Pablo Pérez · Biography

In December 2014, Boca Juniors agreed an 18-month loan for Pablo Pérez from Málaga, with an option to buy. The move reshaped the career of Pablo Javier Pérez, a midfielder born in Rosario on 10 August 1985 and developed at Newell's Old Boys, who until then had spent almost his whole career at his boyhood club, apart from two loan spells and a short stint in Spain. At Boca he won four domestic titles and wore the captain's armband; he later played for Independiente, went back to Newell's and finished his playing days at Sarmiento de Junín in 2024.

Youth career and debut at Newell's

Pérez came through the youth ranks at Newell's Old Boys in his home city. He made his first-team debut on 2 December 2006 in a 2-2 draw with Godoy Cruz. Six months later, in May 2007, he scored a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw against Estudiantes de La Plata, a game that earned him a place in the senior side. A 1.77-metre central midfielder, he mixed ball-winning with runs into the box, and in that first spell he gradually picked up minutes for a Newell's team that was not challenging for the title.

Loans to Emelec and Unión

In July 2009 he joined Ecuadorian club Emelec on loan, making 14 league appearances and scoring once. A year later, in July 2010, he moved on loan to Unión de Santa Fe, where he played 31 league games and scored three goals. He returned to Newell's in June 2011 with more experience behind him and became a fixture in the Rosario side's midfield.

The 2013 title and the move to Málaga

Under Gerardo Martino, Newell's won the 2013 Torneo Final of the Argentine Primera División, and Pérez was part of that title-winning squad. Between 2006 and 2014 he made 124 league appearances for the club and scored 19 goals. On 8 January 2014 he signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Málaga in La Liga. He debuted on 17 January against Valencia (0-0) and scored his first goal on 25 March in a 2-1 home defeat to Espanyol at La Rosaleda. He ended that half-season with 11 appearances and one goal in the Spanish top flight.

Boca Juniors and the captaincy

During his 2015 loan he played 14 league games and scored twice, and on 1 September that year Boca made the move permanent. In 2015 the club won the Primera División and the Copa Argentina, followed by two more league titles, the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Superliga. After the permanent deal he made 66 league appearances with five goals. Pérez captained Boca in the 2018 Copa Libertadores, when the team reached the final against River Plate. On 24 November 2018, on the way to the Monumental for the second leg, the Boca bus was attacked by fans five blocks from the stadium and Pérez suffered injuries to his left eye from shards of glass. “I can't play on a pitch where they could kill me,” he said afterwards. The match was postponed and the final was eventually played in Madrid, where River won.

Argentina national team

Jorge Sampaoli called him up on 12 March 2018 for friendlies against Italy and Spain. He made his debut for the Argentina national team on 27 March 2018 in Madrid, coming on in the second half of a 6-1 defeat to Spain. It was his only international appearance. In May that year he was named in the 35-man preliminary squad for the World Cup in Russia but missed the final cut of 23.

Independiente, return to Newell's and retirement

In January 2019 he joined Independiente on loan, playing 23 league games and scoring twice. The spell ended in February 2020 after disagreements with the club, and on 6 February 2020 he returned to Newell's. In that second spell in Rosario he made 79 league appearances and scored five goals, until the club decided not to renew his contract at the end of 2023. In January 2024 he joined Sarmiento de Junín as a free agent and played three matches for them. On 15 February 2024 he played for Newell's in a friendly against Inter Miami (1-1) under a clause in his contract, and on 23 February he announced his retirement for personal reasons. According to El Gráfico, he finished his career with 450 matches across seven clubs and the national team.

First steps in coaching

In January 2025 he went back to Newell's to coach the club's AFA sixth-division side, the 2008 age group. It was his first coaching job: in 18 matches his team recorded eight wins, five draws and five defeats. In July 2025 he left that post to join Carlos Tevez's coaching staff at Talleres de Córdoba.