Name Carlos Montoya Playing position Role Footballer | Years Team Height 1.85 m 1984–1986 Velez Sarsfield Position Goalkeeper | |
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Full name Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya Date of birth (1966-02-26) 26 February 1966 (age 49) | ||
Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya (born 26 February 1966) is an Argentinian-Colombian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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During a professional career which spanned 25 years, he represented teams in Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, appearing for 15 clubs (mainly Boca Juniors) and totalling more than 800 games across all competitions.
Club career
Nicknamed El Mono (monkey) whilst in Argentina, Navarro Montoya was born in Medellín, Colombia, and he started playing professionally in the former country at only 18, with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield. In 1988, after one year in his homeland with Independiente Santa Fe, he joined Boca Juniors, where he would rarely miss a game in nearly ten years – never played in less than 35 matches in his full seasons – also setting club records of consecutive games (180) and minutes without conceding a goal (824), and eventually appearing in 396 official games for the Xeneizes. His last appearance, however, ended in defeat, 1–3 at Club Atlético Banfield.
In January 1997, aged almost 31, Montoya joined CF Extremadura in La Liga, suffering relegation with that and his following two teams, CP Mérida and CD Tenerife, also in the first division. After a brief spell in Chile with Club Deportes Concepción, he returned to Argentina and played top flight football for Chacarita Juniors, Club Atlético Independiente (after the promotion of youngster Óscar Ustari, the 39-year-old did not see his contract renewed) and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, during five seasons combined.
Montoya rarely settled with a team in the following years, playing in his country of adoption but also in Brazil and Uruguay. On 10 July 2009, at the age of 43, he announced his retirement from professional football, stating: "It is 'goodbye', but also 'thank you'".
Montoya's first manager experience was in Chacarita Juniors, from where he was sacked after only one win in six matches.
International career
As a naturalized Argentine, Navarro wanted to represent its national team, but was denied from doing so by FIFA because he had already played for Colombia in three 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiers – two against the same opponent, Paraguay – conceding four goals.
In 1998 FIFA relented and allowed the player a special dispensation to play for Argentina but, at the age of 32, he was considered too old and never represented his adopted nation.