Diego Rubio

Diego Iván Rubio Köstner (born 15 May 1993) is a Chilean footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.

For the Mexican politician, see Diego Guerrero Rubio. For the Spanish cyclist, see Diego Rubio (cyclist).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rubio and the second or maternal family name is Köstner.
Diego Rubio
Personal information
Full name Diego Iván Rubio Köstner
Date of birth (1993-05-15) 15 May 1993
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Colorado Rapids
Number 7
Youth career
2005–2007 Universidad Católica
2007–2010 Colo-Colo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Colo-Colo 8 (3)
2011–2015 Sporting CP 11 (1)
2012–2015 Sporting CP B 52 (22)
2013 → Pandurii Târgu Jiu (loan) 4 (0)
2014 → Sandnes Ulf (loan) 26 (8)
2015–2016 Valladolid 13 (0)
2016 → Sporting Kansas City (loan) 13 (1)
2016 → Swope Park Rangers (loan) 1 (1)
2016–2018 Sporting Kansas City 38 (14)
2017–2018 → Swope Park Rangers 6 (2)
2019– Colorado Rapids 42 (14)
National team‡
2013 Chile U20 8 (1)
2011– Chile 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 November 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2019

Club career

Early career

Rubio began his football career with Universidad Católica. However, when he was 14, he took the decision to move to his favorite team Colo-Colo. After one year in the bench with Colo-Colo, in the next season Diego was consecrated in the youth team. After many seasons in the youth ranks, he was promoted to the first professional team in January 2011.

Colo-Colo

Rubio made his professional debut for Colo-Colo in a pre-season friendly against Deportes La Serena as a starter. In other pre-season game, Diego scored his first unofficial goals for the club, in a 3–1 won against Unión Española, in where he scored two goals for his team, being named the man of the match.

His Chilean Primera División came on 14 February 2011 against Unión San Felipe, as an 84th-minute substitution in a 2–0 away defeat. In a Copa Libertadores game played against Santos in Brazil, he scored his first professional goal, but the match finished in a 3–2 loss. On 19 April, Rubio scored his first two goals in the Primera División against La Serena, at 30th and 62nd minute, being named the man of match, in a 4–1 home win. He finally was consecrated in the club in an international game for the Libertadores against Táchira, Rubio gave the 2–1 victory to the club, scoring the two goals of Colo-Colo, after an early goal of Edgar Pérez Greco at 4th minute. After his club's performances, was rumored that Udinese are interested in Rubio.

He played his first derby game against his former youth club Universidad Católica, participating in the equalizer goal of Colo-Colo giving an assistance to Ezequiel Miralles at 81st minute, putting the 1–1 draw. The coach Américo Gallego nominated to Rubio for play the major derby of the Chilean football against Universidad de Chile, however, he only playing 30 minutes in a 2–1 loss.

Sporting CP

On 5 July 2011, Rubio joined Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal for €1.5 million, signing a five-year contract with a €30 million minimum fee release clause.[1]

Loan to Pandurii

On 2 September 2013, Romanian Liga I club Pandurii Târgu Jiu confirmed Rubio was signed on a loan from Sporting, with an option to buy.[2] He debuted in Liga I in the match against Dinamo Bucharest, won by Pandurii 2–1.

Loan to Sandnes Ulf

On 3 February 2014, Rubio joined Tippeligaen side Sandnes Ulf on a season-long loan.[3]

Valladolid

On 31 August 2015, aged 22, signed a four-year contract with Spanish club Real Valladolid.[4]

Sporting Kansas City

On 8 March 2016, Rubio signed a season-long loan with Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City as a Designated Player.[5]

He signed with the club on a permanent deal on 1 September 2016.[6]

Colorado Rapids

Ahead of the 2019 season, Rubio was traded to Colorado Rapids in exchange for Kelyn Rowe, $200,000 of General Allocation Money and $100,000 of Target Allocation Money.[7] On Feb. 20, 2019, Rubio signed a three-year contract extension through the 2022 season.[8] Rubio enjoyed a career year with Colorado in 2019. He was the club's second leading scorer with 11 goals in 25 starts among 26 appearances[9] -- all MLS career highs.[10]

In 2020, Rubio appeared in 17 matches, starting 13, in the regular season and playoffs. Rubio scored three goals, including game-winning goals on Sept. 12 against Real Salt Lake and Nov. 8 at Houston Dynamo. He also added four assists, including game-winning assists on Opening Day against D.C. United and on Nov. 4 to clinch a playoff berth at Portland Timbers. Rubio was named to the MLS Team of the Week in Weeks 11[11] and 24.[12]

International career

On 31 May 2011, Rubio was called up by Chilean national team manager Claudio Borghi to take part in the 28-man pre-list preparatory process for the upcoming 2011 Copa America.[13] He officially debuted with Chile national team on 23 June 2011, in a match against Paraguay, the last match of Chile before the Copa América.

