Mario Yepes

Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾjo ˈʝepes]; born 13 January 1976) is a retired Colombian professional footballer who played as a defender. Yepes was well known for his time in Paris Saint-Germain, where he was considered to be one of the best defenders at the time, being dubbed by fans as "Super Mario".[1][2] During his time in Italy with Chievo, he earned a reputation in the media as a solid and physical old-fashioned man-marking centre-back, known as a "stopper" in Italian football jargon.[3] He served as the captain of the Colombia national team between 2008 and 2014. Having begun his career in 1999, and having played for the Colombian national team during that period, Yepes is one of only two players that can truly be considered to be part of the late 1990s and early 2000s golden generation of Colombian football which won the 2001 Copa América and ended in 2003, but has also been part of Colombia's present golden generation (which began in 2013). Faryd Mondragón is the other Colombian footballer of the two, but officially retired in 2014.[1][4][5]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Yepes and the second or maternal family name is Díaz.
Mario Yepes
Yepes in 2013
Personal information
Full name Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz
Date of birth (1976-01-13) 13 January 1976
Place of birth Cali, Colombia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Cortuluá 76 (7)
1997–1999 Deportivo Cali 93 (11)
1999–2002 River Plate 76 (6)
2002–2004 Nantes 73 (2)
2004–2008 Paris Saint-Germain 115 (8)
2008–2010 Chievo 63 (1)
2010–2013 Milan 38 (1)
2013–2014 Atalanta 24 (0)
2014–2015 San Lorenzo 31 (0)
Total 580 (36)
National team
1999–2014 Colombia 102 (6)
Teams managed
2016–2017 Deportivo Cali
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 August 2015

Yepes began his managerial career with hometown club Deportivo Cali, whom he managed from 2016 to 2017.

Club career

Early career

Mario Yepes started his playing career in 1994 with Cortuluá, as a forward before Cortulua's coach converted him to a libero (sweeper).

Yepes signed for his home town club Deportivo Cali in 1998. He won a Colombian championship with Deportivo Cali. He was part of the squad for the 1999 Copa Libertadores.

In 1999, he joined River Plate in Argentina, where he won two Argentine Primera championships.

In 2002, Yepes moved to Europe, signing for Nantes in the French Ligue 1. After two-and-half personally successful seasons with Nantes, Yepes joined fellow Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain in 2004. Yepes would became a mainstay in the PSG side winning the Coupe de France in 2006 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2008, though he did not feature in the second final.

In 2008, Yepes joined Chievo in Italy. He signed a new long-term contract in summer 2009.[6]

Milan
Yepes in action for Milan in 2012
Yepes challenging for the ball with Arsenal's Samir Nasri.

In March 2010, Chievo teammate Sergio Pellissier confirmed that Yepes would join Milan in the summer, when his contract ran out.[7]

Yepes got to Milan in the 2010–11 season but was quickly deployed as a substitute due to the starting centre-back being Thiago Silva. Yepes played few games in the Italian Serie A, but participated in the UEFA Champions League. Yepes was close to scoring with Milan in the UEFA Champions League match against Tottenham Hotspur, in which he had two clear chances of scoring with a header, but was denied twice by Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Yepes scored his first goal for Milan on the 23 October 2011, where he finished off a comeback against Lecce, scoring the fourth and winning goal for Milan in the 83rd minute to drive the Rossoneri to a 4–3 victory, with Kevin-Prince Boateng scoring a hat-trick to level the scores after a 3–0 losing position.

On 12 May 2012, Yepes signed a one-year extension contract with Milan, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2013.[8] After being an irregular player during the following season, however, Yepes stated that he would not sign a new contract with the club despite being offered the chance, expressing that he needed more "guaranteed" playing time in order to better prepare himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He later confirmed that Milan would not offer him as such and his reason for departure.[9][10][11]

Atalanta

On 14 July 2013, Yepes signed a one-year contract with Serie A club Atalanta.[12] He made 26 appearances during the 2013–14 season and left the club at the end of the term.

San Lorenzo

On 13 September 2014, Argentine club San Lorenzo announced the signing of Yepes on a deal valid until the end of 2015.[13] On 20 January 2016, Yepes officially retired from professional football, joining Deportivo Cali as manager four months later.[14]

International career
Yepes heading the ball against Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Yepes has played 102 matches for the Colombia national team since his debut in 1999, making him the second-most capped Colombian player of all time, after Carlos Valderrama.[15] He was part of the Colombia squad that won the Copa América in 2001.[16] and was also in the squads for three other editions of the tournament in 1999,[17] 2007[18] and 2011.

During the team's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Yepes made 12 appearances as Colombia qualified for its first finals since 1998. In the final qualifying match, Yepes scored both goals in a 2–1 victory against Paraguay.[15]

Due to his age during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Yepes expressed his passion for the national team and wanting to retire either after the World Cup qualifiers or during the 2014 World Cup. José Pékerman promised to meet with his retirement request. On 17 December 2013, Yepes announced that he would retire after the 2014 World Cup.[19]

On 14 June 2014, Yepes made his first appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals stage at age 38, captaining Colombia to a 3–0 win over Greece in Belo Horizonte.[20] Yepes was the oldest outfield player at the 2014 World Cup, and the second-oldest overall, after compatriot Faryd Mondragón.[21]

On 19 June 2014, Yepes earned his 100th cap for Colombia in the second group stage match against the Ivory Coast, becoming the third Colombian player to reach the milestone after Valderrama and Leonel Álvarez.[22] He led Colombia to its best ever World Cup performance as they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, where they lost 2–1 to tournament hosts Brazil.[23]

