Marcelo Barovero · Biography

Marcelo Barovero made his professional debut in 2003 with Atlético de Rafaela, the Santa Fe club where he had finished his youth development. Born on 18 February 1984 in Porteña, a small town in the east of Córdoba province, he spent more than two decades as a goalkeeper and played for nine clubs in Argentina, Mexico and Spain. His nickname was “Trapito”. With River Plate he won the 2015 Copa Libertadores, the defining title of a career that ended at Banfield in July 2024.

Early years in Porteña and Rafaela

He started out at Porteña Asociación Cultural y Deportiva, the club in his hometown, before moving to the youth ranks of Atlético de Rafaela. He was part of the first-team squad that won the 2002-03 Primera B Nacional and made his debut in 2003. After the club was relegated back to the second tier he became the regular starter, and in 2006 he was named the best goalkeeper in the Primera B Nacional. He played 117 matches for Rafaela before leaving in 2007.

Huracán and Vélez Sarsfield

In July 2007 he joined Huracán and made 38 appearances in the Argentine top flight over one season. In 2008 he moved to Vélez Sarsfield, where he stayed for four years. He was in the squads that won the 2009 Clausura and the 2011 Clausura. His best individual campaign came in the 2010 Apertura: he conceded 6 goals in 16 matches, kept 12 clean sheets and earned the Ubaldo Matildo Fillol Award for the goalkeeper with the best record, an award he won again in the 2011 Clausura.

River Plate (2012-2016)

He arrived at River Plate in July 2012, just after the club returned to the Primera División. He added two more Fillol awards, in the 2013 Inicial and the 2014 championship, and was the first-choice goalkeeper during the most successful spell of Marcelo Gallardo’s side. In 2014 River won the Torneo Final and the Copa Campeonato. That year they also lifted the 2014 Copa Sudamericana; in the second leg of the semi-final against Boca Juniors at the Monumental, Barovero saved a penalty from Emmanuel Gigliotti, and he was voted the tournament’s best player. In 2015 came the Recopa Sudamericana, the Suruga Bank Championship and the Libertadores, settled on 5 August with a 3-0 win over Tigres at the Monumental after a goalless first leg in Monterrey. River finished that year as runners-up at the FIFA Club World Cup, and he was named in the South American Team of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

Necaxa and Monterrey

In July 2016 he left River for Necaxa in the Mexican league. With the Aguascalientes club he won the Clausura 2018 Copa MX and received the Liga MX Golden Glove for the 2017-18 season. In July 2018 he moved to Monterrey. With Rayados he won the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, beating Tigres in the final, and he was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper and included in its team of the tournament. Later that year he was part of the squad that won the Liga MX Apertura 2019. His time at Monterrey ended in May 2020.

Burgos, Atlético San Luis and Banfield

In the summer of 2020 he moved to Spain to join Burgos CF in the Segunda División B, the Spanish third tier. He was the starting goalkeeper throughout a campaign that ended on 23 May 2021 in Almendralejo with a 1-0 extra-time win over Bilbao Athletic: Saúl Berjón’s goal returned Burgos to the Spanish second division after some twenty years away. In July 2021 he went back to Mexico to sign for Atlético San Luis, where he played 67 matches over two years. In August 2023 he returned to Argentina with Banfield, his final club. In February 2024 he went back to the Monumental as a visiting player, and in July of that year he announced his retirement.

Argentina national team and later years

Alejandro Sabella called him up to the Argentina national team in August 2011 for a series of friendlies and selected him again in 2012 for the Superclásico de las Américas against Brazil. In 2015 the IFFHS ranked him seventh in its list of goalkeepers. After retiring he gave motivational talks, and on 2 January 2026 he joined River Plate’s coaching staff as goalkeeping coach, working alongside Alberto “Tato” Montes.