Mariano Barbosa

Mariano Damián Barbosa (born on 27 July 1984 in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentina football (soccer) goalkeeper (football). He currently plays for Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina.

Club career

Barbosa started his career with Club Atlético Banfield in 2002. In 2005 he was signed by Spain club Villarreal for a fee of €2 million.

Barbosa served mainly as reserve goalkeeper at Villarreal CF, but filled in for Sebastián Viera a number of times, most notably in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal F.C. in UEFA Champions League 2005-06. Even though Barbosa did not let in any goals in the second leg, Arsenal had beaten Villarreal 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-final which meant that Arsenal progressed to the final.

In summer 2007, after the signing of Lopez, Barbosa was allowed to join Recreativo de Huelva.

He has an Italian passport, and is thus counted as an European Union player.

International career

Barbosa was the reserve goalkeeper in the Argentina national football team that reached the semi finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where they lost to the eventual winners, Brazil national football team. Barbosa replaced suspended goalkeeper Gustavo Eberto in the Round of sixteen match against Egypt national football team which Argentina won 2-1.