Víctor Aristizábal

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Víctor Hugo Aristizábal (born December 9, 1971 in Medellín) is a football striker from Colombia.

He started his career in Atlético Nacional, and played there from 1990 to 1996 only interrupted by a short spell with Valencia CF in 1994. Winning the Colombian league twice with Nacional, he eventually moved to play in Brazil. He played for São Paulo and Santos before spending two seasons at Nacional and Deportivo Cali. In 2002 he once again moved to Brazil, and played for EC Vitória, Cruzeiro and Coritiba. Aristizábal is the all-time top foreign goalscorer in the Brazilian league.

Afterwards he rejoined Atletico Nacional for a third time, winning the Apertura 2005.

[edit] Clubs

1990-1994 : Corporación Deportiva Club Atlético Nacional (Copa Mustang).
1994-1994 : Valencia CF (Spain).
1994-1996 : Corporación Deportiva Club Atlético Nacional (Copa Mustang).
1997-1998 : São Paulo FC (Brazil).
1998-1999 : Santos FC (Brazil).
2000-2001 : {Asociación Deportivo Cali (Copa Mustang).
2002-2002 : EC Vitória (Brazil).
2003-2003 : Cruzeiro EC (Brazil).
2004-2004 : Coritiba FC (Brazil).
2005- present : Corporación Deportiva Club Atlético Nacional (Copa Mustang).

Preceded by Ronaldo and Rivaldo	Copa America Top Goalscorers Copa América 2001	Succeeded by Adriano

[edit] Colombian National Team

Víctor Hugo Aristizábal was a key football striker for Colombia. Between 1993 and 2003 he played 66 international matches and scored 15 goals for the Colombia national team. He was an unused substitute for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but played all three matches at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He performed exceptionally well at Copa America 2001, the 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the disillusioned Colombia striker Victor Aristizabal, dropped for the World Cup qualifier against Brazil, announced he was retiring from international soccer. Colombia were beaten 2-1 by the world champions in their opening South American qualifier for the 2006 finals in Germany with Aston Villa's Juan Pablo Angel, Aristizabal's rival as central striker, scoring an equaliser. Maturana said he did not think Aristizabal was fit to play but the striker replied: 'I was ready, I came from Brazil to play, I was happy, motivated, I'm in great form. I couldn't understand why I didn't play. 'It's always been like this with me in the national team... When I play, I'm to blame because we lose and when I don't play everyone wants me in (the side),' Aristizabal told Colombian reporters in Bolivia where Colombia played their second qualifier in La Paz. "I have decided to resign because I don't need anyone to protect me," said the player. The words of the striker have to do with what was said by the coach, Francisco Maturana, about why he didn't field the player in the match against Brazil. Maturana had said that the player wasn't in a mood and that he was protecting him by leaving him out of that match. "He would have been blamed for the defeat," said the coach. The Colombian press said that the player didn't say anymore than that he resigned after the match against Bolivia. He also competed for his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

[edit] External links

(Spanish) Yahoo! Deportes

	Colombia squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup
1 Córdoba \| 2 Escobar \| 3 Mendoza \| 4 Herrera \| 5 Gaviria \| 6 Gómez \| 7 de Ávila \| 8 Lozano \| 9 Valenciano \| 10 Valderrama \| 11 Valencia \| 12 Mondragón \| 13 Ortiz \| 14 Álvarez \| 15 Perea \| 16 Aristizábal \| 17 Serna \| 18 Cortés \| 19 Rincón \| 20 Pérez \| 21 Asprilla \| 22 Pazo \| Coach: Maturana

	Colombia squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 O. Córdoba \| 2 I. Córdoba \| 3 Palacios \| 4 Santa \| 5 Bermúdez \| 6 Serna \| 7 de Ávila \| 8 Lozano \| 9 Valencia \| 10 Valderrama \| 11 Asprilla \| 12 Calero \| 13 Cabrera \| 14 Bolaño \| 15 Aristizábal \| 16 Moreno \| 17 Estrada \| 18 Pérez \| 19 Rincón \| 20 Ricard \| 21 Preciado \| 22 Mondragón \| Coach: Gómez