Néstor Ortigoza · Biography

On 31 January 2004, Néstor Ezequiel Ortigoza made his debut in the Argentine Primera División for Argentinos Juniors in a 2-1 win over San Martín de Mendoza. Born on 7 October 1984 in San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires Province, he was a central midfielder holding Argentine and Paraguayan nationality who played in Argentina, the United Arab Emirates and Paraguay, represented Paraguay between 2009 and 2017 and won the 2014 Copa Libertadores with San Lorenzo.

Youth and the Argentinos Juniors years

Ortigoza came through the academy at Argentinos Juniors, the club from the La Paternal neighbourhood. After his 2004 debut he saw little action, and in January 2005 he was loaned to Nueva Chicago, where he spent the first half of that year before returning. Back at his club, he gradually won a place in midfield and became a regular starter. His time at Argentinos ended with a trophy: the 2010 Torneo Clausura, the club's first league title in more than two decades, with Ortigoza part of that midfield.

San Lorenzo and a spell in the Emirates

In February 2011 he joined San Lorenzo de Almagro. In July 2012 he left on loan for Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates, winning the 2012-13 First Division and promotion with them. He returned to Boedo in mid-2013 and that December was part of the squad that won the 2013 Torneo Inicial, the title that earned the club a place in the following year's Copa Libertadores.

The 2014 Copa Libertadores

San Lorenzo had never won the continental competition. In the 2014 final they drew 1-1 with Nacional of Paraguay in the first leg in Asunción, and the return match was played on 13 August at the Nuevo Gasómetro. In the 36th minute, after a handball by Ramón Coronel in the box, Ortigoza converted the penalty that gave his side a 1-0 win and the club's first Copa Libertadores. He was named man of the match in the final and was included in the 2014 South American Team of the Year. A year later, in 2015, he added the Supercopa Argentina with San Lorenzo.

Olimpia, Rosario Central and Río Cuarto

In July 2017 he left San Lorenzo and signed for Olimpia in Paraguay, where he played for six months. In January 2018 he returned to Argentine football with Rosario Central. With the Rosario club he won the 2018 Copa Argentina: the final was played on 6 December at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, finished 1-1, and Central won 4-1 on penalties, with Ortigoza taking the first kick of the shootout. In January 2020 he moved to Estudiantes de Río Cuarto in the Primera Nacional, the second tier of Argentine football.

Paraguay national team

The son of Paraguayan parents, he acquired Paraguayan nationality on 8 April 2009. Gerardo Martino called him up for the first time for the closing stage of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, and in October 2009 he played in the 1-2 win in Venezuela. He was part of the squad at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Paraguay reached the quarter-finals, and at the 2011 Copa América, in which Paraguay finished runners-up. He also played at the 2015 Copa América, where Paraguay came fourth. He won 31 caps and scored one goal between 2009 and 2017.

Playing style

He played as a holding midfielder in front of the defence, and his game relied more on positioning and passing than on pace. He moved the ball on with few touches and often switched the direction of attack with long diagonal passes. For years he was the designated penalty taker at his clubs, a role that shaped his career: a spot kick decided the 2014 continental final, and another opened the shootout in the 2018 Copa Argentina final.

Return to Boedo and retirement

In July 2021 he went back to San Lorenzo for a second spell. In October 2022 he announced his retirement from professional football, and on the 22nd of that month he played his final match at the Nuevo Gasómetro, a 3-0 win over Aldosivi on the closing matchday of the 2022 Liga Profesional, the same day goalkeeper Sebastián Torrico also bowed out.