Jefferson Gottardi
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jefferson Gottardi | ||
| Date of birth | January 13, 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | ||
| Date of death | September 4, 2003 (aged 27) | ||
| Place of death | La Paz, Bolivia | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1994 | Tahuichi Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1997 | Oriente Petrolero | ||
| 1998–2000 | Bolívar | ||
| 1999 | → Tampa Bay Mutiny (loan) | 11 | (4) |
| 1999 | → Deportivo Táchira (loan) | ||
| 2001 | Goiás | ||
| National team‡ | |||
| 1995 |
 Bolivia U-20 | ||
| 1999 |
Bolivia | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 April 2009. | |||
Jefferson Gottardi (born January 13, 1976 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, died September 4, 2003) was a Bolivian footballer.
Career
Club
Gottardi began his career in his native Bolivia, attending the prestigious Tahuichi Academy (which also produced Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno), and playing for Oriente Petrolero and Bolívar in the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano.
He secured a loan move to the United States in 1999 to play for Tampa Bay Mutiny, and scored two goals on his MLS debut in a 5-2 loss to D.C. United,[1] but never truly settled in Major League Soccer. He was waived by the team in August 1999, having played just 11 games, scoring 4 goals.[2]
After leaving Tampa, Gottardi went on loan at Deportivo Táchira in Venezuela, and then moved to Goiás in Brazil, his final club.
International
Gottardi was a member of the Bolivian national team, having competed in the qualifying tournament for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and in qualifying for the Copa América 1999 in Paraguay.
Health problems and death
While playing for Goiás in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Gottardi began to suffer from "unusual problems with his heart", and was forced to retire from competitive play. He travelled to Cuba for treatment, to which he initially responded well, but was eventually diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.[3] He suffered a heart attack on September 4, 2003, and died at the Virgen de la Asunción hospital in La Paz. He was 27.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ MLS: Razov powers Chicago to 3-1 decision over San Jose in opener; D.C. United triumphs
- ↑ CNN/SI - Soccer - Tampa Bay waives Bolivian forward Gottardi - Wednesday August 11, 1999 10:30 PM
- ↑ SI.com - Soccer - Bolivian Gottardi dies after two-year illness - Thursday September 4, 2003 7:36PM
- ↑ Muerte del ex internacional Jefferson Gottardi enluta Bolivia | terra