ason Wilcox of Leeds battles with Diego Gavilan of Newcastle (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/ALLSPORT)
The date was April 29, 2000. Newcastle United were looking to end a dismal run of form after losing three of their last four matches. Coventry City were looking to end a run of seven straight away defeats in the Premier League. But as for Diego Gavilán? He was getting ready to make history.
After a cagey start to proceedings, Alan Shearer opened the scoring for Newcastle with a penalty goal in the 78th minute. Six minutes later, Newcastle successfully defended a corner kick and immediately sprung on the counter. Shearer found an unmarked Temuri Ketsbaia, who sprayed it towards Gavilán on the right flank. Despite falling over as he scooped the ball past Coventry goalkeeper Magnus Hedman, Gavilán managed to slot into the far corner and put the finishing touches on a 2-0 victory at St. James’ Park.
“The most important moment in my Newcastle career was when I scored that goal,” says Gavilán in an exclusive RG interview. “A few years ago, I was at home working for Cerro Porteño, and my phone started to fill up with text messages featuring the video of my goal vs. Coventry. I didn’t understand what was happening until I went to lunch, sat down to watch the video, and realized that it had been 20 years since I became the first Paraguayan to have scored a goal in the Premier League. At that time, it was just another goal, but it ended up marking a before and after. That’s something I’ll never forget, being able to conquer that feat and make history for Paraguay. Even after I die, that goal will always be marked in the annals of history forever, nobody can erase it.”
Humble Beginnings in Paraguay
Born in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción, Diego Gavilán is the son of Ceneida, a hairdresser, as well as the younger brother of Claudia, a business administrator. He’s also the son of Antonio, who spent the bulk of his playing career at Cerro Porteño between 1968 and 1976.
Since the founding of the Liga Paraguaya in 1906, Cerro have vied for domestic supremacy with crosstown rivals Club Olimpia: whilst Olimpia have won 47 league titles, Cerro have claimed 34 championships – four of which came during Antonio’s spell at Cerro. A physically imposing center back who never backed down from a duel, Antonio played a fundamental role in Cerro’s golden era and became a club icon. The Paraguayan journalist Julio González dubbed him ‘Pampero’ in reference to the horses that run like the wind in the Pampas, the fertile South American grasslands that span over 1,200,000 square kilometres. Antonio worked in Paraguay’s Ministry of Finance after hanging up his boots, but he didn’t fall out of love with football. Instead, he founded his own footballing school for the children of the employees in his government agency.
“While my father was working as a civil servant, he saw that I had a passion for football and that I needed to develop those qualities that I was displaying at a young age, so he created his own footballing school.
That’s how he became fundamental in my development at first, but he never interfered and told me ‘You have to do this, you have to do that.’ He was very cautious in the sense of not wanting to impose his concepts on my qualities. However, whenever I got nervous before a big match like my Cerro debut, my Paraguay debut or the Clásico against Olimpia, he’d calm me down and give me advice like ‘Keep it simple and complete your first pass, don’t be afraid to take risks, if you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world.’ I know a lot of sons of famous footballers who haven’t quite been able to reach the top level and escape their father’s shadow, but for me, having him there was always more of a blessing than a shadow.”
It was here at the Asociación de Funcionarios del Ministerio de Hacienda that Diego started to cultivate his passion for fútbol, and although his parents demanded he prioritize his academic studies, he had his heart set on becoming a professional footballer. He joined Cerro’s academy in 1996, and in 1997, he made his professional debut at 17 years old. Despite balancing his footballing training with his final year of school, it didn’t take long for him to make an impact and earn himself a nickname: Pamperito.
Shortly after turning 19, El Pamperito made his debut for Paraguay and was even selected to represent them in the 1999 Copa América. He started in all three group stage matches in Paraguay, but he didn’t play a single minute of the quarterfinal after coming down with pneumonia: Uruguay drew 1-1 before beating Paraguay 5-3 on penalties. Gavilán only played in one Copa América: when he looked set to participate in the 2001 edition, the tournament was cancelled over potential terrorist threats in the host nation of Colombia. Gavilán was called back to Europe to represent Newcastle in the UEFA Intertoto Cup – just a few days later, CONMEBOL announced the tournament was back on.
Blazing the Trail in England
As the millennium neared its conclusion, Diego was starting to attract interest from a wide range of clubs across Europe’s major leagues, but eventually, it was Newcastle who won the race for him, paying £2 million for the teenage midfielder.
He made his debut on February 4 in a 2-2 draw vs. Sunderland, becoming the first Paraguayan player in Premier League history. However, Diego struggled to deal with the increased physicality and failed to gain a foothold in the first team, making just eight appearances for Newcastle. Desperate for minutes ahead of the World Cup, Gavilán joined Mexican side Tecos in December 2001, where he showcased his skills and earned a call-up to the biggest tournament in sports. He played in three of Paraguay’s four matches in South Korea, with the Albirroja narrowly edging South Africa to second place after beating Slovenia in the final group stage match, before conceding an 89th-minute goal to Oliver Neuville and losing 1-0 to eventual runners-up Germany in the Round of 16.
