Pablo Calandria

Pablo Calandria

Calandria as O'Higgins player in 2019.
Personal information
Full name	Pablo Ignacio Calandria
Date of birth	(1982-03-15) 15 March 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth	Ituzaingó, Argentina
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1996–1998	Huracán
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999	Huracán	6	(0)
1999–2002	Marseille	3	(0)
2000–2001	→ Lens (loan)	23	(1)
2001–2002	→ Málaga (loan)	3	(0)
2002–2004	Leganés	63	(15)
2004–2006	Sporting Gijón	60	(14)
2006–2007	Hércules	24	(6)
2007–2008	Albacete	38	(13)
2008–2009	Gimnasia Esgrima Jujuy	28	(2)
2009	Atlético Tucumán	6	(1)
2010	Santiago Morning	28	(12)
2011	Universidad Católica	24	(7)
2012	Santiago Wanderers	33	(6)
2013–2018	O'Higgins	143	(60)
Total		482	(137)
International career
1999–2000	Argentina U20	8	(6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pablo Ignacio Calandria (born 15 March 1982) is an Argentine naturalized Chilean retired footballer who played as a striker.

Nicknamed Cracklandia, ^[1] he spent most of his professional career in Spain and Chile, notably representing O'Higgins.

Club career

Early years / Spain

Born in Ituzaingó, Buenos Aires, Calandria played his first professional game for Club Atlético Huracán at the age of only 16. ^[2] He was almost immediately linked with a transfer to country giants Club Atlético River Plate for a US$850,000 fee, ^[3] but nothing came of it and was instead acquired by French side Olympique de Marseille.

Calandria was very unsuccessful in his first spells abroad, only scoring once in three full seasons combined with Marseille, RC Lens and Málaga CF. Released by L'OM in summer 2002 he continued playing in Spain in the following six years, representing four teams in Segunda División, mainly CD Leganés and Sporting de Gijón.

Return to Argentina

Calandria scored his first goal in the Argentine Primera División while playing for Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy, in a 1–2 away defeat against San Lorenzo de Almagro for the 2008 Apertura tournament.

After being relegated he joined Atlético Tucumán, netting in his debut. ^[4]

Chile

In 2010, Calandria signed for Santiago Morning in the Chilean Primera División, going on to remain in the country in the following years, with Club Deportivo Universidad Católica and Santiago Wanderers. ^[5] In 2013 he won the Apertura with O'Higgins FC, scoring nine goals in 17 matches including a penalty against C.S.D. Rangers in the final minute that resulted in a 4–3 home win and qualified to the final against Club Deportivo Universidad Católica. ^[6]

Calandria participated with the team in the 2014 edition of the Copa Libertadores. In the tournament, he scored through a penalty against Cerro Porteño but also missed one against Club Atlético Lanús in the last match, in an eventual group stage exit. ^[7]

On 3 May 2014, whilst playing in the Supercopa de Chile against Deportes Iquique, Calandria suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his knee, being sidelined for six months. ^{[8] [9]} He returned to action in January of the following year, against Unión La Calera.

International career

Calandria played for Argentina at under–17 and under–20 levels. ^[2]

Style of play

Calandria stood out for his aerial ability, and was also a competent penalty taker. ^[10]

Honours

Universidad Católica

• Copa Chile: 2011

O'Higgins

• Primera División de Chile: 2013–14 Apertura
• Supercopa de Chile: 2014

References

1. “Me motiva que los hinchas me digan Cracklandia” (“The fact that the fans call me Cracklandia motivates me”) Archived 19 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine ; La Cuarta, 9 December 2013 (in Spanish)
2. Pablo Calandria, otra víctima de la maldición José Pekerman (Pablo Calandria, another victim of José Pekerman's curse) Archived 28 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine ; Minuto Uno, 11 March 2007 (in Spanish)
3. Pablo Calandria, cerca de River (Pablo Calandria, nearing River); La Nación (in Spanish)
4. "El gol me lo dedico a mí" ("I dedicate this goal to me"); La Gaceta de Tucumán, 4 September 2009 (in Spanish)
5. Pablo Calandria se convierte en refuerzo de Santiago Wanderers (Pablo Calandria becomes a Santiago Wanderers player); La Tercera, 9 January 2012 (in Spanish)
6. O’higgins venció a Rangers en un partido increíble y va por el título (O’higgins beat Rangers in incredible match and head for championship) Archived 21 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine ; La Tribuna del Gordo, 7 December 2013 (in Spanish)
7. O'Higgins se quedó en blanco con Lanús y fue eliminado de la Copa Libertadores (O'Higgins did not find the net against Lanús and were ousted from the Libertadores Cup); Radio Cooperativa, 9 April 2014 (in Spanish)
8. O'Higgins ganó la Supercopa al vencer a Deportes Iquique (O'Higgins won the Supercup after beating Deportes Iquique); Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, 3 May 2014 (in Spanish)
9. Pablo Calandria estará fuera seis meses y Tucu Hernández se perderá el Mundial (Pablo Calandria will be six months out and Tucu Hernández will miss World Cup) Archived 27 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine ; El Rancagüino, 9 May 2014 (in Spanish)
10. El ejemplo de Pablo Calandria: el temple de un goleador (The example of Pablo Calandria: a scorer's poise); O'Higgins FC, 23 March 2015 (in Spanish)

External links

• Argentine League statistics ^[usurped] (in Spanish)
• Pablo Calandria – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
• Pablo Calandria at BDFutbol
• Pablo Calandria at Soccerway