Mario Yepes

Mario Yepes

Yepes in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz[1]
Date of birth	(1976-01-13) 13 January 1976 (age 48)[1]
Place of birth	Cali, Colombia
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s)	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1997	Cortuluá	76	(7)
1997–1999	Deportivo Cali	93	(11)
1999–2002	River Plate	76	(6)
2002–2004	Nantes	73	(2)
2004–2008	Paris Saint-Germain	115	(8)
2008–2010	Chievo	63	(1)
2010–2013	Milan	38	(1)
2013–2014	Atalanta	24	(0)
2014–2015	San Lorenzo	31	(0)
Total		580	(36)
International career
1999–2014	Colombia	102	(6)
Managerial career
2016–2017	Deportivo Cali
Medal record Representing Copa América Winner 2001 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾjo ˈʝepes]; born 13 January 1976) is a Colombian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is well known for his time in Paris Saint-Germain, where he was considered to be one of the best defenders at the time, being dubbed by fans as "Super Mario".^[2][3] During his time in Italy with Chievo, he earned a reputation in the media as a solid and physical old-fashioned man-marking centre-back, known as a "stopper" in Italian football jargon.^[4] He served as the captain of the Colombia national team between 2008 and 2014.

Having begun his career in 1999, and having played for the Colombia national team during that period, Yepes is one of only two players that can truly be considered to be part of the late 1990s and early 2000s golden generation of Colombian football which won the 2001 Copa América and ended in 2003, but has also been part of Colombia's present golden generation (which began in 2013). Faryd Mondragón is the other Colombian footballer of the two, but officially retired in 2014.^[2][5][6]

Yepes began his managerial career with hometown club Deportivo Cali, whom he managed from 2016 to 2017.