Pablo Armero

2.1. Birth and Upbringing

Pablo Estífer Armero was born on November 2, 1986, in Tumaco, Nariño Department, Colombia. His early experiences in this region shaped his path to becoming a professional footballer.

2.2. Nickname

Armero is affectionately known in Colombia by the nickname "Miñía". This nickname reportedly stems from a phrase commonly used in his hometown of Tumaco to call infants.

3.1. América de Cali

Armero began his professional career with América de Cali, making his debut with the club. He was an integral part of the squad that secured the 2008 Finalización title, defeating Independiente Medellín in the championship. During his initial four years with the club, he made 108 league appearances, scoring 6 goals.

3.2. Palmeiras

Following his impressive performances with América de Cali and the Colombian national team, Armero was loaned to Brazilian club Palmeiras in early 2009. His registration rights were held by Poços de Caldas through his agent, Turbo Sports. He quickly established himself as the first-choice left-back for Palmeiras, being recognized for his speed and crossing abilities. He contributed to Palmeiras reaching the semi-finals of the São Paulo State Championship, where they were eventually defeated by Santos FC. Armero played a crucial role in helping Palmeiras lead the Brazilian Série A for a period. His sole goal for the club came in July 2009 during a 4-1 victory against Náutico.

In 2010, Armero experienced a dip in form and found himself out of favor with manager Muricy Ramalho, often being sent to the reserve team. A notable incident occurred in a derby match against SC Corinthians Paulista in January 2010, where he was substituted in the first half after receiving a yellow card, leading to him crying on the bench, which was captured by television cameras. Despite these challenges, Palmeiras acquired 20% of his economic rights in June 2010, entitling them to a percentage of any future transfer fee.

Armero was on the verge of joining Serie A side Parma in July 2010, with negotiations reportedly advanced. However, the deal collapsed on July 3 due to a new ruling announced on July 2 that reduced the non-EU player registration quota in Serie A from two to one. This forced Parma to terminate the pre-contract and pay a sum to the player. Parma subsequently signed Zé Eduardo instead. Despite discussions about extending his contract with Palmeiras after the Parma deal fell through, Armero continued to struggle for playing time under new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

3.3. Udinese

On August 28, 2010, Udinese signed Armero, marking his move to Italian football. Under coach Francesco Guidolin, Armero quickly secured the position of left wing-back in Udinese's 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2) formation, ahead of Giovanni Pasquale. He became a key player in a successful season where Udinese finished fourth in Serie A, earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualification playoffs. His outstanding performances led to his selection in the Serie A Team of the Year for the 2010-11 season, alongside teammates Antonio Di Natale and Samir Handanović.

In the UEFA Champions League playoffs, Udinese faced Arsenal of the English Premier League. For these matches, the team temporarily shifted to a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Armero playing as a left-sided midfielder and new signing Neuton taking the left-back role. Although Udinese was eliminated from the Champions League, they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Armero was rested for the first round of the 2011-12 Serie A season but started in his first UEFA Europa League match on September 15, where he scored the winning goal as Udinese reverted to their 3-5-2 tactical setup.

3.4. Napoli

On January 9, 2013, Armero joined Napoli on a loan deal until the end of the season, with an option for a permanent transfer. During the remainder of the 2012-13 Serie A season, he primarily made appearances coming off the bench, often as a backup to his compatriot Juan Camilo Zúñiga. In the summer 2013 transfer window, Napoli made his move permanent for a reported 4.00 M EUR.

3.5. West Ham United (loan)

On January 31, 2014, Armero completed a loan move to English Premier League club West Ham United until the end of the season. He made his debut for West Ham on March 15 in a 3-1 away defeat to Stoke City, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Andy Carroll. He played a total of five league games during his loan spell. His final appearance for the club was on April 19, 2014, in a 1-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace. The only goal of the game was a penalty conceded by Armero, and his performance in that match was criticized by manager Sam Allardyce.

3.6. Return to Udinese

On June 20, 2014, Udinese announced that they had re-signed Armero on a permanent transfer, just one season after his departure to Napoli. During his second stint at Udinese, he mostly featured as a substitute in the 2015-16 Serie A season. He was eventually sold midway through the 2016-17 Serie A season, having played only eight matches across three years in this period.

3.7. AC Milan (loan)

On August 11, 2014, Armero was loaned to Milan for the 2014-15 season. He made 8 appearances for the club during this loan period.

3.8. Flamengo (loan)

Seeking more playing time, Armero terminated his contract with Milan and was loaned to Brazilian club Flamengo on April 9, 2015, until the end of the year. He made his debut for Flamengo in a match against Avaí during the third round of the Brasileirão 2015. He played 4 matches for the club.

3.9. Bahia

On December 24, 2016, Armero joined Bahia, who were competing in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B at the time. With Bahia, he achieved success by winning the Copa do Nordeste in 2017. He made 5 appearances for the club.

3.10. CSA

Armero joined Brazilian club CSA on March 17, 2019. However, his tenure was short-lived, as he was released just two months later after being seen at a nightclub on the eve of a league match. A club official stated that Armero, along with other players, had committed an act of indiscipline that "nobody tolerates." Armero subsequently bid farewell to the fans, stating that he did not disrespect CSA and felt he was not given a second chance. He made 4 appearances for CSA.

3.11. América de Cali (Return)

On January 13, 2018, Armero returned to his first professional club, América de Cali, signing a one-year contract. This marked his return to the club a decade after his initial departure. He played 25 matches and scored 1 goal during this period.

3.12. Guarani

Towards the end of his career, Armero had a brief spell with Brazilian club Guarani in 2019, where he made 3 appearances.

4.1. Colombia U-17

Armero's international career began with the Colombian U-17 team. He participated in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, where Colombia finished in fourth place.

4.2. Colombia National Team

Armero earned his first cap for the senior team in 2008, owing to his strong form with América de Cali. His debut came in a 5-2 victory over Venezuela. He quickly established himself as the starting left-back for the national team. He also represented Colombia in the 2011 Copa América. In March 2013, he scored his first international goal for Colombia in a dominant 5-0 win against Bolivia during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

In June 2014, Armero was selected for Colombia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals held in Brazil. He made a significant impact in Colombia's opening group game, scoring the team's first goal in a 3-0 victory against Greece. He accumulated a total of 68 caps and scored 2 goals for the national team between 2008 and 2017.

7.1. Club Honours

• América de Cali
  • Categoría Primera A: 2008-II
• Bahia
  • Copa do Nordeste: 2017

7.2. Individual Honours

• Serie A Team of the Year: 2010-11