International goals
Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first.[24]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreFinalCompetition
1.20 June 2003Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France New Zealand
2–1
3–1
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
2.17 November 2004Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia Bolivia
1–0
1–0
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.30 May 2005Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States England
1–2
2–3
Friendly
4.23 June 2007Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia Ecuador
2–1
3–1
5.15 October 2013Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay Paraguay
1–1
2–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.
2–1

Managerial career

In late April 2016 Mario Alberto Yepes was named as manager of Deportivo Cali, which became his first managerial experience. Yepes came to replace Fernando "Pecoso" Castro, who had been dismissed for the poor recent results, especially the early elimination of Copa Libertadores and the farewell of the event at the hands of Boca Juniors with a 6–2 rout. Yepes's coaching team had Freddy Hurtado and Julián Barragán as assistants, and Daniel Curbelo as physical trainer. During his period as coach, Deportivo Cali was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the domestic league twice (at the hands of Independiente Medellín in the Apertura and Atlético Bucaramanga in the Finalización), and qualified for the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. However, a streak of poor performances in the start of the 2017 season plus a poor record while playing away from home, led to his exit from the club on 9 March 2017.[25]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 19 november 2015[26]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cortuluá 1994 4000000040
1995 150000000150
1995–96 404000000404
1996–97 173000000173
Total 767000000766
Deportivo Cali 1997–98 324000000324
1998–99 486000000486
1999–00 1311200000251
Total 9311120000010511
River Plate 1999–00 292––0000292
2000–01 332–10000333
2001–02 142000000142
Total 766–10000777
Nantes 2001–02 110100020140
2002–03 332––0000332
2003–04 290420021353
Total 732520041825
Paris Saint-Germain 2004–05 323310040394
2005–06 324400000364
2006–07 241400030311
2007–08 270400030310
Total 1158151001001409
Chievo 2008–09 320000000320
2009–10 311100000321
Total 631100000641
Milan 2010–11 130200020170
2011–12 111000000111
2012–13 140110030181
Total 381310050462
Atalanta 2013–14 240200000260
Total 240200000260
San Lorenzo 2014–15 310100070390
Total 310100070390
Career total 580363950021164042

International statistics
As of 19 June 2014[27]
Colombia national team
YearAppsGoals
199930
200090
2001130
2003121
200471
200571
200751
200830
200990
201060
201190
201250
201372
201470
Total1026

Honours
As of 27 August 2014[28]

Club

Deportivo Cali

River Plate

Paris Saint-Germain

A.C. Milan

San Lorenzo

International

Colombia

Personal life

Yepes is married to Colombian Carolina Villegas.[29] Yepes and his wife have three children, his son Luciano Yepes was born in May 2002,[30] his second son Valentino Yepes was born on 23 September 2012, and his daughter Miranda Yepes was born in April 2005.[30] Yepes announced on May 21, 2019, that in July he would be heading to Oviedo to meet young Colombian fan Daniel Ruiz.

Notes and references
  1. "Mario Yepes offered – Chronicle". newcastle-online.org. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  2. "Passato glorioso di Super Mario Yepes". Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  3. Sebastiano Vernazza (15 April 2019). "Chievo, ciao Serie A. La nostra Top Undici gialloblù" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. "Yepes: We'll be raring to go". fifa.com. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. "Mario Yepes será el capitán de Colombia". terra.com (in Spanish). Terra Networks, S.A. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  6. "MARIO YEPES ANCORA IN GIALLOBLU'" (in Italian). chievoverona.it. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  7. Vince Masiello (2010-03-30). "Chievo Captain Sergio Pellissier Confirms That Mario Yepes Will Join Milan'". goal.com. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  8. "Yepes signs one-year extension with A.C. Milan". Goal.com. 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  9. http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/mario-yepes-announces-ac-milan-split-3966131#.Uc-zRvm0KSo
  10. http://www.football-italia.net/35892/yepes-confirms-milan-exit
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2013-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. http://www.football-italia.net/36428/yepes-join-atalanta Yepes to join Atalanta
  13. http://www.elespectador.com/deportes/futbolinternacional/mario-alberto-yepes-sera-nuevo-jugador-de-san-lorenzo-articulo-516336
  14. "Ex-Colombia captain Mario Yepes retires from football". ESPN FC. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  15. "Mario YEPES". FIFA. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  16. rsssf: Copa América 2001 Archived 2013-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  17. rsssf: Copa América 1999 Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
  18. rsssf: Copa América 2007 Archived 2015-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
  19. http://comutricolor.com/mario-yepes-se-retiraria-despues-mundial/
  20. "Colombia 3-0 Greece". BBC. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  21. "World Cup stats: The tallest, youngest and most prolific players in Brazil". 360°. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  22. "World Cup: Colombia beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Brasília to close on last 16". FIFA. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  23. "Colombia Taps World Cup Fever to Urge Guerrilla Defections". Bloomberg. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  24. "Mario Yepes International Statistics"., Int.soccerway.com Retrieved on 16 July 2014
  25. "Confirmado: Mario Yepes no continuará como técnico del Deportivo Cali" (in Spanish). El País. 9 March 2017.
  26. "Colombia – M. Yepes". soccerway.com. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  27. "Yepes, Mario". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  28. "Mario Yepes Trophies". Int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  29. "Mario Yepes "La muralla"". latinoaldia.com (in Spanish). 10 March 2005. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2013., "Querido, te sigo donde vayas". Olé (in Spanish). 10 July 2000. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  30. "[Milan] Noticias". taringa.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2013.
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