 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pablo Estifer Armero | ||
| Date of birth | 2 November 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Tumaco, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Napoli | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2008 | América Cali | 108 | (6) |
| 2009–2010 | Palmeiras | 36 | (1) |
| 2010–2013 | Udinese | 69 | (3) |
| 2013 | → Napoli (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2013– | Napoli | 9 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008– | Colombia | 49 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 November 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2013 | |||
Pablo Estifer Armero (born 2 November 1986) is a Colombian footballer playing for Italian club Napoli. He usually plays as left wing-back and is renowned for his pace and stamina. He can also play as a full-back and winger.
Club Career
Palmeiras
After great performances with Colombia, and helping América de Cali win their 13th championship, he was loaned to Palmeiras, as his "agent" Turbo Sports holds the registration rights through Poços de Caldas.[1]
Armero was signed in early 2009, and was the first choice for Palmeiras left-back position.[1] Armero helped Palmeiras reach the São Paulo State Championship semi-finals before losing to Santos FC. He was noticed for his speed and crossing abilities and played many matches helping Palmeiras lead in the Brazilian Série A. His first goal for Palmeiras came in a 4–1 win against Náutico in July 2009.
Having signed a pre-contract, Armero almost joined the Italian Serie A side Parma in July 2010, but the deal collapsed on 3 July. Parma's lack of non-EU registration quota, reflected in the new ruling announced on 2 July, forced the contract to be terminated and obligated the club to pay a sum to the player.[2][3] Instead, Parma signed Zé Eduardo. It was reported that Palmeiras bought 20% economic rights, (date unknown) and the non-dividable registration rights in June 2010.[4][5] made Palmeiras would receive 20% transfer fee.[6]
Udinese
On 28 August 2010, Udinese announced that the club had signed the Armero. He became a left wingback ahead Giovanni Pasquale in Udinese's 3–5–2 formation (or a 5–3–2 formation). That season Udinese beat other teams to finish fourth and returned to the UEFA Champions League.
Due to Udinese's UEFA coefficient, Udinese paired with seeded team Arsenal of the English Premier League. The team changed tactics, and Armero played as a left-sided wingback in its 4–4–1–1 formation, with new-signing Neuton playing new left-back. Because of his successful debut within the Serie A making an impressive European debut impact, Armero was selected into the Serie A Team of the Year for the 2010-11 season.
Armero was rested in the first round of 2011–12 Serie A for ailing and team tactics, (as Armero was returning from international duty), and started in his firstUEFA Europa League match on 15 September. With the team changing its tactics back to 3–5–2, Armero remained left wing-back, also scoring the winning goal.[7]
Napoli
On 9 January 2013, it was announced that Armero would join Napoli on loan until the end of the season, with the option to make a permanent switch in the summer.[8] Armero would primarily make appearances coming off the bench for the remainder of the 2012-13 season. During the 2013 summer transfer window, Napoli made the permanent move for a reported €4 million.[9]
International Career
Armero played for the Colombian Under 17 team in the 2003 World Cup and was promoted to the Senior team in 2008 for his impressive form with América de Cali. He received his first cap in Colombia's 5–2 win over Venezuela and has won the spot of starting Left-back for the National Team. In March 2013, he scored his first goal for Colombia in a crushing 5-0 victory over Bolivia.
