Football (in French)
• Fredy Guarín at ForaDeJogo
• Fredy Guarín at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
• Fredy Guarín at National-Football-Teams.com
• Fredy Guarín – FIFA competition record
• Fredy Guarín – UEFA competition record