Rodrigo Álvaro Tello Valenzuela (born 14 October 1979) is a Chilean former professional footballer. He operated mainly as a left midfielder, but could also appear in the middle and as an attacking left back.

Rodrigo Tello
Tello playing for Beşiktaş in 2009
Personal information
Full name Rodrigo Álvaro Tello Valenzuela
Date of birth (1979-10-14) 14 October 1979 (age 44)
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1992–1995 Colo-Colo
1995–1999 Universidad de Chile
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Universidad de Chile 53 (7)
2001–2007 Sporting CP 113 (8)
2007–2010 Beşiktaş 87 (15)
2010–2014 Eskişehirspor 79 (3)
2014 Elazığspor 14 (2)
2014–2015 Şanlıurfaspor 29 (2)
2015–2016 Audax Italiano 10 (0)
Total 385 (37)
International career
2000 Chile U23 5 (1)
2000–2010 Chile 36 (3)
Medal record
Representing  Chile
Men's Football
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent the better part of his early professional career in Portugal with Sporting, where he arrived at only 21. In 2007, he moved to Turkey where he remained several years, notably representing Beşiktaş and Eskişehirspor.

A Chilean international for a full decade, Tello represented the country at the 2010 World Cup and the 2007 Copa América. Currently a Background Designer on Nickelodeon's The Casagrandes.

Club career edit

Born in Santiago, as a child Tello was with Colo-Colo from 1992 to 1995.[1] Next he moved to Club Universidad de Chile and began his career making his professional debuts in 1999. He quickly made a good impression, being named the best midfielder in the country in 2000 and being transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal for a fee of 7 million in January of the following year, alongside compatriot Mario Cáceres; at the time, it was a club record for the Primeira Liga side.[2]

After a slow start, Tello eventually became an important first-team member – although he would be used mainly as a substitute – and even saw some time at left back.[3][4]

In the 2007 summer, Tello moved to Turkey and signed with Beşiktaş J.K., being named to the Team of the Season in his second year as his team won the double. On 25 November 2009, during a UEFA Champions League group stage game against Manchester United, he scored from 25 yards to beat Ben Foster and help to a 1–0 win, the first match in that stage of the competition the English had lost at Old Trafford in eight years.[5]

On 25 July 2010, aged 30, Tello left Beşiktaş but continued in the Süper Lig, signing a three-year contract with Eskişehirspor. In January 2014, he moved to fellow league club Elazığspor, transferring to Şanlıurfaspor of the second division in June.[6]

Tello returned to his country after a 15-year absence, agreeing to a one-year deal at Audax Italiano on 4 August 2015.[7] On 28 April of the following year, the 36-year-old announced his retirement.[8]

International career edit

A full Chilean international since his early 20s, Tello represented the country at the 2007 Copa América, where the national side exited in the last-eight after a 1–6 loss against eventual winners Brazil, and at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, playing in the second half of the round-of-16 0–3 defeat to the same opponents.[9]

He also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal.[10]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

Source:[11]
Club Season League Cup Other Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting 2003–04 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0
2004–05 9 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 15 1
2005–06 20 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 23 1
2006–07 24 2 0 0 0 0 6 0 30 2
Total 56 4 0 0 0 0 17 0 73 4
Beşiktaş 2007–08 29 5 0 0 1 0 8 1 38 6
2008–09 32 6 8 1 0 0 4 1 44 8
2009–10 26 4 4 0 1 0 6 1 37 5
Total 87 15 12 1 2 0 18 3 119 19
Eskişehirspor 2010–11 16 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 17 0
2011–12 33 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 36 1
2012–13 27 2 5 1 0 0 3 0 35 3
2013–14 3 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
Total 79 3 12 2 0 0 3 0 94 5
Elazığspor 2013–14 14 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 15 2
Şanlıurfaspor 2014–15 29 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 2
Audax Italiano 2015–16 10 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 13 1
Career total 275 26 28 4 2 0 38 3 343 33

International goals edit

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 23 September 2000 Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile   Honduras 1–0 5–2 Friendly
2. 29 March 2000 Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina   Argentina 1–1 1–4 2002 World Cup qualification
3. 30 May 2010 Estadio Municipal, Concepción, Chile   Israel 3–0 3–0 Friendly

Honours edit

Club edit

Universidad de Chile

Sporting

Beşiktaş

International edit

Chile U23
Chile[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Rodrigo Tello reveló detalles de su desconocido paso por Colo Colo". www.encancha.cl (in Spanish). 30 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Luz-verde para Rodrigo Tello" [Green light to Rodrigo Tello] (in Portuguese). Record. 4 January 2001. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  3. ^ "O "novo" Tello e o "velhos" Pintos" ["New" Tello and "old" Pintos] (in Portuguese). Record. 5 July 2001. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Rui Jorge na calha para render Tello" [Rui Jorge poised to replace Tello] (in Portuguese). Record. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Beşiktaş triumph at Old Trafford". UEFA. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Rodrigo Tello Şanlıurfaspor'la anlaştı" [Rodrigo Tello agrees terms with Şanlıurfaspor]. Goal.com (in Turkish). 23 June 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Rodrigo Tello refuerza a Audax Italiano y vuelve a Chile tras 15 años" [Rodrigo Tello bolsters Audax Italiano and returns to Chile after 15 years] (in Spanish). La Tercera. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Beşiktaş'ın eski futbolcusu Rodrigo Tello futbolu bıraktı" [Former Beşiktaş player Rodrigo Tello quit football] (in Turkish). T24. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  9. ^ Rodrigo TelloFIFA competition record (archived)
  10. ^ "Rodrigo Tello". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  11. ^ "R. Tello". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Rodrigo Tello". Partidos de la Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 July 2022.

External links edit