Pablo Cesar Barrientos (born 17 January 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Pablo Barrientos
Barrientos with Moscow in 2007
Personal information
Full name Pablo Cesar Barrientos[1]
Date of birth (1985-01-17) 17 January 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Newbery
2001–2002 Huracán
2003 San Lorenzo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2006 San Lorenzo 72 (7)
2006–2009 Moscow 42 (6)
2008–2009San Lorenzo (loan) 21 (8)
2009–2014 Catania 86 (14)
2011Estudiantes (loan) 13 (0)
2014–2016 San Lorenzo 47 (3)
2016–2019 Toluca 88 (15)
2019–2020 Nacional 10 (0)
2020–2021 Newbery 3 (0)
International career
2004–2005 Argentina U20 15 (6)
2009–2011 Argentina 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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San Lorenzo

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Barrientos was born in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. He began his professional career in 2003 with San Lorenzo, as he officially was promoted from youth team football to the club's first team. He established himself at the Argentine club, and his performance saw him begin to earn call-ups to the Argentine U20 and U21 football teams. At the age of 21, he had made 72 league appearances with 7 league goals, also earning 15 caps and scoring 6 goals for his country. His form lead to many transfer rumours, and the player was linked to a host of European clubs. However, in July 2006, Barrientos transferred to FC Moscow, of Russia.

FC Moscow

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Following his move to Russia, Barrientos did not hold down a guaranteed starting spot and after two seasons in the Russian Premier League, he had made 33 league appearances and scored 6 goals. For the 2008–09 season, Barrientos was sent back on loan to San Lorenzo. He scored 9 goals in 21 league starts. Following his return to Moscow, he was again linked to several different clubs. In May 2009, it was confirmed that Barrientos signed for Sicilian club Calcio Catania in the Serie A.[2]

Calcio Catania

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On 30 May 2009, Calcio Catania officially signed Barrientos from FC Moscow on a four-year contract until June 2013.[3] He was plagued by injury and failed to make his debut for the Sicilian club until May 2010. After making two substitute appearances for Catania in the whole of the 2009–10 season, Barrientos did not play any matches in the first half of the 2010–11 Serie A season. Therefore, he was loaned to Estudiantes back in Argentina for six months.[4] After the loan spell during which he scored five goals in seven league matches, Barrientos returned to Catania in July 2011 and became a key component to the team under new head coach, Vincenzo Montella. During the 2012-13 Serie A campaign, Barrientos was a key part of Rolando Maran's first team, scoring 5 goals in 27 league appearances. He formed part of an all-Argentine attack force with Gonzalo Bergessio, Alejandro Gómez, and Lucas Castro for the Sicilian club that has seen i rossazzurri push for the European places.

Barrientos was part of a record-breaking Catania outfit that had picked up 56 points from 38 Serie A matches. This performance saw the club also break its record number of home victories in a single season, its record number of victories overall in a single top flight campaign, as well as its record points total in Serie A for the fifth consecutive season.

San Lorenzo

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In July 2014 it was reported that Barrientos would return to San Lorenzo, the team in which he made his debut as a professional player. It was his third time playing for El Ciclón.[5]

Toluca

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On 29 July 2016, Barrientos signed for Deportivo Toluca.[6]

Later career and retirement

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In February 2020, after a spell with Nacional, Barrientos announced his retirement from professional football.[7]

In October 2020, however, he returned to his former youth club Jorge Newbery de Comodoro Rivadavia back in his hometown Comodoro Rivadavia.[8] After a third degree sprain in January 2021, Barrientos announced that he would retire completely from playing football.[9] A week later, the vice president of the club and brother of Pablo Barrientos, Leo Barrientos, confirmed that Pablo would be a part of the club's management.[10]

International career

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After receiving 15 U-20 caps for his country in which he scored 6 goals, Barrientos received a call-up to the Argentina squad against Chile on 15 November 2008 by Alfio Basile.

Personal life

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Pablo's brother, Hugo is a fellow footballer playing in Argentina.

Career statistics

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As of match played on 8 April 2018[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Moscow 2006 Russian Premier League 8 2 0 0 8 2
2007 30 4 0 0 30 4
2008 4 0 0 0 4 0
Total 42 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 6
San Lorenzo (loan) 2008–09 Argentine Primera División 21 8 0 0 2 1 23 9
Catania 2009–10 Serie A 2 0 0 0 2 0
2010–11 0 0 2 0 2 0
2011–12 25 4 1 0 26 4
2012–13 31 5 4 0 35 5
2013–14 28 5 0 0 28 5
Total 86 14 7 0 0 0 0 0 93 14
Estudiantes (loan) 2010–11 Argentine Primera División 13 0 0 0 6 2 19 2
San Lorenzo 2014 Argentine Primera División 12 1 0 0 5 1 17 2
2015 22 1 2 0 5 0 29 1
2016 13 1 0 0 6 2 19 3
Total 47 3 2 0 0 0 16 3 65 6
Toluca 2016–17 Liga MX 35 8 6 0 41 8
2017–18 26 2 7 1 33 3
Total 61 10 13 1 0 0 0 0 74 11
Career total 270 41 22 1 0 0 24 6 316 48

Honours

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San Lorenzo
Nacional

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 15 December 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2015.
  2. ^ Official: Catania Sign Pablo Barrientos From FC Moskow
  3. ^ "Barrientos al Catania nel 2009–10". Calcio Catania (in Italian). 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  4. ^ Ya está tocando Pitu
  5. ^ Lammens confirmó que Barrientos vuelve a San Lorenzo
  6. ^ "Pitu" es Diablo
  7. ^ Se retiró Pablo "Pitu" Barrientos, ex jugador de San Lorenzo, pagina12.com.ar, 19 February 2020
  8. ^ El "Pitu" Barrientos a Newbery: La noticia que recorrió los medios de punta a punta, pastadecampeon.com, 20 October 2020
  9. ^ Pablo "Pitu" Barrientos se despide del profesionalismo, elpatagonico.com, 18 February 2021
  10. ^ “Pitu” Barrientos será el manager de Jorge Newbery, pastadecampeon.com, 25 February 2021
  11. ^ Pablo Barrientos at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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