Gavilán headed back to Newcastle, where he failed to make a single appearance over the first half of the 2002/03 campaign, before moving to Brazilian outfit Internacional. Gavilán became a fan favorite for the Colorado, racking up 6 goals in 43 appearances, before joining Italian side Udinese on loan in January 2004. However, with first-team opportunities hard to come by, he decided to trade Serie A for Série A, calling it quits on his Newcastle career after four years on their payroll and joining Internacional on a permanent deal.
“My main characteristic was speed. I was skilled in linking up play and had the mental speed to know what to do with the ball before it arrived, so between that as well as speed and crossing, those were my three main attributes that not only helped me reach the Paraguay national team, but the Premier League as well. Over the years, I also started to read the game better and be a multifaceted player who could operate as a midfielder, a right winger, a right back, but what allowed me to reach the top level and play in a World Cup was my speed, physical power, and ability to do everything on the wing from putting in a dangerous cross to even scoring a goal.”
Crossing the Divide in South America
After scoring 8 goals in 119 appearances for Internacional, Gavilán moved to Newell’s Old Boys in January 2006. Whilst Gavilán commenced a new chapter in Argentina, Internacional would go on win the Copa Libertadores as well as the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming champions of South America and the world. He did, however, get called up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, remaining on the bench in all three matches in Germany. After just one year in Argentina, he returned to Porto Alegre and joined Internacional’s archrivals Grêmio, leading them to an appearance in the 2007 Copa Libertadores finals, followed by brief spells at Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Portuguesa and Argentine side Independiente.
“I went to Grêmio knowing that I had a great history with Internacional, but thankfully, my year at Grêmio was good to me and my teammates. I knew that some Internacional fans were going to be angry, that’s normal, but I always say that the best possible response is putting in the work with your new club without ever disrespecting your former team with negative comments or gestures. That’s how I was able to conquer two massive teams, and today, every time I go to Porto Alegre, I’m showered with the love and compassion of both fanbases.”
He hasn’t just crossed the divide in one of Brazilian football’s most acrimonious rivalries, but Paraguay’s as well. In January 2010, Gavilán made the move to Cerro Porteño’s archnemesis Olimpia – prompting his father to stop talking to him for an entire year. He then packed his bags for Peruvian side Juan Aurich, before returning to his hometown and enjoying a swan song at Independiente F.B.C. Gavilán retired at the age of 31, terminating a career that saw him reach the biggest stage of world football and South American football and become a pioneer for Paraguayan footballers in England’s top-flight, laying the foundations for other players like Ramón Sosa, Diego Gómez and Julio Enciso to follow in his footsteps.
“It wasn’t hard for me to retire at 31.
I started playing at a very young age, I was already with the national team at 19 years old, I was already in a World Cup at 22 and another World Cup at 26, I was already playing a Copa Libertadores Final at 27… It’s a career that most people could only dream of.”
“In 2006, I started feeling pain in my right knee. They detected a small osteoarthritis from a surgery I had after 1999 Copa América, which only increased as the years went by and with all the demands that were being put on my body. I didn’t want to play anymore because I had already achieved many things both at a sporting and financial level. My mind had already shifted to the next stage, so after retiring at 31, I was already coaching at a footballing school at 32 and that same year, I started training to be a coach. I didn’t have time to think ‘Now what I do?’”
Making the Switch to Coaching
He began his coaching journey in 2013 with Cerro Porteño’s U-15 side, before sojourning at various smaller Paraguayan clubs Sport Colombia, Independiente FBC, Olimpia de Itá, Deportivo Capiatá, Sportivo Trinidense, Sol de América and Pelotas. Whilst earning his badges as a coach, he was also embarking on another odyssey by raising two children – Enzo (15) and Lucia (17) – with his wife.
Gavilán returned to Cerro in 2021 to coach their reserves, patiently waiting for his chance to manage his boyhood club’s first team. Eventually, his perseverance paid off – Gavilán was given the reins in February 2023, kicking off his time in charge with a 1-1 draw vs. Guaraní, followed by a 1-0 win at Resistencia and a 4-1 win vs. Trinidense. However, they would end up drawing their next five matches, before losing 1-0 at Guaraní. After just eight matches in charge, Gavilán was given the boot.
After 16 months away from coaching, Gavilán is eager to return and find a new role, but this time, he’s seeking a fresh new start outside of Paraguay.
“I think that’s my main objective, that’s the next step I need to take as a manager. Obviously, it’s not easy, but I think I’m ready to take that step today and start building a path outside my country.”
Read more about Diego Gavilán’s journey in part two.
Zach Lowy is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and who has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXMFC, and various other platforms. After pursuing a global sports journalism degree at George Washington University, Zach has been able to tap into his multilingual background and interview major footballing figures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as operate the weekly podcast 'Zach Lowy's European Football Show' on BET Central.