Rubio returned to the national team and appeared in a 0-0 friendly draw against South Korea on Sept. 11, 2018.[14] Rubio was a substitute in a 1-1 friendly draw against the United States on March 26, 2019.[15] Rubio picked up an assist on Alfonso Parat's goal in a 2-1 friendly loss to Honduras on Sept. 10, 2019, Rubio's first 90-minute performance on the senior international stage.[16] On Nov. 6, 2020, Rubio was called up for Chile's 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Peru and Venezuela,[17] but was later released from the squad out of precautions over COVID-19.[18]

Personal life

Diego is the son of Hugo Rubio. Currently working at the Passball company as a football agent, Hugo was a successful football player, having spent most of his extensive career in his country with a short spell in European football, specifically in Italy and Switzerland. Hugo also was a member of the Chile squad at the Copa América of 1987 and 1991. Diego has two footballer brothers, Eduardo, and Matías, who plays for Unión La Calera. Diego Rubio is also godchild of the Chilean football legend Iván Zamorano.[19]

On 15 May 2011, was reported that Rubio was on a list of most popular Chilean players on Twitter with 1,247 fans, in the 12th place of 14 players. The list was led by Jorge Valdivia, in the 1st place with more of 50,000 fans.[20]

On 24 May 2013, Diego got married with Rocío Navarro in Seville and on 6 June 2014 his first son Thiago was born.

Rubio earned his U.S. green card in September 2017.[21] This status also qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.

Career statistics
As of 22 November 2020[22][23][24][25]
Club Season League Domestic Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Colo-Colo 2011 Primera División 7200–2[lower-alpha 3]31[lower-alpha 4]1106
Sporting CP 2011–12 Primeira Liga 9110106[lower-alpha 5]0–171
2012–13 Primeira Liga 20000000–20
2013–14 Primeira Liga 000000––00
2014–15 Primeira Liga 00001000–10
2015–16 Primeira Liga 000000000000
Total 11110206000201
Sporting CP B 2012–13 Segunda Liga 268––––268
2014–15 Segunda Liga 2114––––2114
2015–16 LigaPro 50––––50
Total 5222000000005222
Pandurii Târgu Jiu (loan) 2013–14 Liga I 4010–00–50
Sandnes Ulf (loan) 2014 Tippeligaen 26810–––278
Valladolid 2015–16 Segunda División 13010–––140
Sporting Kansas City (loan) 2016 MLS 13121–2[lower-alpha 6]000172
Swope Park Rangers (loan) 2016 USL 11–––0011
Sporting Kansas City 2016 MLS 2000–1[lower-alpha 6]10031
2017 16631––1[lower-alpha 7]0207
2018 20820––3[lower-alpha 7]22510
Total 3814510011424818
Swope Park Rangers (loan) 2016 USL 10–––0010
2017 21–––0021
2018 31–––0031
Total 620000000062
Colorado Rapids 2019 MLS 261111––002712
2020 163–––1[lower-alpha 7]0173
Total 4214110000104415
Career total 21365123201146324475
  1. Includes the Taça de Portugal, Cupa României, Norwegian Football Cup, Copa del Rey, and U.S. Open Cup
  2. All appearances in the Taça da Liga
  3. Appearances in the Copa Libertadores
  4. Appearance in the Apertura play-offs
  5. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  6. Appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League
  7. Appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs

International
As of 10 September 2019[26]
Chile
YearAppsGoals
201130
201200
201300
201400
201500
201600
201700
201810
201930
Total70

Honors

Club
Sporting Kansas City

References
  1. "Aguiar and Rubio take Sporting spree to ten". UEFA.com. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  2. "TRANSFER / Marin Condescu: "Diego Rubio va fi împrumutat dar avem opţiune de a-l cumpăra!"" (in Romanian). pandurii-tg-jiu.ro. 2 September 2013.
  3. "Diego Rubio leies ut til Sandnes Ulf". sandnesulf.no (in Norwegian). Sandnes Ulf. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  4. "El Real Valladolid ficha a Diego Rubio" [Real Valladolid signs Diego Rubio] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  5. "Sporting KC acquires 22-year-old striker Diego Rubio on loan". sportingkc.com. Sporting Kansas City. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  6. "Sporting KC completes permanent transfer of forward Diego Rubio from Spanish side Real Valladolid". sportingkc.com. Sporting Kansas City. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  7. "Colorado Rapids acquire striker Diego Rubio from Sporting Kansas City". coloradorapids.com. Colorado Rapids. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  8. "Acosta, Rosenberry and Rubio pen long-term deals with the Colorado Rapids".
  9. "Colorado Rapids 2019 Team Stats".
  10. "Diego Rubio".
  11. "Team of the Week presented by Audi: Sounders lead Week 11 honors after 7-goal romp".
  12. "Team of the Week presented by Audi: Philadelphia Union lead after clinching Supporters' Shield".
  13. Daniel Beovic. "Diego Rubio fue nominado a la Selección Chilena". redgol.cl.
  14. "Corea del Sur 0-0 Chile: goles, resultado, crónica e imágenes".
  15. "Estados Unidos 1-1 Chile: la Roja experimenta sin éxito".
  16. "Honduras 2-1 Chile".
  17. "Seleccion Chilena Twitter".
  18. "Primera baja en Chile: Rubio fue liberado como precaución tras caso de covid en su club".
  19. "Blog del diario As destaca a Diego Rubio: "Puede dar mucho que hablar"". La Tercera.com. La Tercera. 27 April 2011.
  20. "Diego Rubio se une a los futbolistas chilenos con más seguidores en twitter". La Tercera. 15 April 2011.
  21. Sam Kovzan (12 September 2017). "Forward Diego Rubio obtains green card, no longer occupies international spot on Sporting KC roster". SportingKC.com. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  22. Diego Rubio at Soccerway. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  23. Diego Rubio at BDFutbol
  24. Diego Rubio at Major League Soccer
  25. "Diego Rubio at WorldFootball.net". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL Medien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  26. Diego Rubio at National-Football-Teams.com
  27. Boehm, Charles (20 September 2017). "Sporting KC 2, New York Red Bulls 1 as 2017 US Open Cup Final Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
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