Jairo Patiño


Jairo Leonard Patiño Rosero is a Colombian retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

Nicknamed El Viejo, Patiño started his career in 1999 at his hometown club Deportivo Cali. He moved to Atlético Huila in 1999, and then to Deportivo Pasto in 2000. In 2001, he returned to Deportivo Cali, before moving to Argentina in 2003 to join Newell's Old Boys. After impressing in the Argentine Primera División, he was signed by River Plate in 2004 where he stayed until 2006. In January 2005, River Plate turned down a £2.78m offer from English club Crystal Palace, who were then in the Premier League.
He returned to Colombia to play for Atlético Nacional in 2007. In July 2007 he returned again to Argentina when he signed for Banfield
After he joined San Luis F.C. in Mexico. And for the 2009–2010 season he went back to Colombia to join Atlético Nacional.

International career

Patiño has been a regular in the Colombia national football team. He was part of the Colombian team that reached the semi final of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup which they lost 1-0 to Cameroon. In this game Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed and died and Patiño was the closest player on the pitch to Foé at the time, and was the first to check on his situation.
He was part of the Colombian team that reached the Semi finals of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup in which Colombia lost 3-2 to Panama.