Roberto Acuña

Roberto Acuña

Acuña at the 2015 Beach Soccer Championship
Personal information
Full name	Roberto Miguel Acuña Cabello
Date of birth	(1972-03-25) 25 March 1972
Place of birth	Avellaneda, Argentina
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Deportivo Recoleta
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1989–1993	Nacional Asunción
1993–1994	Argentinos Juniors	33	(4)
1994–1995	Boca Juniors	31	(3)
1995–1997	Indepediente	65	(3)
1997–2002	Zaragoza	153	(20)
2002–2006	Deportivo La Coruña	14	(0)
2003–2004	→ Elche (loan)	26	(2)
2004	→ Al Ain (loan)	4	(0)
2007	Rosario Central	4	(0)
2007	Olimpia Asunción	16	(3)
2009–2012	Rubio Ñu	97	(15)
2013–2014	12 de Octubre	8	(1)
2015–	Deportivo Recoleta
International career
1993–2011	Paraguay	100	(5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 July 2014

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Acuña and the second or maternal family name is Cabello.

Roberto Miguel Acuña Cabello (Spanish pronunciation: [roˈβerto miˈɣel aˈkuɲa kaˈβeʎo]; born 25 March 1972) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays for Deportivo Recoleta.

Nicknamed El Toro (bull) due to his strength and dominating presence, he operated as a central midfielder. He spent several years as a professional in Spain at Zaragoza and Deportivo, being very unlucky at the latter.

Acuña played 100 times for Paraguay, representing the nation in three World Cups and four Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Acuña was born in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina, emigrating to Paraguay at a young age and starting playing for Club Nacional in 1989. After five years, he decided to acquire the country's citizenship to play for the national team, eventually becoming the second most capped player in Paraguay's history, second only to Carlos Gamarra.

Afterwards, Acuña played four seasons back in Argentina, with Argentinos Juniors, Club Atlético Independiente and Boca Juniors, before moving to Europe in 1997 where he signed with Spain's Real Zaragoza. With the Aragonese he was an everpresent midfield fixture, helping the side to the 2001 conquest of the Copa del Rey. In 2001, he won the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year award.

Consequently, Acuña attracted attention from Deportivo de La Coruña, which bought the player for five years and €11 million even though he was still due a five-match suspension from the previous season, where Zaragoza was relegated. With the Galicians, however, he never appeared more than seven times in the league during his spell, also struggling with injuries and being often loaned.

Acuña first retired in 2007, finishing his career in Paraguay with Olimpia Asunción. However, in 2009, he came out of inactivity, signing with lowly Club Rubio Ñú; in 2012, the 40-year-old joined Club 12 de Octubre.

In 2015, aged 43, Acuña helped Deportivo Recoleta gain promotion to the Paraguayan Primera División B.

International career

Like central defender Gamarra, Acuña appeared in three FIFA World Cups – 1998, 2002 and 2006 – and collected 100 caps in total, scoring five goals. He played in all the matches for the national in all three editions, and was the first Paraguayan to be sent off in a World Cup when he elbowed Germany's Michael Ballack in the last minute of the 0–1 round-of-16 loss on 15 June 2002 (for a second bookable offense).

Acuña retired from international competition on 11 June 2011 at the age of 39, captaining Paraguay in a friendly with Romania.

Honours

Club

Independiente

• Supercopa Sudamericana: 1995

Zaragoza

• Copa del Rey: 2000–01

Deportivo

• Supercopa de España: 2002

Individual

• Paraguayan Footballer of the Year: 2001

External links

• Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
• Roberto Acuña profile at BDFutbol
• Roberto Acuña at National-Football-Teams.com
• Roberto Acuña – FIFA competition record
• Roberto Acuña at Soccerway
• Football-Lineups profile