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Diego Castro (Chilean footballer)

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Diego Castro
Personal information
Full name Diego Castro
Date of birth (1961-10-10) 10 October 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Constitución, Chile
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Forward
Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1981 Aviación 27 (0)
1982–1983 Garden Grove Galactica (–)
1982–1983 Chicago Sting 22 (0)
1983–1984 Chicago Sting (indoor) 4 (1)
1984–1985 Hertha BSC 22 (0)
1985–1986 Dallas Sidekicks (indoor) 30 (5)
1986–1987 Wichita Wings (indoor) 27 (8)
1987–1989 Memphis Storm (indoor) 46 (18)
1990–1991 Wichita Wings (indoor) 6 (2)
1991–1992 Dallas Sidekicks (indoor) 2 (0)
1994 Houston Hotshots (indoor) 7 (1)
Total 193 (35)
International career
1981 Chile U20
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Diego Castro (born 10 October 1961) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder for clubs in Chile, the United States and Germany.

Club career

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Born in Constitución, Chile, Castro was with Aviación from 1979 to 1981 in both the Primera[1] and the Segunda División, coinciding with players such as Arturo Jáuregui [es], Roberto Rojas and Eduardo Fournier.[2] Then he moved to the United States in 1982 and played for the semi-professional club Garden Grove Galactica and Chicago Sting,[3] where he coincided with the German player Hans Weiner, who suggested him to make a trial in Germany.[2]

He went to Germany and joined Hertha Berlin in 1984, where he coincided with players such as Andreas Köpke, Dieter Timme and Hans Weiner,[2] becoming the first Chilean to play in the German football.[4] He made his debut in a friendly match against Tennis Borussia Berlin on 30 July. According to Hertha BSC Stiftung (Hertha BSC Foundation), Castro made 22 appearances in the 1984–85 2. Bundesliga, 3 appearances in the DFB-Pokal and 2 appearances in friendlies, where he scored a goal against Neuköllner Sportfreunde 1907 [de].[2]

Castro returned to the United States and made a career in indoor soccer, playing for Dallas Sidekicks, Wichita Wings, Memphis Storm and Houston Hotshots.[3]

International career

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He took part of Chile at under-20 level, with Carlos Campos as coach.[2]

Coaching career

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Following his retirement, he graduated as a soccer manager and started a football academy what provides players to universities.[2] Since then he has development an extensive career as coach in the United States at youth level.[5]

Personal life

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He attended to university at the age of 16 and studied chemistry and pharmacy for 3 years before switching to professional football.[2]

His mother was a well-known Doctor of Linguistics who lived in the United States and before in London, England, where Castro also lived with her.[2]

Castro married in the United States and made his home in Texas.[2] He works alongside his wife, Kathy.[6] His son, Jackson, is also a footballer.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Aviacion 1980 - Campeonato Nacional". www.solofutbol.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "EyN: La olvidada historia de Diego Castro, el primer chileno que jugó en el fútbol alemán". www.economiaynegocios.cl (in Spanish). El Mercurio. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b "NASL-Diego Castro". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Historia de los jugadores chilenos en el fútbol alemán". www.espn.cl (in Spanish). ESPN. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Diego Castro – Solar Soccer Club". www.solarsoccerclub.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Team Page". soccer.sincsports.com. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Jackson Castro". SoccerWire. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
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